Avenue G runs through the middle of historic downtown Fort Madison, and The Colony Shop & Bridal Loft sits on it, a business Madeline Leake founded in 1972. It is a women's clothing boutique first, with junior, missy and plus sizes on the floor, but it also runs a full prom department, a bridal loft and a men's formalwear counter. For families in Lee County, that mix means a prom gown, the shoes and the date's tux can all be handled at one downtown address.
Seven prom labels on the Colony Shop list
The shop's prom page names seven lines. Three of them have label pages on this site: Alyce Paris, Faviana and Dave & Johnny. The other four are Abby Paris, My Dreams & More, Poly USA and Lucci Lu. Seven labels gives a shopper real choice in a river town, without the long drive to a metro mall to see national prom lines in person.
Shoes and accessories
Touch Ups, Your Party Shoes and Dyeables, with heels dyed to match, plus head pieces and jewelry
Tuxedo rental
Men's formalwear through MFW Tuxedos
Dry cleaning
Handy after the dance
Colony Cash, the shop's loyalty program, is easy to miss: for every $50 spent in store, customers receive $5 in Colony Cash, to be used on a different day. On a prom budget that includes a dress, shoes and jewelry, the reward adds up.
A little planning helps at a shop this size. The prom page lists designers rather than an online catalog, so the racks themselves are the place to see what is in stock. Shoppers who have a particular Faviana or Alyce Paris style in mind can bring the style number on the first visit, and the staff can say whether it is on hand or how ordering works. Since the shoes can be dyed to match, it also makes sense to settle the gown color before choosing heels, and to leave time for a hem with whatever seamstress the family prefers.
Who shops on Avenue G for prom
Fort Madison High School students are the hometown customers, and the store is within reach of Central Lee High School in Donnellson, Burlington High School to the north and Keokuk High School to the southwest. For families anywhere in southeast Iowa along the Mississippi, a downtown storefront that pairs prom, tux rental and everyday clothing is a familiar kind of shop, and the Colony Shop has kept that model going since it opened. Bridal gowns, bridesmaids and mothers' dresses belong to the Bridal Loft side of the business.
The welcome on the shop's homepage spells out what Madeline Leake built, and it still reads true.
Established in 1972 by Madeline Leake, the shop features unique items in junior, missy, and plus sizes in addition to the full service prom and bridal department.
Before a Fort Madison prom trip to the Colony Shop
Can the Colony Shop handle the tux as well as the dress?
Yes. Men's formalwear rental runs through MFW Tuxedos at the same Avenue G store.
Does the shop sell anything besides formalwear?
Yes. The clothing side carries women's labels such as Tribal, Karissa & Me and Lulu B, plus Madeline Co. shoes and boots.