Missy Anthony opened Glitz & Gowns in Alabaster in August 2011, and the shop has spent the years since building a reputation on two tracks at once: prom and homecoming on one side, pageant on the other. The prom side carries a credential most independent shops in this part of the state cannot claim, and the About page states it in capital letters.
As a CERTIFIED Top 10 Prom retailer, Glitz & Gowns offers exclusive designs that no other store in the state of Alabama can sell.
That exclusivity is the first reason girls drive in from across Shelby County and beyond. The second is depth. The prom racks here pull from a long list of labels, and the store backs them with size range, a layaway plan and a staff that has been on the floor for years. Walk in on a February Saturday and you will see it at work.
A prom floor built on the labels that matter
The online prom collection names the core labels, and the pageant-heavy names show up on the prom racks too, a clue to the store's eye.
The online prom collection
Filling in around them
- Chandalier
- Kate Parker
- Sophia Thomas
- Sydney's Closet
Pageant-heavy names in the prom filter
Homecoming adds
Those pageant labels are gowns built to hold up under stage lights, and they photograph the same way at a hotel ballroom prom.
Size range is a real strength. The store claims one of the largest selections of plus-size prom dresses in Alabama, from sizes 0 to 30-plus, and gives plus-size prom its own section with Rachel Allan Curves, Sydney's Closet and Tiffany.
The pageant business is what keeps the staff sharp in the off-season. On its site, the store claims the title of Alabama's premier pageant retailer, sorts its pageant stock by Miss and young girl divisions, and claims the largest selection of little girl pageant dresses in the Southeast. That year-round fitting work carries over to prom season. The people helping with a prom gown in March have spent the fall dressing competitors.
How shopping here works
The store keeps its policies in plain view:
Walk-ins or appointments
Both. Walk-ins are welcome during normal business hours all year, and prom and homecoming season adds personal styling appointments on Saturdays and Sundays. A private appointment runs 90 minutes and takes a $50 deposit that goes toward the dress.
Layaway
90 days, on all full-priced items.
Rentals
No dress rentals. The store points shoppers to its sale dresses instead, many priced below what a typical rental would cost.
Returns
All sales are final, in store and online, so the staff works one-on-one to make sure the dress is right before it leaves.
Timing
Customers usually start looking three to six months ahead, which leaves room for alterations. For a spring prom, that means late fall or early winter.
Prom couples notice the tuxedo side. Picking up his tux at the same counter where she bought her gown saves a separate trip, and it makes coordinating colors far easier.
Prom couples
An official Jim's Formal Wear retailer
Rent or purchase
Both, with more than 40 tuxedo and suit options
Options from
Jim's and Geno's Formal Affair
The About page's shorthand
Same tuxes, same prices
There is a sense of continuity on the staff, too. Beth, the store manager, has been there since the doors opened in 2011. Caroline, one of the assistant managers, started working there in November 2016 after years of shopping as a customer. Missy herself came to the business with retail management experience and a fashion merchandising degree from Florida State University, and she writes on the staff page that she loves watching customers and their families grow up through the years.
From Thompson High to Clanton along I-65
Thompson High in Alabaster is the home school, but Alabaster sits along I-65 through Shelby County, Alabama, so the draw reaches well past the city line. Pelham, Helena, Chelsea and Oak Mountain shoppers are a short hop north and east. Calera and Montevallo families come up from the south and west, and Chilton County High girls make the run up the interstate from Clanton. The store says sorority sisters shop its formal and semi-formal racks too, and it sells select styles online for anyone farther out.
The store also stocks quinceañera gowns, party dresses and gala wear, so a family can come back for the next big event after prom is over. Bridal is not the focus here. This is a prom, pageant and homecoming shop first.
Glitz & Gowns in three quick answers
How early should I start shopping for prom here?
The store's FAQ says customers usually start looking three to six months ahead, which leaves room for alterations.
Does the size run at Glitz & Gowns go past a 20?
Yes. Sizes run from 0 to 30-plus, with a dedicated plus-size prom section featuring Rachel Allan Curves, Sydney's Closet and Tiffany.
Can I rent a prom dress or a tux?
Dresses are sale only, with no rentals. Tuxedos can be rented or bought through the store's Jim's Formal Wear partnership.