Julia Smith started with earrings and necklaces. It was 2014, she was in college and substitute teaching, and summers brought no paycheck, so she began selling jewelry for extra money and ran the operation, as she told the Hazard Herald, "from our basement pretty much." Accessories followed, then bags, then clothes. On March 4, 2023, Jewels by Julia Boutique opened a storefront on East Main Street in downtown Hazard.
Clothing was a deliberate move. Smith explained her thinking to the paper in terms anyone who has tried to shop for a formal dress in Perry County will recognize, starting with the shortage of places to try things on in person and ending with price.
Every outfit fits every body differently and I also wanted to offer something affordable that women can go and update their closet and not possibly feel guilty about what they’re spending.
That was Smith speaking to the Hazard Herald when the store opened. Three years on, the same idea runs through the formal side of the business, which has grown well beyond what a jewelry-first boutique would suggest.
What the formal dress collection holds
The boutique's online store keeps a Formal Dresses collection that ran close to 300 listings in early October 2026, sitting alongside separate bridesmaid and bridal collections. Prom is the obvious use for most of it. Long sequin gowns, corset bodices, mermaid shapes, feather and fringe details, and a few short styles explicitly labeled for homecoming all appear. The names on the tags are ones Kentucky prom shoppers search for:
- Ava Presley, by far the deepest label in the collection
- Jovani, with about a dozen styles listed
- Johnathan Kayne, which crosses into pageant territory
- Clarisse, including ballgowns in lavender and pink
- Ladivine, Nox Anabel, Juliet and Koss, for fitted gowns, corsets and cape styles
Size coverage is broad. Listings run from 00 through 24 in numbered sizes and from 1X to 4X in plus sizing, which echoes the store's everyday promise of affordable women's fashion in sizes small through 3X. The formal listings carry their prices as well.
About $50
Clearance and short pieces
Near $325
Middle of the collection
Past $900
The most heavily embellished gowns
Many styles are listed in one or two sizes rather than a full run, which is typical of a boutique buying for its own racks. If a particular Jovani or Ava Presley color catches your eye online, ask the store whether it is on the floor in Hazard before you plan the visit around it.
Who shops downtown Hazard for prom
Hazard sits where KY 15 meets the Hal Rogers Parkway, and that junction defines the store's reach. Students at Hazard High School and Perry County Central High School are in town already. Buckhorn School serves the western end of Perry County. Knott County Central High School in Hindman is reached by heading east from KY 15, and Leslie County High School in Hyden is down the parkway toward the southwest. For families in that ring of mountain counties, Lexington is a much longer trip, and downtown Hazard is close to home.
Smith also talked about how the town itself has changed. When she first started selling clothes there were few boutiques around; by the time the storefront opened she counted quite a few in Hazard and Perry County, each with its own style. She said she was excited to see what downtown would look like a year later, because there had been so much growth.
The bridal and bridesmaid racks mean a wedding party can find dresses here too, but the formal collection is the reason a prom shopper should have this store on her list.
Jewels by Julia, answered for Perry County shoppers
Can I see the gowns online before driving into Hazard?
Yes. The boutique posts its inventory, formal dresses included, on its online store, and the Hazard Herald pointed shoppers to its Facebook page as well. Use that to narrow your list, then confirm with the store that the dress and size are in the shop.
Does the boutique only sell formalwear?
No. The formal collection sits beside everyday tops, dresses, cardigans, bottoms, swimsuits, shoes and accessories, along with the jewelry that started it all. For more eastern and southeastern Kentucky prom options, this site lists other shops across the state.