A West Bank shop that works two formal seasons
On the West Bank, prom is the second formal season of the year. The first one belongs to Carnival, and Mouth of the South PSF in Marrero is built to handle both. Its own gallery runs from NOMTOC debutantes and a Rex Ball entrance to high school homecoming courts and girls posing before prom, and the shop's description of itself starts with prom before it gets to Mardi Gras, pageants and homecoming.
Owner Chanteile Britton, known to her customers as Channey, tells the origin story on the shop's team page: it began with a woman who wanted to make other women feel good about themselves. Her title on that page sums up the personality of the place: Owner, CEO, Boss Lady and Dress Dealer.
Carnival clients give the gallery much of its color. A guest at the Rex Ball made her entrance in a gown from the shop's Jessica Angel collection, Zulu duchesses appear in Jessica Angel gowns too, and the queen of the Mystic Krewe of Music wore Jovani. A krewe testimonial on the homepage credits Ms. Britton and her team with handling gowns, accessories, fittings and final delivery for its debutantes over several seasons. All of that experience carries straight into prom, when the same team is fitting juniors and seniors instead of debutantes.
For prom shoppers, two things set the shop apart in the metro. The first is size range. Mouth of the South stocks sizes 00 through 30 and states openly that it specializes in plus-size fashion, partnering with designers who cut for curvy customers. A size 24 senior here is shopping the same Jovani rack as a size 2. The second is how you pay, which comes up below.
Designers on the rack, and how ordering works
The gown collection, which the shop calls Belle of the Ball, covers evening wear, prom and cocktail styles in all sizes. Product listings name these designers:
- Jovani, the deepest label in the shop, including a run of formal suits and pantsuits in sizes 00 to 26 for women who would rather not wear a gown
- Jessica Angel, the shop's bestselling collection, known for jersey gowns and more than 40 feather-trimmed styles
- Portia and Scarlett
- Ellie Wilde
- Cinderella Divine
- MNM Couture
- Terani Couture
Not everything sits on the floor at once. The designers page invites shoppers to call or come in with a style number, and the shop will order the gown for you. It is a good fit for a prom girl who has already screenshot a specific Jessica Angel or Portia and Scarlett style and just needs someone to place the order in her size.
Fit is handled in house. The shop books fitting appointments for alterations, including a 30-minute fitting slot, and asks clients to arrive with the foundation garments and heels they will wear on the night so the hem lands correctly. Private fitting appointments take a nonrefundable deposit that is applied to anything you buy within 48 hours of the appointment.
Layaway, Afterpay and Channey's Closet
Senior year is expensive, and Mouth of the South leans into that. At checkout the shop offers Afterpay, PayPal and Shop Pay, and it runs a layaway program you ask about directly. That combination is what lets a family lock in a designer gown in February and finish paying before the dance.
The shop also sells pieces from the owner's own wardrobe under the name Channey's Closet. Sizes run XL, 2XL and 14 to 20, many worn once or still tagged, and the selection leans toward sequins, feathers and bold color. Church suits, hats, bags, jewelry and sunglasses round out the inventory, and the shop ships anywhere for customers outside the area.
Formal wear is final sale under the shop's return policy, with exchanges or store credit limited to eligible items within seven business days, so settle on fit at the fitting rather than after.
Marrero and Mouth of the South: what prom families ask
Which high schools are close to the shop?
The shop sits in Marrero, home to John Ehret High School, L. W. Higgins High School and the all-girls Academy of Our Lady, with West Jefferson High School next door in Harvey. Its gallery also features homecoming courts from schools across the river, including Abramson. Families from Lafitte and Estelle up through Westwego are on this side of the bridge already. Other southeast Louisiana prom shops are listed on this site if you are comparing.
Does the shop work with krewes and pageants as well as prom?
Yes. It dresses debutantes for Mardi Gras krewes, including the 2026 NOMTOC debutantes, and its owner served as a judge for the Miss Sportsman's Paradise Pageant. On the prom side, the homepage carries a note from a single parent who used the layaway and Afterpay options for her daughter's gown.
Senior year is already expensive, and prom season can be incredibly stressful. Thankfully, Mouth of the South made the experience so much easier.