A free hour with a prom stylist is the default at Something New Boutique, not an upsell. Book the standard prom appointment and a personal stylist pulls dresses, works through fit and color, and helps settle on a look, with no booking charge attached. The store sits on Ridgeline Drive at the far north end of Colorado Springs, in a 10,000 square foot showroom, and the store greets shoppers with a line that sums up how the owners want a visit to feel.
You deserve more than just a dress, at Something New we celebrate YOU
That tone runs through the whole operation. Mindi and Jordan Linscombe opened Something New in 2008 so that shoppers would feel like customers, never like a number. The boutique grew into a full formalwear store with separate prom, homecoming, pageant, quinceañera and menswear sections, and a staff that includes stylists who work with prom shoppers specifically.
Three ways to book prom
The store lays out the prom options clearly, and the price difference between them is about atmosphere, not access to better dresses.
Prom appointment prices
One hour with a personal stylist
Free
Bougie & Bubbly appointment
$69
Bougie & Bubbly Party, two hours for a group
$300
The free hour has the stylist trying on styles with you. The $69 appointment is still one hour with a prom stylist, plus alcohol-free rosé and a floral satin robe to keep. The party is held in the store's private lounge. Up to ten guests get free T-shirts, there are treats for the crew, the girl who books gets the robe, and the booking comes with $100 off her dress.
The party option is built for friend groups. It turns a shopping trip into an event for a whole table of juniors or seniors, and the $100 credit takes a real bite out of the $300 cost. For a single shopper who just wants help and candid advice, the free hour covers it.
Prices on the prom floor are posted. The store says short special occasion gowns typically run $200 to $600 and long ones $300 to $1,500, and it notes that both inventory and price ranges shift with the season.
Who makes the dresses
The prom collection includes three names: Sherri Hill, Ashley Lauren and Brooklyn Grace. Brooklyn Grace is the store's own label, a Something New exclusive designed by Mindi's team, and the store carries dozens of Brooklyn Grace styles for prom. For pageant, the store adds Jovani alongside Sherri Hill.
Pageant work is where the store's reputation reaches past the city. Something New is the preferred formal wear partner of the Miss Colorado and Miss Colorado Teen pageants, and it advertises the largest selection of formal gowns in the state. Its pageant specialists work with contestants and coaches on competition gowns, which means the same building that dresses a first-time prom shopper also handles stage-ready evening wear. Seniors chasing a gown with real stage presence get the benefit of that depth.
Homecoming has its own section and its own season. During October the store runs a homecoming closeout at 30% off for shoppers who book an appointment, a useful window for anyone who still needs a short dress. Quinceañera shoppers have a dedicated collection as well.
The men's shop and the giving side
Prom dates do not have to go elsewhere. The Men's Shop at Something New handles their side of the night.
The Men's Shop
Tuxedos and suits
Rentals
From $180
Purchases
From $239
Booking
Time with a menswear specialist
The business also gives back in ways that reach prom-age shoppers.
Something New Foundation
A portion of every Brooklyn Grace sale funds scholarships and educational support for women and young ladies in Colorado Springs and beyond. The store says any woman who got her dress at Something New can apply for a scholarship.
Yearly partners
Night to Shine from the Tim Tebow Foundation, Hope & Home Foster Care, Lighthouse Family Retreat, Children's Hospital Colorado and Compassion International
Volunteer day
Stylists get a paid day off each year to volunteer
Location helps too. Ridgeline Drive puts the boutique close to the big Academy District 20 high schools on the north side, including Pine Creek, Liberty, Rampart, Air Academy and Discovery Canyon Campus, and within reach of Lewis-Palmer and Palmer Ridge families in Monument. With what it calls the state's largest formal selection, it makes a natural first stop for prom shoppers across the Pikes Peak region of Colorado.
Brooklyn Grace bridal and the $499 Mountain Top appointment
Something New's year-round bridal collection starts at $1,500, and the store says it usually has next-day bridal appointments available. Each bride gets a private appointment with a stylist, and fittings are complimentary. The bridal designers the store lists are Brooklyn Grace, Allure, Allure Modest, Allure Romance, Allure Wilderly Bride, Essense of Australia and Stella York. Bridal has its own suites, apart from the prom appointments, and a twice-yearly sample sale. Not every style is available to try on in the store, and the bridal stock changes often.
Brides can also book an upgrade. The $99 Bridal Upgraded Appointment adds a silky robe and a Something New Bride cup to keep, plus a bottle of nonalcoholic bubbly for the group. The VIP Mountain Top Bridal Appointment, at $499, gives the bride the 10,000 square foot store to herself for an extended 2 hour appointment, with unlimited seating, a personal bridal stylist and a panoramic mountain view in the store's Yes Corner. The $99 Reveal Appointment is an extended one-hour bridal pick-up with a stylist, an exclusive bridal hanger and a confetti cannon. Brides traveling from out of town can ask about a travel package that includes a hotel room.
Something New prom questions from Springs families
Is the standard prom appointment at Something New free?
Yes. The standard prom appointment is a free hour with a personal stylist. The $69 and $300 upgrades add extras and, for the party, a private lounge and $100 off a dress.
Can a prom shopper apply to the Something New Foundation?
The store says any woman who got her dress at Something New can apply for a scholarship through the foundation, which supports women's education and leadership in the community.