Shana Williams spent about 25 years in pageants as a competitor, director, coach and judge before she put her name on a storefront, and she was crowned Mrs. Delaware America in 2011. Those details come from the Newark Post, which covered the boutique's grand opening at the Shoppes at Louviers in September 2021. Cecile Boutique had started out in Center Pointe Plaza on Churchmans Road, and the Louviers shop was, in Williams' words to the paper, a new chapter for the business. The name is personal. The store honors her late mother, Cecelia Hinton, who died of cancer in 2016.
That background shapes the prom side, too. A pageant coach thinks about how a gown photographs, how it moves on a stage and how it holds up through a long night, and those are the same questions a prom shopper is asking.
Prom first, pageant close behind
The store leads with prom, and the way it describes itself is worth reading in full.
Created by former Mrs. Delaware America 2011, Shana Williams, we work with top designers such as Jovani, Sherri hill, Johnathan Kayne and more to provide Delaware locals with unique designs to make them feel beautiful on any occasion.
The store also calls Cecile "Delaware's prom, pageant, homecoming, & special occasion destination," and the prom collection backs it up. Its prom designers include Sydney's Closet for extended sizes.
Prom designers
- Jovani
- Sherri Hill
- Johnathan Kayne
- Portia & Scarlett
- Tarik Ediz
- Primavera Couture
- Jessica Angel
- Ava Presley
- Clarisse
- Faviana
- Atria
- Colors Dress
- Joshua McKinley
- Sophia Thomas Designs
- Tease Prom
Sydney's Closet, for extended sizes
- Sydney's Closet
- Johnathan Kayne's line for Sydney's Closet
The store also keeps an Alyce Paris in-store collection. Prom sizes run into 12W through 24W and 18E through 24E, so plus-size shoppers have more than a token rack to choose from. Homecoming draws on many of the same labels in shorter cuts, and the pageant collection leans on Jovani and Portia & Scarlett.
Shoes have their own section of the shop, so a shopper can test heels against the hem while the gown is still on.
Booking, walk-ins and the pageant connection
Appointments are encouraged, and the store says walk-ins are welcome.
At least 48 hours ahead
Request a time online
Within a day
The store confirms
Your appointment
The fitting area has seating for three guests. If none of the posted windows fit, the store invites you to ask for another time.
The store's testimonials could pass for a pageant program, with Miss Delaware USA and Miss Delaware Teen USA titleholders crediting the store with their wardrobes. The Newark Post noted that the business also offers training for pageant contestants. For a prom shopper, that is less about the crown and more about who is helping in the fitting room. Staff here are used to dressing people for an audience.
Williams has never pretended she built it alone. "It really does take a village to make this happen," she told the Newark Post at the opening.
Who shops in Newark
Newark sits in the southwest corner of New Castle County, close to both the Maryland and Pennsylvania lines. Newark High, Christiana High and Glasgow High in the Christina School District are the closest public schools, Hodgson Vo-Tech is nearby, and Newark Charter adds its own senior class. Elkton and the rest of Cecil County, Maryland, are just over the state line, and the University of Delaware brings its own formal season to town. Shopping in northern Delaware also means no sales tax at the register.
Cecile Boutique questions from Newark shoppers
Does Cecile Boutique carry prom dresses in plus sizes?
Yes. Prom sizes run from 12W to 24W and 18E to 24E, and Sydney's Closet and Johnathan Kayne for Sydney's Closet are both on the designer list.
Is Cecile only for pageant girls?
No. Prom leads the store's own pitch, and the store also covers homecoming and special occasions. The pageant expertise simply comes along for every shopper.