Families in Middle Georgia knew the Gilbert name from the pink doors of a bridal shop in downtown Perry long before it showed up on a prom store. In 2024 the family opened a second location in Macon, on Forsyth Road in the north end of town, and gave it a different job: prom, homecoming and every other formal occasion.
At Gilbert's Prom & Formalwear, we specialize in providing an exquisite selection of dresses that make you shine on your special day.
That welcome is how the store introduces itself online. The business is owned and run by a mother, daughter and daughter-in-law. Maria and Mary Margaret Gilbert started Bridals by Gilbert as a mother and daughter team, and Molly, the daughter-in-law, joined as manager. By the family's count, it has spent the past 11 years helping brides across the region, and the Macon store carries that same family-first approach over to prom girls and their moms.
What the Macon store carries
The prom page names four lines the store calls its exclusive collections: Sherri Hill, Jovani, Nicole Bakti and Ashley Lauren. That is a tight, recognizable list. Most of the prom styles Gilbert's has posted online are Jovani. The store describes Sherri Hill as elegant and timeless and Ashley Lauren as chic and fashionable, and it calls Nicole Bakti a blend of contemporary and classic.
The store is not just for prom night. Its own list of occasions gives a good sense of who walks in:
- Prom, the main event from winter into spring.
- Homecoming, with its own collection each fall.
- Formal events and galas.
- Wedding guests who need something more than a sundress.
- Debutante galas.
- Mothers of the bride.
Tuxedos are part of the picture too. The family offers tuxedo styles through JFW, so a date can be sorted out without a second stop.
Alterations are handled by outside seamstresses rather than in the store. The family keeps a list of recommended seamstresses across Middle Georgia, including several in Macon, and is happy to share it.
From Bibb County to the Warner Robins side
Forsyth Road is the same road that runs out past Wesleyan College, and the store's north Macon spot draws from a long list of schools. In Bibb County that means Howard, Rutland, Westside and Central high schools, along with private schools like Stratford Academy, First Presbyterian Day School and Mount de Sales Academy. Mary Persons High is up I-75 in Forsyth, Jones County High is northeast in Gray, and Houston County students from Northside, Houston County and Veterans high schools come up I-75 from the Warner Robins side of Middle Georgia.
For prom and homecoming, the store makes it easy: walk-ins are welcome, and online booking is there for anyone who wants a set time. That fits the way prom shopping usually happens, with a free afternoon after school or a Saturday with mom.
Questions about Gilbert's Prom & Formalwear
Is this the same business as Bridals by Gilbert in Perry?
Yes. The same family runs both. The Perry store on Commerce Street handles bridal, and the Macon store on Forsyth Road is the family's prom, homecoming and formalwear location.
Where do Gilbert's shoppers get a prom dress hemmed?
With an outside seamstress from the family's own list, which covers Middle Georgia and includes several names in Macon. Ask for it at the counter.