Jeannine's Bridal

Size range is the quiet problem in prom shopping. A store can look great until you ask for a 2 or a 22 and get handed a catalog instead of a dress. Jeannine's Bridal and Formalwear in Fort Myers built its prom department to avoid that conversation. The size filter on its prom collection runs from 000 all the way to 32, with women's sizes 12W through 24W listed separately, and the alterations page says the shop keeps plus size, petite and extra-length formal and prom dresses in the store.

As for the address, the shop sits on Cleveland Avenue, the stretch of US 41 that carries much of Fort Myers' everyday shopping traffic, close to the Colonial Boulevard crossroads and the Edison Mall area. For families coming from anywhere in Lee County or elsewhere in southwest Florida, that is a familiar drive rather than an expedition.

Prom designers on the floor

The shop's own site describes a full-service boutique with an extensive selection of designer gowns, accessories and formalwear. The prom and homecoming pages name the labels shoppers can expect:

Jovani and Alyce Paris also bring short styles for homecoming, and Rachel Allan and Amarra have new homecoming styles for the fall season.

• Homecoming and quinceañera

  Each has its own collection

• Tuxedos

  A wide range of designer tuxedos and accessories, so a prom date can be fitted in the same building

• Mother's dresses

  The largest selection in Lee County, the site claims, which comes in handy for families planning a wedding later in the year

Appointments are requested through a form on the store's website, and it pays to fill it out carefully. It asks for the event date, how many people are coming and a budget, and the store notes that a budget helps it prepare options within your means. For prom, that means a consultant can have dresses in your size range and price point ready before you arrive, instead of starting cold on a packed Saturday. Saturday hours are shorter than weekdays, so an after-school visit early in the week is often the calmer choice in March and April.

If you're shopping with friends, say so on the request form, which asks how many people are attending. Booking the group together saves three separate drives to Cleveland Avenue. The consultants are used to coordinating colors and styles for wedding parties, and that eye for how several dresses look together carries over neatly to a prom group photo.

What the sewing room can do for a prom gown

A prom gown off the rack almost never fits perfectly. Straps slip, hems drag, and a bodice that looks right in the mirror can shift by the second hour of dancing. Jeannine's keeps expert seamstresses and tailors in the store, and the alterations page says they can customize a gown by adding sleeves or modifying the design rather than only taking in seams. That kind of work is usually associated with wedding dresses, and it translates directly to a prom gown that needs a little more coverage or a different neckline.

The alterations team also takes dresses bought somewhere else, a useful backup if an online order arrives too long.

Did you buy your dress at another shop? No problem! We also provide alteration services for dresses bought elsewhere.

That line is from Jeannine's alterations page, and it covers a prom gown as readily as a wedding dress.

Quick answers for a Jeannine's prom visit

Which high schools shop at Jeannine's for prom?

The shop is a natural stop for Fort Myers High, Dunbar, Cypress Lake, South Fort Myers and Riverdale students, and Cape Coral families from schools like Ida S. Baker and Island Coast can reach it across the river.

How far does Jeannine's prom size range go?

The prom size filter runs from 000 to 32, with women's sizes 12W through 24W listed separately, and the store keeps plus size, petite and extra-length dresses on hand.

Can I return or exchange a prom dress?

The store's posted policy is that it does not accept returns or exchanges, so try on carefully and settle on the size with your consultant before you buy.