Lori Brasfield Sanders opened Lola B because she believed DeSoto County needed a dress shop. That is how she put it to Click Magazine in a profile written after she had stepped away from a corporate career to run the boutique full time. The early version of the store carried casual clothing beside the gowns. The casual racks went away as formalwear took over the floor, and the shop now works out of Suite 125 on Kerr Place, in the part of Olive Branch the boutique labels Old Towne.
The focus today is narrow on purpose. Prom comes first, with pageant, homecoming and custom orders right behind it, and the store bills itself as the Mississippi Prom and Pageant experts. Lori is listed as owner and CEO, and the team page credits her with two decades in marketing and business before gowns became the job. Doors open by appointment only. Texting is the fastest way to get on the calendar, and the shop staffs up with extra prom and pageant specialists every January through May, when the appointment book fills.
One promise on the homepage shapes how the whole operation runs, and the shop wrote it in its usual cheerful voice.
We register your special dress so no one else can buy it from us. We love our #LolaBGirls.
In this part of northwest Mississippi, that registration carries weight. Olive Branch High, Center Hill High and Lewisburg High all sit inside DeSoto County Schools, and the same district runs Hernando High, Southaven High and DeSoto Central High. Once a gown leaves Kerr Place with your name on it, Lola B will not sell that dress to anyone else.
Designers on the Kerr Place racks
The boutique's Our Designers page lists eighteen labels. The prom names on it that have pages in this guide:
- Jovani
- Johnathan Kayne
- Ellie Wilde
- Portia & Scarlett
- Ava Presley
- Alyce Paris
- Clarisse
- Ashley Lauren, which the shop notes requires a custom appointment
Behind those sit Sydney's Closet, Nox Anabel, Colors Dress, Sophia Thomas, Ladivine, Chic & Holland, Kate Parker, Amelia Couture and Jim Ball Designs. The range is wide on price. The Why Shop Here page describes everything from budget-friendly dresses to couture evening gowns, and the store handles special orders and consultations for custom gowns, which is where a lot of its pageant business lives. Lori told Click Magazine she had personal relationships with designers including Johnathan Kayne, and that the shop's gowns had been on the red carpet at the Grammys.
Sizing gets its own page, and the advice on it is blunt.
From the Lola B sizing page
- Each designer runs a different chart, so between sizes, size up
- Expect nearly every gown to need a hem or a strap adjustment, no matter how tall you are
- Let staff measure you in the store if you would rather not trust a tape measure at home
After the sale, a network instead of a sewing room
Lola B does not alter gowns itself. What it does instead is publish a long referral list on its Additional Services page. Seamstresses are spread across Olive Branch, Coldwater, Southaven, Hernando, Holly Springs, Cordova, Memphis and even Somerville, Tennessee, so a family from almost any corner of the county can find one close to home. The same page names hair and makeup artists who work DeSoto County, Oxford and Memphis, pageant coaches, photographers and spray tan providers, since the shop says it is short on space for tans right now.
That list reflects how the store sees its role. The homepage talks about supporting local churches, schools, and foster and advocacy programs, and the Click profile described Lori founding Girls of Grit, a summer day camp for teen girls, and serving as state director for Miss Amazing in Mississippi. A prom appointment here comes with a phone tree of people who already know the shop.
Money works on a firm footing. All sales, deposits on layaways and orders are final, and the store encourages shoppers to try on every style on the floor before deciding. Bring the person who will approve the purchase to the first appointment, not the second.
Questions Olive Branch families ask about Lola B
How do I get an appointment at Lola B?
Text the shop. The store is open by appointment only and says a text gets the quickest reply, and it is the same route for booking a custom gown consultation.
Will Lola B hem my prom dress?
The boutique does not hem gowns itself, but it keeps a published list of independent seamstresses in DeSoto County, Holly Springs and the Memphis area, with each name tagged by the town it works from.
Is a layaway deposit refundable if I change my mind?
No. Lola B offers layaway, but deposits, sales and orders are all final once placed.