Breeze

On August 22, 2009, Fariha Mavrakis opened a small women's clothing boutique called Breeze on Broadway in downtown Columbia. COMO Magazine covered the opening that September, describing a shop stocked with contemporary labels and run by an owner who called herself a passionate shopper and trade show regular. The phone number in that story is still the one Breeze answers today. What changed is the scale. The store now describes its business as the largest bridal, prom and homecoming shop in the Midwest, with more than 5,000 dresses across 20,000 square feet in northeast Columbia.

For prom shoppers, the numbers translate into something concrete. Prom, homecoming and pageant gowns are stocked in sizes 000 to 24, ready to try on and take home the same day. If the right style, color or size is not in the building, the staff can often order it in time for the wear date. The FAQ goes further and calls the in-stock count the largest selection of dresses in Missouri.

Fourteen prom houses on one floor

The prom menu names fourteen labels, and they lean toward different looks, which pays off when two friends want very different things. One can work through the high-glam column gowns while the other compares ball skirts a few racks over.

Most of those labels also have their own homecoming section on the site, which is handy for a freshman who wants to try a designer in the fall before committing to a long gown in the spring. Every prom and homecoming category also has its own sale section on the website.

Breeze is firm about where its dresses come from. Its page on designer authenticity explains that every dress arrives new and unaltered straight from the designer, gets inspected on arrival, and is priced at the designer's suggested retail price because the brands do not allow anything lower.

We are an authorized retailer for all of the designers we carry.

The same page invites shoppers to check any designer's "where to buy" list to confirm it, and warns that a much cheaper copy of the same style elsewhere online is a counterfeit.

Appointments and layaway

The store runs by appointment, and prom, homecoming and pageant slots are booked online only. Same-day appointments are welcome whenever the calendar has room, so a last-minute trip is not out of the question. Each shopper can bring up to two people, which keeps the fitting rooms from crowding. Breeze also offers round-the-clock text customer service for order and sizing questions.

Layaway is open to prom shoppers, too. It covers full-price prom, homecoming and formal dresses, and the online payment schedule splits the price into three payments.

1. To start

   Pay 50% down, plus a one-time $100 payment plan fee

2. About a month later

   Pay 25%

3. About a month after that

   Pay the final 25%

4. The dress ships or is ready for pickup

A few exclusions apply. Sale dresses, promo-code orders, rush orders and wear dates less than a month out are not eligible, and online layaway starts at $300 per dress and $400 per order. Layaway is for Missouri addresses, and out-of-state shoppers can use Klarna, Afterpay or PayPal Pay in 4 instead. All layaway sales are final.

The shop does not do alterations in house, but the staff know fit well and keep a list of local seamstresses they recommend. On the bridal side, Breeze stocks more than a thousand wedding gowns in sizes 2 to 32.

Who makes the drive

Columbia students have the shortest trip. Battle High School is on the same northeast side of town, and Hickman and Rock Bridge students cross Columbia to get here. Beyond Boone County, the store pulls from Jefferson City High School and Capital City High School to the south, Fulton High School to the east and Boonville High School to the west. The site even lists nearby hotels along Clark Lane and at the Highway 63 and I-70 interchange, a sign of how far some families travel across central Missouri for a single appointment.

Breeze appointments in Columbia, explained

Can I get in on the same day?

Often, yes. Same-day prom, homecoming and pageant appointments depend on availability, and they are booked online.

How many people can come with me?

Two guests per shopper for prom, homecoming and pageant appointments.

Does layaway work if I live out of state?

Layaway is limited to Missouri addresses. Out-of-state shoppers can split payments with Klarna, Afterpay or PayPal Pay in 4.