If you went to high school in Bulloch County any time in the last decade, you have probably heard of Prom Bae on West Main Street long before you needed a gown. The shop has a following, and it has earned it. Statesboro High, Southeast Bulloch out in Brooklet, Portal Middle High and Bulloch Academy all sit in Bulloch County, which makes Prom Bae the home-county gown shop for every prom on that list.
The story behind the store is less glossy than the gowns, and that is part of its charm. Owner Maria Proctor says she always swore she would never go into retail. Then she was laid off from a job in funeral services, invested in retail coaching, and built a brick-and-mortar business in a single year. Her shop opened in 2012 as Madame Couture's, an affordable clothing consignment shop. In 2016 it converted to formal dresses only, and the name on the door eventually became Prom Bae. So the store has been part of downtown Statesboro since 2012, and all-gowns since 2016.
Proctor grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, in government housing, raised by a mother who went back to school in her thirties, earned her GED and then a bachelor's degree in education while working two part-time jobs. She credits that example with teaching her never to give up, and with the value of hard work.
What's on the racks
Prom leads, but the store's About page lists a full calendar of occasions: prom, pageant, homecoming, quinceañera, bat mitzvah, cotillion and destination bridal. Sizes run from 00 to 32, and the store promises dresses in every color, size and style, with only the newest styles of the season. The FAQ adds that new inventory arrives daily, so a visit in late January can look very different from one in March.
The designer menu on the website names five lines: Cecilia Couture, Clarisse, Colors Dress, Jasz Couture and Morilee. Clarisse gets top billing. Prom Bae's site lists it as a top Clarisse Designs store, and because Clarisse is the official Miss Universe pageant sponsor, the shop claims access to the gowns seen on the Miss Universe stage. For pageant girls, that is a real draw. For prom girls, it means the same design house dressing those contestants is hanging a few racks over.
Plus-size shoppers are not an afterthought here. The homepage makes a point of saying the latest trends extend to plus-size gowns, with dresses for every size, shape and skin tone.
The stylist and the layaway
Two things set the shopping experience apart. The first is the personal stylist. From the moment you walk in, the store says, you are greeted by your own Prom Bae stylist, whose job goes past the dress to everything worn with it. Tell her the neckline, color or silhouette you have in mind and she will know which rack to pull from. The team's own description is eclectic, zealous and free-spirited, and the store's stated aim is a fast, friendly and fun experience that is stress-free but energetic.
The second is layaway, which helps a lot when the dress is bought in winter for a dance in spring. The store's layaway page lays out a 30-day plan.
To start
A deposit of 50% of the balance, plus shipping if the dress is being mailed
Within 30 days
Pay the remainder, or before the event if that comes first
Paid in full
An in-store layaway is ready for pickup, and an online one ships
One sizing tip from the FAQ: if you fall between sizes, choose the larger one and have it altered by a seamstress. Line up your alterations early, because the shop does not advertise in-house tailoring and spring calendars fill fast in a college town.
The store also ships nationwide, with standard and rush options, which helps when a family finds the right style but needs a different size or color sent.
A family of downtown shops
Prom Bae is not Proctor's only storefront. In 2023 she opened The Quince of Your Dreams, a separate quinceañera shop that WTOC covered when it launched. The Prom Bae site also links to Mirror on Main, a sister boutique for everyday clothes. For a prom shopper, the split is useful. Quinceañera gowns have their own home, which leaves more of the Prom Bae floor to prom and pageant.
Downtown Statesboro's Main Street makes it easy to turn a fitting into an afternoon, and for families driving in from Metter, Sylvania or Claxton, Statesboro is the natural shopping trip in this part of southeast Georgia. According to its site, Prom Bae is one of the fastest-growing formal wear stores in Georgia, and between the downtown floor and nationwide shipping, its reach runs well past the county line.
Seasonal hours shift through the year, so check the website or phone the shop for the current schedule.
"The first step to success is getting out of your own way. Believing in yourself is one of the most important steps to building any successful vision"
That motto is Proctor's own, and it sits on the owner page of the site.
Paying off and sizing a Prom Bae gown
Does Prom Bae offer layaway?
Yes. The 30-day layaway plan takes a 50% deposit, with the balance due within 30 days or before your event, whichever comes first.
What sizes does Prom Bae carry?
The store stocks sizes 00 through 32 and highlights its plus-size prom and pageant gowns.