The space is the first thing you notice here. The building used to be an eyesore, though. Chavus and Adrian Holland, the owners of Bridal & Formal Boutique and House of Tux, spent years outgrowing the original store before settling on an abandoned warehouse two blocks west on Pass Road in Gulfport. Their story of the rebuild shows how much sweat it took to turn a vacant shell into a showroom. What came out the other side is a 15,000-square-foot formalwear store with a hi-bay roof, a second-floor display mezzanine and twenty-six fitting rooms.
For a prom shopper, the layout is the first thing to understand. Walk in, step around the salvaged fireproof doors, and the dresses for school dances sit on the left. The shop describes that side of the floor with real pride.
On the left side of the store you'll find the largest selection of prom, Mardi Gras, cocktail, homecoming, and special occasion dresses on the Gulf Coast.
It is the Prom & Social Occasion Room, and the total inventory runs to over 1,000 gowns in stock. Bridal has its own space, the White Room, with private suites. Prom is not squeezed between wedding racks; it has a room of its own.
Prom labels on the floor
Prom and homecoming lines include these.
Top of the price range
Heavier beading and statement gowns
Evening-cut silhouettes
Middle of the range
Homecoming
Lower price points
- Sophia Thomas
- Stella Couture
- Lula Kate
- Colors Dress
The spread matters for families with a budget. The store's price ranges start around a couple hundred dollars and climb into the thousands for the couture lines, so a junior shopping her first prom and a senior chasing a red-carpet gown can both start in the same room. Plus-size prom dresses are part of the selection, along with mermaid, ball gown, one-shoulder, satin and sequin styles.
Students come in from all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Gulfport High and Harrison Central are the big Gulfport schools, Long Beach High sits just to the west, and Biloxi High is a few exits east on I-10. Shoppers also come from Hattiesburg, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula, which matches what anyone who has been in during February would notice: a lot of out-of-town license plates in a Pass Road parking lot.
The tux side and the people behind it
House of Tux is the menswear half of the operation, and its corner of the building is decorated in industrial and automotive artwork that the owners describe as more man cave than dress shop. It rents and sells tuxedos and suits for prom, weddings, galas, military balls and quinceañeras.
House of Tux
Tuxedos and suits
Package
Jacket, pants, shirt, vest or cummerbund, and a tie or bow tie
Shoes
Rentals available too
Fittings
No appointment needed; only couples picking out wedding looks are asked to book
Price
Roughly $150 to $250 and up
Reserve
Two to four months out
That matters for prom couples. The date can be measured on the right side of the building while the dress search happens on the left, and the two looks can be matched to the same color swatch before anyone leaves.
The business is older than its building, and the name has stayed in Gulfport through three sets of owners.
1984
Jimmy and Martha Hollingsworth open the shop in Gulfport
2006
Chavus and Adrian Holland buy it in May
2016
Warehouse construction starts in July; the keys change hands that November
In between the founders and the Hollands, it belonged to the Hollingsworths' daughter and son-in-law, Sonya and Greg Kidd. The Hollands also run Back on the Rack, an upscale resale boutique that shares the building and has its own entrance on the right as you come in.
From January through April, the left side of the floor is where the action is. The store also holds in-store events with event-only styles and specials.
Prom questions for the Gulfport store
How early do Gulf Coast students start looking?
Most students begin four to six months before prom to get the best pick of designer styles and sizes. Booking a time is recommended rather than required. A booking holds a dedicated fitting room and a stylist for you, and walk-ins are taken when there is room.
Is there alteration help on site?
Yes. An independent alterations team works inside the same building as a separate business, and stylists can connect customers with them once a gown is in hand.