For about four decades, the prom and pageant side of this business ran under its own name, Diane’s Too, out of the same building as the bridal salon. That is over. The Diane’s Too site now carries a notice that after 40 years the shop has stepped away from prom, pageant and homecoming dresses under that name, and is putting its focus back on bridal. If you are a junior at Jasper High or Curry looking for an April gown, 1608 5th Avenue South is no longer the stop it was for your mother’s class.
What remains at the address is a bridal store. Diane’s has been locally owned and operated in Walker County since 1985, and the shop finished a renovation of the space recently. Its own numbers for the bridal side: more than 400 wedding gowns in stock, sizes 4 through 32, priced roughly $1,300 to $3,800. There is an in-house seamstress, available only to people who bought their dress there. Tuxedo rental runs through Jim’s Formal Wear, which lists the store as an affiliate.
Why prom brands still point here
House of Wu, La Femme and Tiffany Designs all still name this store on their official retailer locators, and La Femme’s listing even carries a separate suite number and phone line. Locators lag. A brand page saying a store is authorized is not the same as that brand’s prom gowns hanging on a rack this season. Call (205) 221-3570 and ask directly before you plan a trip around it.
Old listings are also a problem for anyone typing the name into a phone. Several directories still show 300 Highway 78 East, the previous location out by the mall. The store’s current address is 1608 5th Avenue South.
What to know before you call
- Appointments are requested through the store, and are not confirmed until a card is on file.
- The store does not allow photos of gowns before purchase.
- Alterations are in-house but reserved for the store’s own customers.
Prom shopping in Walker County now
The five county high schools — Curry, Oakman, Cordova, Dora and Carbon Hill — plus Jasper City’s own Jasper High make up most of the trade area, and Jasper is where families from Sumiton, Parrish, Nauvoo and Carbon Hill already come to shop. Losing a forty-year prom racks means driving. The Curiosity Shop on 22nd Street West, also in Jasper, lists prom and pageant gowns and alterations. Past that, Interstate 22 is the answer: six lanes from Exit 63 in Jasper southeast to the Birmingham metro, about 30 miles, which puts the Hoover and Riverchase stores inside an easy morning.
Where Diane’s still matters is later. Walker County brides, bridesmaids, and mothers of the bride are the business now, and a girl who bought her prom dress here in 2015 is the customer the store is keeping.