Simpson County girls who want to try on a prom gown in person no longer have to start the search in Jackson or Hattiesburg. Lela's Formals and Boutique opened its storefront on Simpson Highway 149 in Magee in May 2023, with a Magee Chamber ribbon cutting covered by MageeNews, and the shop's homepage greets visitors with a simple message: "Prom season starts here!!"
The store's website organizes its stock into prom and pageant, cocktail, homecoming, curvy sizes 14 to 30, kids' pageant gowns and kids' formal attire, with a sale section that changes through the year. MageeNews reported at the opening that the business had already been operating for five years before it moved into the Magee location, and that the stock ran from little girls' size 2 through women's size 20. The curvy category on the current site pushes that top end up to 30.
The prom and pageant labels
Ashley Lauren is the dominant name in the store's online catalog, with dozens of styles listed. The full lineup on the site looks like this:
Main prom and pageant lines
- Ashley Lauren
- Ava Presley
- Johnathan Kayne with his Sugar Kayne line
- Jessica Angel
- Amarra
Homecoming and short styles
- Rachel Allan homecoming
- Sophia Thomas homecoming
- Colors Dress
Also in the catalog
- Sydney's Closet
- Christina Wu
- Panoply
- 2Cute
- Portia and Scarlett
Prices posted online give a good sense of the budget. In the fall of 2026, Ashley Lauren gowns were listed between roughly $280 and $500, Ava Presley and Jessica Angel in a similar range, and Sophia Thomas homecoming styles were marked down to $99 to $149 on the sale page. That spread lets a family in Simpson County match a designer gown to a realistic budget without leaving the county. Earrings and other jewelry are sold in the same shop, and the accessories are final sale like the gowns, so it pays to try them on with the dress before paying.
The homepage pitch is aimed straight at juniors and seniors shopping in a group, and it ends with a line any prom shopper will recognize.
Bring your friends and find the dress that makes you feel like that girl.
Pageant runs in the family here
The kids' side of the store is more developed than a single flower-girl rack. The site separates kids' pageant gowns from kids' formal attire, which covers interview, fun fashion and cocktail looks for younger contestants. That matters to prom shoppers too: a teen who grew up competing in local pageants can shop for her prom gown while her little sister tries on her next pageant look a few racks away.
The nearest schools are Magee High School and Mendenhall High School, both in the Simpson County School District, and Mize and Raleigh in neighboring Smith County are close by as well. US 49 runs through Magee between Jackson and Hattiesburg, which puts the store within reach of much of south central Mississippi.
Two quick answers for Lela's shoppers in Magee
Is a prom gown from Lela's final sale?
Yes. The store's refund policy says all sales are final on formals, including prom, homecoming, short, interview and pageant gowns. That makes the fitting room the place to decide.
Does Lela's carry larger prom sizes?
Yes. The website has a dedicated curvy section covering sizes 14 to 30.