Come off I-75 at Exit 113 and head toward downtown on North Broadway. You pass New Circle Road, then the ballpark, and a large white house appears on the left. That house is Miss Priss. The About page calls it "the gown mansion," and it puts the numbers at more than 16,000 square feet of dresses and 35 dressing rooms. Parking on site is free. The store has been in business under the same corporate name since at least 2003, according to Kentucky business records, and its Sightings page mentions a former downtown location before this one.
Exit 113I-75
Toward downtown on North Broadway, past New Circle Road and the ballpark, to the large white house on the left.
Press the prom button and you get Sherri Hill
The site's menu tells the story fast. Click PROM and it opens the Sherri Hill section, nothing else. The page title advertises the largest selection of Sherri Hill prom gowns, and a seal in the footer lets shoppers confirm the store is an authorized Sherri Hill retailer. That section runs to more than two thousand styles, and nearly all of them carry the site's "In Stock!" badge.
Those in-stock Sherri Hill prices start under $100 for a clearance piece and climb to close to $9,000 for couture. Most sit between about $450 and $750, the typical style is near $600, and only a small share cost $2,000 or more.
Typical Sherri Hill prices, styles badged in stock
Under $100Most $450 to $750About $9,000
Sherri Hill is the anchor, not the whole floor. Ashley Lauren comes next in styles badged in stock, followed by Ava Presley and Primavera, all three with several hundred. Primavera has the gentlest prices of the big lines, with a typical style around $435 and a top under $1,000. Portia & Scarlett also runs to several hundred in stock, with a typical price near $700. Johnathan Kayne, Tarik Ediz and Terani fill out the racks, and the About page adds Rachel Allan. Jovani works differently. The site lists more than two thousand Jovani styles, but only a few dozen carry the in-stock badge, so most Jovani gowns here are ones you would order. The separate JVN by Jovani section is small, with a typical price near $415.
Two filters help before the drive. One limits results to dresses in the building. The other searches stock by size, with options from 000 to 32 and women's sizes 14W to 32W. On a tighter budget, look at the sale section. The FAQ says a rack of past-season dresses at $250 and under stays out all year.
Saturdays from January to April, by the wait-list
Prom, homecoming and pageant shopping at Miss Priss is first come, first served. The store takes no appointments for those dresses. On Saturdays, and on days when schools are out, the FAQ says the store operates "like a restaurant." Once every fitting room is full, a wait-list starts.
How the Saturday wait-list runs (a guide)
First
Add your name once every fitting room is taken
Then
Leave for lunch or errands while the list moves
Then
The store calls or texts when a room opens
Last
Come back and start trying on
From January through April those Saturday waits can run two or three hours. The store asks anyone driving a long way to arrive before 2 p.m. so there is still time to shop before the 6 p.m. close. Weekdays when school is in session are not on the store's busy list. The store keeps the same 10 to 6 hours Monday through Saturday and is closed Sunday.
The FAQ has a plan for the rush. Peak season begins right after Christmas break, so it suggests starting in early December. It also asks shoppers to wear flesh-toned, supportive undergarments for try-ons and to study the online inventory first, so the visit starts with a short list.
From the store's FAQ
- Start in early December, before the post-Christmas peak
- Driving a long way on a Saturday? Arrive before 2 p.m.
- Wear flesh-toned, supportive undergarments
- Browse the online inventory and arrive with a short list
The registry, layaway and what is final
Every gown that leaves the store is logged to an event. Stylists check that list while you shop and steer you toward a dress no one else has bought from Miss Priss for your prom. The FAQ is careful about limits. A dress can be registered for one event at a time, and by law, the FAQ notes, the store cannot refuse a sale. The FAQ puts the promise in one line.
We ensure that every dress that leaves our store is registered for a specific prom, homecoming, pageant, and any other event.
Layaway covers full-priced gowns. A gown under $400 needs $100 down, and anything pricier needs 25 percent. After that, payments of at least $100 a month continue until the dress is paid off, and payments can be made online, in the store or by phone. The deadline is firm. If the gown is not paid off and picked up by the wear date, the deposit and payments are forfeited, though the store will work with you if the event date changes.
Day one
$100 down under $400, or 25 percent above
Every month
Pay at least $100 online, in store or by phone
By the wear date
Pay in full and pick up, or lose what was paid
Wear it
Gowns, swimsuits and layaways are final sales. Jewelry and accessories can be exchanged within 30 days. Miss Priss does not rent, a rule it ties to its designer contracts, and it does not alter. Ask for the names of the local tailors staff recommend before you check out.
Couture, crowns and a Miss America gown
Pageants are the other half of the name, and the store keeps a record of them. Its State Winners page runs from 2007 through 2021, with Miss Kentucky, Miss Kentucky USA, Miss Indiana and Outstanding Teen titleholders among them. The National Winners page shows Katie Stam, Miss America 2009. The Sightings page adds gymnast Shawn Johnson, singer Olly Murs and Hannah Ann from The Bachelor.
The couture side is by appointment, with pricing from $2,000, and Friday or Saturday appointments take a $50 deposit that goes toward the gown. The Sherri Hill trunk show form puts couture gowns at about $4,000 and up, asks for 25 percent down on the day of ordering, and says most pieces arrive between April and June. Bridal has its own salon by appointment. The store sits close to both I-75 and I-64, which keeps it within reach of Georgetown, Versailles, Paris, Richmond and the rest of central Kentucky.
What first-time Miss Priss shoppers ask
Can I reserve a fitting room for prom in advance?
No. Prom rooms go in the order people arrive. On a crowded day your name goes on the wait-list, you can leave, and the store calls or texts when a room is free.
Will I find my size before I go?
You can check. Use the size search in the online catalog and pick up to three sizes, then switch on the in-store stock filter. It shows what is in the building, not just what a designer makes.
What happens if I miss a layaway payment deadline?
The gown has to be paid off and collected by the date you will wear it. Miss that and the money already paid is forfeited, so call the store early if your event moves.
Does Miss Priss carry anything under $300?
Yes. The past-season sale rack stays at $250 and under all year, and some clearance Sherri Hill pieces cost less than $100.