Elegant Couture has dressed the Palos area since 2003, from a storefront at 12236 S. Harlem Avenue in Palos Heights. The About page states the goal in one sentence.
Our primary goal at Elegant Couture is to ensure that our customers leave our store feeling they have had a red carpet shopping experience.
The homepage leads with prom and names five designers before anything else: Amarra, Jovani, Terani, Mac Duggal and Jessica Angel. The racks bear that out. Amarra alone makes up more than a third of the prom gowns the website tags as in the store.
Weekdays open, weekends booked
The calendar shapes a prom visit here more than anything else. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, from noon to 7, when the floor has room. Saturday (11 to 6) and Sunday (noon to 5) are by appointment only. Weekday appointments are available too, for anyone who would rather hold a time.
Booking any appointment takes a credit card on file. Cancel inside 24 hours or miss the slot and the appointments page warns of a $75 fee, though one passage there ties the fee to bridal visits. The FAQ's answer on timing is short. Book as early as possible, because most customers start booking in January.
Monday to Friday
Walk in
- Noon to 7, when the floor has room
- No card needed at the door
Saturday and Sunday
Appointment only
- Credit card on file to book
- Most customers start booking in January
A weekday after school is the easy way in. There is parking for customers, and no card is needed to walk through the door. Holiday hours can change, and the site asks shoppers to phone for them.
Amarra leads the gowns tagged in the store
The prom pages show each designer's full collection, thousands of styles, and the site says as much. Its In Store filter narrows that to what is actually on hand. That in-store share runs to well over two hundred prom gowns. Amarra leads by a wide margin, and Jovani is a clear second at about one gown in five. Colors Dress, Clarisse and Terani Couture form the next tier. Jessica Angel, Mac Duggal, Andrea & Leo and Johnathan Kayne follow, and a few Cecilia Couture and Atria pieces fill out the list.
Prices are posted, and the FAQ says they match in the store. Many styles show a price range rather than one figure. Taking the lowest price on each in-store gown, most start between about $450 and $600, and the typical one sits close to $550. Entry Clarisse styles start under $200, and the priciest Amarra gowns run to about $1,200. A handful of Jovani gowns reach past $1,000 at the top of their size range.
Typical prom starting prices, in-store gowns
Under $200Most $450 to $600About $1,200
The prom page also mentions layaway and an in-store sale section for lower-priced gowns. Ask about both at the counter, since the site gives no terms.
The FAQ lists the labels the shop is authorized to sell. Beyond the names above, that list adds Chic & Holland, In Couture, Mambo Couture, MNM Couture, Q by DaVinci, the Mon Cheri lines (Ivonne D, Cameron Blake and Montage), Morilee's Madeline Gardner and Alyce Paris. Most of those sit in other departments.
Registry, fit and paying at the counter
Worried a classmate already has your gown? The FAQ says to come in, and an associate will check the shop's school registry tracking system. That check happens in the store, with staff, not by phone or online.
Tall girls should ask early. Certain brands offer extended lengths, and associates will work through the options with you. Alterations are done for customers, and the shop keeps accessories and shoes so the earrings and heels can be settled before you leave Harlem Avenue.
Payment is by major card, Apple Pay or cash. Checks are not accepted, and the shop does not sell gift cards. Every sale there is final.
Homecoming, pageant and other seasons
The shop doesn't stop at prom. Homecoming draws on many of the same names, among them Amarra, Clarisse, Colors Dress, Jessica Angel, Johnathan Kayne, Jovani, Mac Duggal and Terani. Pageant gowns come from Amarra, Clarisse, Jessica Angel, Jovani, MNM Couture and Terani. Quinceañera gowns come from Amarra and Q by DaVinci. There are cocktail, evening and young girls' sections as well. Bridesmaid and mothers' dresses fill out the back of the catalog.
Homecoming
Amarra, Clarisse, Jovani, Terani and more
Pageant
Amarra, Jessica Angel, MNM Couture and others
Quinceañera
Amarra and Q by DaVinci
The shop runs an ambassador program and an Our Girls page for customers who want to be featured on the site. It also keeps a blog that has covered prom trends.
Harlem Avenue is the Palos area's main shopping road, and Stagg High School in Palos Hills and Shepard High School in Palos Heights are both a few minutes away. Sandburg sits farther south in Orland Park. For more stores in the southwest suburbs and across the state, see our Illinois prom shop guide.
Elegant Couture prom questions, answered
Can I walk in on a weekend?
No. Weekends at Elegant Couture are appointment only all year. Walk in on a weekday or book a weekend slot with a card on file.
What does a prom gown cost there?
Starting prices on the gowns tagged in store run from under $200 to about $1,200, with most between about $450 and $600.
Which designer has the most prom gowns in the shop?
Amarra, by a wide margin. Jovani is second, then Colors Dress, Clarisse and Terani.
Can I pay with a check?
No. The shop takes major cards, Apple Pay and cash, but not checks.