In December 2021 the Indianapolis Business Journal reported that Sophia's, an Indianapolis formalwear company, would open in Louisville's St. Matthews neighborhood that February. It was the company's first store outside Indiana. Its prom label, XO by Sophia's, now sells from Suite 200-B at 4121 Shelbyville Road, and this is still the only Kentucky store in the group. The other three are in Indiana: two in Indianapolis and one in downtown Columbus. Jessica Limeberry owns the business. XO dates its own start to 2007 and puts its purpose in one cheerful line on the About page.
Our mission at XO by Sophia's is to celebrate you, your big life moments, and pretty dresses!
By June 2022 the Louisville store was open and in the news. Spectrum News 1 covered a two-day event at Sophia's Bridal and Tux in Louisville, which handed out about 50 new wedding gowns through the nonprofit Brides Across America. Prom is what the XO side is built for, though, and the details below come from the Louisville location page, the company FAQ and the online shop all four stores share.
2007
XO by Sophia's gets its start in Indiana
2021
Sherri Hill joins the racks in November, and the Louisville store is announced in December
2022
The St. Matthews store is open, the company's first outside Indiana
Come after school, any weekday
No appointment is needed to shop prom here, and the weekday hours are set for students. The Louisville location page lists noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. An older company post listed Saturday hours until 5, so check before planning a long Saturday.
The same page counts more than a thousand dresses in the St. Matthews store that can leave with you the day you buy them. Its size line runs from 000 to 28. The FAQ, written for every location, says 00 to 28 is stocked in all stores, and that a stylist can research options and check the other XO stores when your size is missing.
Timing advice comes from the company's own stylists. A 2019 post on the XO blog says the best time to shop is mid January into early February, when the racks have just been restocked with new inventory. Wait until the month before prom, the post warns, and the racks may already be picked over. The same stylist notes that most gowns are cut for someone 5'10" or 5'11", so a shorter girl should expect to have straps or a hem adjusted.
Sherri Hill, Amarra, Ellie Wilde and the house line
The online shop gives a fair picture of what the Louisville racks draw from. It runs to hundreds of dresses. Sherri Hill is the deepest line, with about one in four styles, a designer XO only announced picking up in November 2021, a few months before the Louisville opening. Amarra, Ellie Wilde and Faviana follow.
Next come the company's own designs. XO Exclusive gowns, which the About page describes as designs the company creates itself, form the next group, with a few more listed under the XO by Sophia's name. Nox and Jovani follow. Smaller runs come from Portia & Scarlett, Colette, Alyce Paris, Ashley Lauren, Rachel Allan and Primavera. Because the shop is shared, ask the Louisville stylists which of these are on their floor before you set your heart on one.
What a St. Matthews prom dress costs
The FAQ sets the full range at $99 to $1,200 and says most of the collection falls between $300 and $800. The home page frames the designer prom stock more tightly, at $250 to $950.
Prom prices, per the XO FAQ
$99Most $300 to $800$1,200
The catalog backs that up. Most prom-tagged dresses sit between about $400 and $650, with the typical one close to $550, and about one in five comes in under $400. Homecoming styles run lower, typically under $400. Layaway is free. Put $200 down, make payments, and take the dress home once it is paid off.
Alterations go to specialists the company works with. Some meet clients inside the stores and some work from their own space, so ask the Louisville staff for names, read reviews and pick the one you trust. The FAQ adds a tip for cutting the bill. Look for a corset-back gown, which helps avoid extra alterations. Dresses cannot be returned, so settle the fit before you pay.
A party for five friends, and a tux for the date
Groups can book a prom party on any weekday. The fee is $100, which covers the shopper plus four friends and up to five parents, with sparkling drinks and treats. Every dress bought during the party gets $25 off.
$100
Weekday prom party for the whole group
5 + 5
Shoppers and parents the party covers
$25
Off each dress bought at the party
Dates are covered too. XO rents and sells suits and tuxes, and measuring needs no appointment during normal store hours. Rentals start around $200 and purchased tuxes around $500, and both come down in price when the dress came from XO. The suit page asks couples to shop early to lock in the look they want.
For your date
Suits and tuxes, rent or buy
Rental
From around $200
Purchase
From around $500
Discount
When the dress came from XO
The store sits on the stretch of Shelbyville Road that runs past Mall St. Matthews, a few minutes from the Watterson Expressway. Southern Indiana families from Jeffersonville and New Albany can reach it over the Ohio River bridges. It is one of the Louisville options in our guide to Kentucky prom shops.
XO in Louisville, quickly answered
Is the Louisville store run by the same company as the Indianapolis XO stores?
Yes. All four XO stores belong to Sophia's, owned by Jessica Limeberry, and they share one online catalog and one FAQ.
When is the best time to shop for prom in St. Matthews?
The XO stylists point to mid January through early February. New stock has just arrived then, and the blog says that is when you get the best selection.
How much does a prom party cost?
It is $100 for up to five shoppers and five parents on a weekday, and each dress bought at the party is $25 off.
Can I rent a tux for my date at XO?
Yes. Rentals start around $200, and buying starts around $500, with a lower price if the dress came from XO.