This store exists because customers kept asking. Esmeralda's Boutique had already been dressing the Tampa Bay region since 2009 when it opened on South Dale Mabry Highway in 2019. The reason, according to the company's About page, came straight from the people already shopping with it.
So many of our customers told us we needed to open in Tampa, for years we waited for the right moment.
For South Tampa families, that wait meant fewer drives up to Pasco for a prom dress. Plant High School and Robinson High School anchor South Tampa, Jefferson High School sits just north in West Tampa, and the area's private schools hold their own spring formals. Spring on this side of the Crosstown means back-to-back prom dates, senior portraits and banquets. A shop on Dale Mabry, the road everyone here already drives, makes that calendar a lot easier to manage.
The prom lineup
Sherri Hill carries the biggest share of the company's in-store prom collection, and the designer list behind it is deep for a neighborhood boutique: Jovani, Amarra, Primavera Couture, Portia and Scarlett, Ellie Wilde, Terani, Alyce Paris and Morilee, with Atria, Colors Dress and House of Wu filling in. You can browse a lot of it online first, but prices in the store aren't necessarily the same as on the website, so treat the site as a preview and the fitting room as the final word.
The South Tampa store works the full school calendar, not just spring. Prom gets the full in-store collection across those designers, with in-house alterations, and the company's own list of offerings sorts the rest by occasion.
Homecoming
Short and cocktail-length dresses led by Sherri Hill, Portia and Scarlett and Primavera Couture
Quinceañera
Gowns plus the company's Quinceañera Package; appointments required
Damas and court
Dama/Court Package with dresses from $120 to purchase, no rentals
Pageant and evening
Pageant gowns and evening dresses, plus a mother-of-the-bride section
The Tampa store is one of the two locations the company names for the quince and dama packages, which is a big help for families planning a quinceañera and a prom in back-to-back years.
Fit, policy and the fine print
Alterations happen in house. The team handles hemming, straps, taking in, re-beading and bustles, and also takes on dresses bought elsewhere, though the alterations specialist can decline a gown. The FAQ is firm that the shoe determines the hem.
Bring to the first fitting
- Your shoes
- Your undergarments
A few other things to know. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly recommended and preferred, and seasonal Sunday hours are by appointment only. Gowns are priced without alterations. And every sale is final, in the store and online, so the decision gets made before you hand over a card.
Esmeralda's runs two more stores. Esmeralda's Boutique Carrollwood is up North Dale Mabry, and Esmeralda's Boutique on Land O' Lakes Boulevard serves Pasco County. Each has its own appointment calendar. For other prom shops around the Florida Gulf Coast, the state guide lists more shops across the region.
South Tampa FAQ
Will the South Tampa team alter a dress bought somewhere else?
Usually, yes. The in-house alterations team takes gowns from other stores for hemming, straps and bustles, though the specialist can decline one.
Is the online price the same as the store price?
The company's pricing policy says in-store prices are not necessarily equal to website prices, so confirm the number at the Dale Mabry register.