The size run is the first thing to know. At Special Occasions Formal Wear, a junior who wears a 2 and a senior who wears a 28 can shop the same racks, on the same afternoon, in the same downtown store, and that range gives Decatur County families a good reason to start their prom search close to home.
Ladies' gown sizes
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From size 00 all the way to 34.
The shop is on East Water Street in downtown Bainbridge, in the historic commercial blocks around Willis Park, the gazebo-and-fountain square at the heart of town. Online, prom and homecoming get a section of their own, and everything else fills in around them: men's formal wear, wedding gowns, bridesmaids and mothers' dresses, and accessories.
Prom for both halves of the couple
What makes this shop useful for prom is that the date gets dressed here too. A prom couple will find both outfits on the same floor.
Ladies
Prom and homecoming gowns
- The latest styles
- Stock piece sale: homecoming pieces from as low as $50, in-stock dresses only
Men
Tuxedos to rent or buy
- Suits for anyone who would rather own one
- Shoes and accessories to go with the tux
Keep an eye on that stock piece sale. It is a smart first stop for a fall dance before prom season arrives.
It is also a full service bridal store, per its site, so brides share the space during the year. In spring, though, prom traffic carries the floor.
Bainbridge High, Donalsonville, Colquitt and Cairo
Bainbridge High School, the county's public high school, supplies most of the shop's prom customers. Beyond the county line, this corner of southwest Georgia is a string of small towns, and several of them look to Bainbridge for formal wear. Seminole County High in Donalsonville, Miller County High in Colquitt and Cairo High in Grady County sit in the neighboring counties. US 84 and US 27 meet in Bainbridge, so getting downtown is easy from just about any direction.
Plan the visit with the calendar in mind. Weekdays are the regular shopping days, and some days of the week are by appointment only, so phone the shop to confirm the day. The store's site also invites shoppers to sign up for word of specials, sales and events, and its Satisfied Customers page is a long gallery of photos of couples and shoppers dressed for their events. Scroll through it first. It is a good way to see the kind of looks this shop puts together.
The homepage boils the whole pitch down to two short sentences.
Men tuxedos, suits, shoes, and fashions accessories. Ladies gown sizes 00-34.
Prom shopper questions
What sizes does Special Occasions carry?
The store lists ladies' gown sizes 00 through 34, a wide range for shoppers of every build.
Does Special Occasions sell tuxes or only rent them?
Both. The store offers tuxedos for rent and for purchase, along with suits, shoes and accessories.
Does the shop run sales on formal dresses?
It does. The site advertises a stock piece sale, with homecoming pieces from as low as $50 on in-stock merchandise only, and the specials sign-up is how shoppers hear about the next one.