No appointments needed for prom is the line XO by Sophia's prints on its contact page, and on the north side of Indianapolis that changes how a dress search goes. A North Central junior can come in after school on a weekday, try on a dozen gowns and leave without having booked a slot weeks ahead. The store sits in The Shops at River Crossing, the strip on East 86th Street just east of The Fashion Mall at Keystone, and it opened in 2022, when Sophia's moved its north-side store here from Fishers.
XO is the prom label of Sophia's, the Indianapolis bridal and tux business that shares this address, and it has been selling formal dresses since 2007. The location page for the Keystone store promises more than 1,000 dresses ready to take home the same day, and the FAQ puts the size run at 00 to 28 in every store.
Designers, prices and the XO exclusives
The XO online shop doubles as a map of what hangs on the racks. The deepest lines are Sherri Hill, Ellie Wilde and Amarra, followed by Faviana and Jovani. Portia and Scarlett, Colette, Ashley Lauren, Primavera and Alyce Paris fill in the rest, and the company's own XO Exclusive gowns, designed in-house and sold nowhere else, round out the floor. The website lets shoppers browse by length and by style, such as beaded, satin, lace or floral, and the same pieces can be bought online or tried on in the store.
Prices are wider than the XO home page's headline range suggests. The FAQ puts the floor at $99 and the ceiling at $1,200, with most of the collection between $300 and $800. Payment can be spread out, too. XO offers free layaway at all of its stores: $200 down, payments over time, and the dress goes home once the balance is paid.
Alterations work through specialists the company partners with. Some meet clients inside the store and some work from their own space, and the FAQ suggests how to pick one.
Finding a seamstress
- Ask the local staff for names
- Check reviews
- Choose the seamstress you feel most comfortable with
The FAQ also passes along a tip worth remembering on the fitting room floor: a corset-back gown can cut down on the alterations needed later.
A tux counter for the other half of the couple
Dates can be fitted at the same store without an appointment. The XO suits page lays out the price points and a pairing incentive that families tend to notice.
Rentals start around $200, and for-purchase tuxes around $500! Both have discounts available if your date got her dress at XO!
The rental process runs in five steps, a routine the company credits to years and thousands of tuxedo rentals.
To start
Get measured in the store
Then
Pick the look, from a traditional black tux to modern grey or a burgundy floral, matched to the dress
The week before the event
Delivered to the house
The dance
Wear it
Box it up and send it back
The suits page recommends shopping early to make sure the right tux can be reserved for the date.
For a group, XO hosts a prom party on weekdays. For $100, a shopper and four friends, plus five parents, get a hosted session with sparkling drinks and treats, and every dress bought during the party comes with $25 off.
The store's location on 86th Street places it on the same road as North Central High School, one of the biggest public high schools in the state. Carmel High School, Westfield High School and Lawrence Central families reach River Crossing from the north and east on I-465 and Keystone Avenue. For prom shoppers across central Indiana who live north of downtown, this is the XO store on their side of the city.
Keystone XO for north-side families
Can I pay for a prom dress over time at XO Keystone?
Yes. Layaway is free with $200 down, and you can take the dress home once it is paid off. Ask a stylist in the store for the details.
What happens if my size is not on the rack?
XO stocks 00 to 28 at every store, and stylists can research other options or check the company's other locations for the size you need.