Twelve dressing rooms is a lot of square footage to give over to fittings in a county-seat storefront, and that number explains Lillian's Prom and Tuxedo better than any slogan could. The shop sits half a block from the Miami County Courthouse on East Main Street, under a purple awning, and it has been fitting prom gowns since 2006. It is marking its twentieth season in 2026, and its pitch to shoppers from northern Indiana and beyond is that the place is worth the trip, a claim it backs by measuring its distance from Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Lafayette.
What sets the tone for the visit is a register. When a gown leaves the store, Lillian's logs the school and the color, and that combination is then off the table for every other girl who walks in from the same school.
We will not sell the same gown to your school in your color.
That promise is question one on the store's FAQ, and the answer under it is careful about its limits. It covers sales from this shop only, since other retailers stock some of the same merchandise. The FAQ adds that Lillian's carries a lot of brands that stores in the area do not, which shrinks the odds of a twin across the dance floor anyway.
Two floors of prom stock and a tux counter
Staff walk shoppers through more than one floor of gowns, and the About page describes peak season as the time when the in-store selection is at its largest. The Shop Prom menu on the website lists Alyce Paris in long and short styles, Ashley Lauren, Ellie Wilde, Faviana (with a separate Faviana plus collection), Jovani, Sydney's Closet plus sizes, Tease and Vienna. The About page names Mori Lee and Amarra among the exclusive designs as well. Lillian's also stocks gowns it advertises as unavailable online or at other stores, and it tells shoppers hunting a particular shade (emerald, burgundy, pink, red or black) that those colors are in stock.
Pricing has a wide floor-to-ceiling spread. The FAQ puts the starting point at $99 and says staff will build a pull around whatever budget a family names. At the other end, the featured Alyce Paris prom styles on the website ran from about $455 to just over $900 when this page was written. There is a sale rack for anyone who wants a bargain on something already hanging.
The store sells the rest of the outfit too: shoes, jewelry and accessories, undergarments, purses and clutches. For dates, Lillian's carries two tuxedo lines plus bow ties, colored socks and suspenders, which means the couple's colors can be settled at the same counter. The family's sister store, Elle Belle Boutique, handles casual wear.
How the Peru shop runs its season
Lillian's publishes its house rules in detail, and they are worth reading before the drive down Broadway.
Appointments
Highly recommended from January through May to avoid waits; a session with a prom specialist runs 60 to 80 minutes, and walk-ins are worked in when openings allow.
Guests
Up to two adults per try-on, while gentlemen wait in a small seating area in the front lobby.
Sizing and returns
Consultants help choose a size, the final choice is the shopper's, and all sales are final once it is made.
Payment
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AMEX, debit cards and cash, but no checks.
Timing is the one piece of advice the store repeats: come in January for the best selection. How a gown is paid for depends on whether it is already hanging in Peru.
Hanging in Peru
Gowns already on the floor
- Layaway: half down, then three equal payments over six weeks
- No fine print or hidden fees
From the designer
Special order from the website's samples
- Usually arrives in seven to ten days if the designer has it in stock
- A 100 percent deposit up front
- The most popular styles sell out at the source
For local families, the draw starts close to home. Peru High School students can get here without leaving the city. Maconaquah, whose district covers the southern part of the county and Grissom Air Reserve Base, sends its own share, as does North Miami to the north. Beyond the county line, Logansport, Wabash and Kokomo students reach Peru by US 24 or US 31, and the store's directions page walks drivers in from either highway to the courthouse at Main and Broadway.
Peru prom shoppers ask Lillian's
Can I rent a prom gown instead of buying one?
No. Lillian's does not rent gowns. Its suggestion for tight budgets is the sale rack, along with the six-week layaway on in-store dresses.
Am I allowed to take photos of dresses I try on?
Yes, of the gown you have chosen, as many as you like. The FAQ says so directly.