Glitz Prom is the prom and formal side of Bel Soie by Valerie's Bridal, a family-owned bridal business with stores in Mankato and downtown New Ulm. The prom racks live only in Mankato, inside the Bel Soie building on State Highway 22 just south of town. Paige Umhoefer and Alexa Pearson own the business, and the staff includes stylists who work both the bridal floor and Glitz.
What sets the shop apart is its calendar. Glitz stays stocked through the summer and fall for the events that do not follow a school year.
Booking a dressing room
Appointments are required at Glitz, and each booking holds two things at once, a shopping time and a dressing room.
Drop-ins
The shop will try to fit someone in when a room happens to be free, though it is often fully booked through the season.
Off-season
From mid-April through late fall, the schedule runs on appointments only.
Scheduling
Glitz books through its own Facebook scheduling page and keeps a phone line separate from the bridal store.
The in-stock size range is the other thing to plan around. Gowns run from 000 up to 26 on the racks, which means a petite junior and a plus-size senior can both try on actual dresses in their size instead of pinning a sample. Because the gowns are in stock, there is no order window to wait out.
The Glitz page makes the year-round pitch directly, and it is aimed well past prom night.
Do you need a pageant dress or are you going to a Gala or Military Ball this year? Glitz Prom is open all year long with formal dresses in-stock in sizes 000-26.
Tux fittings at the Bel Soie address
Because Glitz shares a building with Bel Soie, dates can be measured for a tux at the same address. Bel Soie partners with Jim's Formal Wear for rentals and purchases, with styles from classic to trendy and access to hundreds of color combinations.
Six to eight weeks out
Measurements, at the latest
The week of the event
Pickup, with a final fitting available
The dance
Students from Mankato East and Mankato West are the nearest shoppers, and Highway 22 heads south from the shop toward Mapleton and the Maple River district. Lake Crystal, St. Clair and Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton students are close by as well, and for anyone who knows Bel Soie from its downtown New Ulm store, the prom racks are at the Mankato building. It is a useful address to know across the Mankato region of Minnesota, since the shop's year-round stock means a winter formal, a spring prom and a fall gala can all come from the same racks.
Glitz keeps its own social accounts on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, separate from the bridal side, and the prom page points shoppers there for holiday closures, special hours and events.
Glitz Prom questions from Mankato shoppers
Can I buy a gala or military ball gown at Glitz after prom season ends?
Yes. Glitz stays open year round with formal dresses in stock, including pageant, gala and military ball styles.
What sizes can I try on at Glitz?
In-stock formal gowns run from size 000 to 26, so shoppers at both ends of the range can try on real dresses in their own size.
Does the New Ulm store carry Glitz prom gowns?
The Glitz Prom racks are in Mankato only, inside the Bel Soie building on Highway 22. Bel Soie's New Ulm store is a bridal location.