Some shops win on volume. MonaLisa Boutique wins on the feeling that the dress you found is not the one everyone else will be wearing. That idea runs through the welcome note on its website.
At MonaLisa, we know how important your special night is to you. We strive to ensure that your look is special and unique.
That promise fits a small, woman owned, family run boutique in business since 1987. Prom and homecoming are among its specialties, alongside quinceañera, sweet sixteen, military ball and special occasion dresses, plus casual wear and accessories.
How a small Addison rack works in your favor
The shop keeps a limited inventory. Its online shop notes that new items are added as they arrive, and that inventory is limited because the dresses are unique. For prom, that has a clear upside: the odds of matching a classmate drop when the racks are not stocked deep in one style.
Planning a MonaLisa prom visit (a guide)
First
Pick your day: Tuesday through Friday by appointment, or Saturday with no appointment needed.
Then
Call or email ahead if a weekday works better. The boutique will do its best to accommodate shoppers whose schedules do not match its hours, according to its site.
Then
Bring your prom heels and any jewelry you have picked out, so the length and fit can be judged properly.
Then
Ask about fittings. The website describes a full service boutique, and testimonials on its own site praise a seamstress for alterations.
Last
Decide carefully. The store notes that all items in its online shop are non-refundable and non-exchangeable, so ask your questions before you buy.
The personal attention is the main draw. Shoppers on the store's testimonial page describe a staff that is patient and never pushy, willing to let a customer leave, think it over and come back with family before deciding. For a teenager trying on several gowns with a parent along, that pace makes the experience easier.
Timing matters more at a small shop than at a big one. Homecoming shopping peaks in late summer and early fall, and prom shopping builds from midwinter into spring, with most local proms landing in late April and May. Because new pieces arrive in small numbers rather than in one big seasonal drop, an early look in January or February gives a shopper the widest choice of what is on hand. Scrolling the online gallery before the visit gives a feel for the styles the boutique stocks, so a shopper can come in with a few ideas already in mind.
Accessories come into the fitting as well. The boutique stocks them, and its staff can help pull together a finished outfit rather than just a gown.
From Addison Trail to Lake Park in Roselle
The boutique sits on Lake Street, the main commercial road through Addison. Addison Trail High School is the hometown school, and Fenton in Bensenville, Willowbrook in Villa Park, York in Elmhurst and Lake Park in Roselle are all neighboring DuPage County schools. Because the racks cover prom, homecoming and quinceañera, the same family may come back for more than one milestone. For other shops across DuPage County and beyond, see the northeast Illinois prom guide.
What Addison families ask MonaLisa
Can I return a dress bought through MonaLisa's online shop?
No. Every item in the online shop is non-refundable and non-exchangeable, so settle your questions about fit and color before checkout.
Does the store carry homecoming and quinceañera dresses too?
Yes. The store lists prom, homecoming, quinceañera, sweet sixteen, military ball and special occasion dresses among its specialties.