L A Formals

Upstairs at the mall

To a lot of Springfield parents, White Oaks Mall is where their own dance dresses came from back in the day. For prom shoppers, it still is. L A Formals, which also signs its site as LA Formals & Bridal and LA Prom, runs its showroom on the second floor of the mall, and the banner across the top of its website does not undersell it: largest bridal and prom store in central Illinois. The store gives the showroom's size as 16,000 square feet, which is a lot of rack space for one shop.

The owner, Angie, shows up again and again in the reviews the store publishes on its site, usually for going out of her way to track down a dress. One of those reviews comes from a Miss Illinois contestant who thought the gown she wanted was out of stock everywhere until the shop made it happen. The shop is built for girls who care about the specific dress, whether it is for a school dance or a stage.

Being inside an enclosed mall changes the trip in small ways. The weather does not matter in February, and a group can split up for food or shoes and regroup at the dress racks. White Oaks sits on the west side of Springfield near Veterans Parkway and Wabash Avenue, not far from Interstate 72 for families coming in from the west.

What hangs on the prom side

The store's navigation breaks its designers out by occasion, which makes it easy to see who carries what.

The prom collection on the store's site runs to roughly three hundred styles, most of them marked in stock. The shop advertises inclusive plus sizes in both bridal and prom, and the Sydney's Closet and TEASE lines are there specifically for curvier shoppers.

The quinceañera section deserves a mention of its own. The store describes its Amarra quinceañera gowns as a blend of traditional and classical fashion, from simple gowns with subtle details to bold looks with high slits. A family planning a quince and a prom in the same year can shop for both on one mall floor.

Booking, walk-ins, tuxedos and the fine print

You can book an appointment online or by phone, and walk-ins are welcome too. The posted rules cover the rest.

For dates, the shop handles tuxedo rental in-house through Jim's Formal Wear, so a couple can settle dress color and tux without leaving the store. Online orders come with a wear-date system.

1. When you order online

   Enter the date you need to wear the dress

2. Within 48 hours

   The store confirms whether it can meet that delivery date

3. If delivery by your date cannot be guaranteed

   The store will not place the order or charge your card

Brides have their own wing, with more than 800 designer wedding gowns and a VIP bridal suite, all inside the same showroom as the prom racks.

Closer to home, Springfield High School and Sacred Heart-Griffin are across town, and Rochester, New Berlin and Pleasant Plains are close enough for a mall day that ends with a dress. Pageant girls, as the reviews show, come from much farther. A customer testimonial on the store's own site puts the appeal simply:

Top notch service for all Prom and Pageant wants!!! Every customer is made to feel like a VIP when you walk through the door!

Shopping L A Formals: quick answers

Where in White Oaks Mall is L A Formals?

Upstairs. The store's site places it on the second floor of the mall.

Can my date rent a tux at L A Formals?

Yes. Tuxedo rental runs in-house through Jim's Formal Wear, so the dress and the tux can be matched in the same showroom.

Can I return a prom dress from L A Formals?

No. All sales are final, including online orders, so try the dress on carefully and confirm your size before you buy.