A family shop with a prom Instagram of its own
The name says bridal, and the wedding business is large. The prom side has its own following, though. Paris House of Bridal keeps a separate prom account on Instagram, requires no appointment for prom browsing, and stocks gowns for prom, pageant, homecoming and quinceañera in the same historic building in Michigan City's Uptown Arts District.
The business has been in the family since at least 1976; the About page describes Paris House as a family legacy that has been dressing big moments for over five decades. Owner Rene'e Fennell carries on what her father and mother started. She is a third-generation designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fashion design from Columbia College Chicago, she judges pageants, and she has produced fashion shows for charity and community give-back events. The NWI Times has featured her for her trend expertise and community involvement. Her mother, known around the shop as Mrs. P, brings more than 45 years of European sewing and tailoring experience.
The store is in the middle of a rebrand, with a refreshed logo and a private couture collection, but the setup for prom shoppers is the same: walk in, pull dresses, and work with a stylist on the floor.
What the formal side covers
Paris House stocks a deep run of prom labels for a shop with bridal in its name. The designers on its prom filter include Jovani and its JVN line, Amarra, Alyce Paris, Ellie Wilde, Morilee, Portia and Scarlett, Primavera Couture and Rachel Allan, along with Kate Parker, Mayabella, Live'e and Starielle. Prom and pageant is the largest formal category, filed together on the website as Prom & Pageant, and the size filter on that collection runs from 000 through 32, with women's sizes 14W to 24W listed as well. The other sections, and the fitting side, break down like this.
Homecoming
Fall dance dresses from Portia and Scarlett, Amarra, Jovani, Primavera and Rachel Allan, from playful short styles to more polished looks
Quinceañera and damas
Ball gowns for the quinceañera herself, plus a separate damas collection for her court, with Morilee and Rachel Allan among the labels
Alterations
Fittings for standard formal gowns usually take one or two visits, and every gown purchase includes one complimentary steaming
The alterations team is the detail that sets the formal side apart.
Fittings and pickups are by appointment, so plan a return visit once the dress is chosen.
Wedding gown shopping happens by appointment in a private bridal suite, which keeps the prom floor open for walk-in browsing.
The staff behind the floor has deep roots. Store manager Ewelina has been with Paris House for more than a decade, and assistant manager Caroline, who holds a degree in fashion merchandising, runs the visual merchandising and dresses the front windows on Franklin Street. The About page notes that many families come back year after year, often for a daughter's prom dress, and that the next generation of the owner's own family already pitches in during prom season.
Michigan City and the schools around it
Franklin Street runs through the heart of the Uptown Arts District, where Paris House occupies what the store calls its historic home. The shop draws from Michigan City High School first, then from Marquette Catholic High School, La Porte High School, Chesterton High School and New Prairie High School across La Porte and Porter counties. Students from New Buffalo and the rest of Berrien County, Michigan, come down Interstate 94 for it too, which makes this a natural stop in northwest Indiana for families on either side of the state line.
The store's policy for prom shoppers is printed on every page of its website, and it shapes how the formal floor works.
Walk-ins are welcome for viewing all Prom and Special Occasion gowns. Appointments are only necessary for Bridal Viewing, fittings, and pickups.
Prom shopping at Paris House, answered
Can the store restyle a prom dress?
Yes. The in-house designers handle style changes such as necklines, sleeves and beading on top of standard alterations, with costs quoted at the first fitting.
How many fittings does a prom gown need?
Standard formal gowns usually need one or two, each booked as an appointment. The alterations page asks shoppers to bring the heels and any special undergarments that will go with the dress.
How do I reach the prom team before visiting?
The store keeps a separate prom Instagram account, @parishouseprom, alongside its bridal feed, and the general mailbox handles questions about specific styles.