Alyce Paris is a pageant house that grew into a prom label. Designer Alyce Hamm, who had worked for the Chicago bridal house Carol Gowns, started the company in 1967. By the company's own account, the early years went like this:
1967
Alyce Hamm founds her own company
1968
Makes the pageant gowns for Debra Dene Barnes, Miss America 1968
1981
Hand-beaded silk prom dresses join the pageant work
The gown credit for Barnes, crowned Miss Kansas in 1967 before she won the national title that September, comes from Alyce alone. The company is still run from Illinois. Claudine Hamm is CEO and designer, and the brand names Jean-Paul Hamm and Nathalie Lambert as shaping the designs. It also says a few bridal shops that bought from Alyce in the late 1960s still carry it.
Florida and Texas lead our Alyce listings. The surprise is inland: West Virginia and Kentucky carry a heavy share for states their size. And on the rack, one neighbor shows up far more than any other.
Fitting an Alyce gown, 000 through 32
Forget the size on your favorite jeans. Alyce says formalwear sizing runs differently from street sizes, so the gown that fits in the fitting room may carry a number you didn't expect. Let the stylist tell you which size to order. Between two, go up.
Prom runs 000 to 32, and plus sizes sit in that same run rather than a separate line. One wrinkle. Jean De Lys and the social occasion styles, numbered 27000 to 29999 and 55000 to 55999, are cut larger than the prom line, so try one on before you trust your prom size.
Alyce Paris size run
000 to 32
- 000
- 00
- 0
- 2
- 4
- 6
- 8
- 10
- 12
- 14
- 16
- 18
- 20
- 22
- 24
- 26
- 28
- 30
- 32
Alyce prom runs from 000 up to 32, with plus sizes in the same run. The dashed line marks a typical, shorter run.
Against street sizes. Try it on, and go up if you're between two.
Ask the shop which samples it has on the floor in larger sizes, since the ends of the run may need a special order.
Sequins, corsets and the Alyce price tag
Beads built this house. By the brand's account, Sequins International once called the founder "the world's largest consumer of sequins," and the catalog still keeps a Sequin & Hand Beaded group. Today's prom styles add corset bodices, mermaid and sheath shapes, 3D florals and 80s-inspired touches in stretch satin, brocade, mikado and crinkle organza.
For real retail prices, the clearest view is Prom Headquarters, an authorized Alyce retailer. Its 83 Alyce prom styles ran from $278 for style 61791 to $1,398 for style 61999 when we checked in October 2026, and most fell between $400 and $800.
Alyce prom gowns at Prom Headquarters
$278Most $400 to $800$1,398
The top end is a real tier, not a stray. A group of newer styles runs from about $1,000 to $1,400 there: 62206 at $1,105, 62191 at $1,128 and 62186 at $1,297. The Spring 2027 line skews higher overall. Across about 170 new prom styles, the brand's own list prices run $340 to $1,375, with the middle of the pack between about $495 and $920.
Couture Candy, another authorized seller, lists most Alyce gowns at $413 to $868 before markdowns. That band makes Alyce a little gentler on the budget than Jovani, where most prom gowns land between $500 and $1,000.
Buying Alyce from a US boutique
In the US and Canada, Alyce is sold through authorized boutiques, and its store locator lists them. The shop's own return rules are the ones that count, so ask before you pay.
Alyce Paris
In stock at the shop
Home in days
- Often the same day or within a few days
- The shop's own return rules are the ones that count
Special order
Several weeks
- Order at least 4 to 6 months before prom, as the brand advises
- Then allow 4 to 6 weeks for alterations
Timing depends on whether the gown is in the shop. An in-stock dress can often go home the same day or within a few days. A special order generally takes several weeks, depending on the season and the retailer. Some customizing is possible if your shop confirms it with Alyce. Then leave at least 4 to 6 weeks for alterations, longer in the spring rush.
Checking an Alyce seller
The test is simple: is the seller on the Alyce store locator? If you aren't sure, Alyce's customer service team will answer authenticity questions, and so will a listed boutique.
The brand has gone to court over fakes. In 2016 Alyce Designs joined Jovani, La Femme, Mori Lee, Mon Cheri and other formalwear makers in a federal suit in Chicago against websites selling counterfeit prom and bridal gowns.
Alyce is sold under several line names, and the boutiques that carry the most of them are worth a visit:
Angie'sRidgeland, Mississippi
Gives Alyce more room on its site than any other designer, with separate prom, B'Dazzle, Claudine, Black Label, JDL Boutique and Sweet Sixteen pages.
Ann Marie'sHomestead, Florida
Stocks Alyce Paris Prom alongside Black Label, B'Dazzle and Claudine for Alyce.
The Quality ShoppeJacksonville, Alabama
Carries both Alyce Paris Prom and the Alyce Paris Exclusive Collection.
When the Spring 2027 Alyce line goes up
New prom styles post in the fall before the dance. A handful of Spring 2027 gowns appeared in late September 2026, and the bulk landed in the third week of October. The Spring 2026 line went up mostly in October 2025. Alyce's advice is to order at least 4 to 6 months before your event, so work back from the dance:
September to October
The next spring's prom line posts on the Alyce site
At least 4 to 6 months out
Place a special order through your boutique, as the brand advises
At least 4 to 6 weeks out
Gown in hand and at the tailor, with more time in prom season
Prom night
Questions shoppers ask
How much are Alyce Paris prom dresses?
At authorized shops, most current prom styles sell for about $400 to $800. A top tier climbs to about $1,400, and simpler styles start under $300.
What size range does Alyce Paris cover?
Prom styles run 000 to 32. Not every style is made in every size, and a local shop may need to special-order the ends of that range.
Do Alyce Paris dresses run small?
They can against street sizes, since the brand says formalwear sizing runs differently. Try it on at the shop, and size up if you land between two.
How far ahead should I order an Alyce Paris gown?
Four to six months before prom, the brand says, if the dress is a special order. Build in 4 to 6 weeks for alterations too.
How do I know an Alyce Paris seller is authorized?
Look for it on the Alyce store locator. If it isn't there, ask Alyce's customer service before you pay.
Of the 299 Alyce Paris shops, how many also carry each label. Bars are the share of the 299.