The Competitive Image keeps a running list of names. Its Winners Circle page runs long with local and international titleholders, from hometown crowns around the Wiregrass to Miss National Peanut Festival, and it opens with a line straight from the shop:
Just a few of our clients that shop at The Competitive Image. Thank you and Congratulations to all.
A prom shopper learns something useful from that page before she ever drives over. This is a boutique where gowns are chosen to hold up under stage lights and a judge's eye, and the prom racks get the same attention. Its full name on the site is The Competitive Image Pageant and Prom Boutique, and it sits in a suite on Ross Clark Circle, the loop that does most of the retail work in Alabama's Wiregrass.
Prom at a pageant shop
The prom side is built around Sherri Hill. The store's prom pages are a gallery of Sherri Hill styles, and the home page names Sherri Hill prom along with custom Sherri Hill couture gowns. Jovani appears on the home page and on the pageant page as well. For a senior who already has a Sherri Hill style number saved, this is a shop that speaks that language.
The prom page also sets expectations on stock. It asks shoppers to call to place an order or to ask which sizes are currently in stock. That phone call can save a wasted trip, especially in late winter when prom orders pile up.
Across its pages, the shop lists:
- Prom and homecoming
- Sherri Hill prom, homecoming dresses, cocktail dresses and evening gowns.
- Pageant
- Fernando Wong pageant gowns, custom Sherri Hill couture, interview suits and interview attire, with Tony Bowls, Claire's Collection and Stephen Yearick on the pageant page.
- Finishing pieces
- Pageant jewelry, Stefani Somers earrings, Jim Ball Designs, shoes and accessories.
Why the pageant side helps prom shoppers
A shop that dresses contestants learns fit and proportion the hard way, and that carries over. The store has hosted a Sherri Hill trunk show with the designer herself as the special guest, with prom gowns, cocktail dresses and custom evening gowns on the bill. The same event offered headshots and hair and makeup training with makeup artist Clay Spann, whose cosmetics line the shop links from its home page. The store also describes itself as official wardrobe consultants and sponsor for the Mrs., Miss and Teen International pageants.
The shop's gallery shows how long Sherri Hill has been part of the story here. Its photos reach back to 2007, with local and state titleholders on stage in Sherri Hill evening gowns, and they credit Joey Retherford of The Competitive Image as national wardrobe consultant for the International Pageant system. That is a lot of stage-tested fitting experience, and prom shoppers get the benefit of it.
The reach is wide. The contact page lists Dothan Regional Airport and a set of hotels its clients use, which is a fair hint that some of them fly in. Closer to home, the Winners Circle maps the Wiregrass, with crowns from Ozark, Enterprise, Headland, Henry County, Coffee County and Barbour County. Dothan High School is in town, and Rehobeth High School, Wicksburg High School and Headland High School serve the surrounding Houston and Henry county communities.
Sherri Hill, Jovani and the pageant question
Which prom designers does The Competitive Image carry?
Sherri Hill is the core prom label, with Jovani listed beside it. Call the shop to ask about current styles and sizes.
Does the store only serve pageant contestants?
No. The shop is a pageant and prom boutique, and its site lists prom, homecoming and cocktail dresses alongside its pageant gowns and interview attire.