The store that started the whole Mimi’s family business is still here on East Springfield Road off I-44, and it still sells prom, with long dresses starting lower than at the Chesterfield store.
Mimi's came to life when our doors opened in June of 2010 in a small nook in the wall on Main Street in Sullivan, MO.
That line from the store is the start of a story that now spans Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. In 2016 the Sullivan shop moved out of that Main Street nook and into a 10,000-square-foot building. Mimi’s Prom later opened locations in Kansas City, Chesterfield and Denver, and the family now runs those stores alongside this one. Amy, who founded the business, and Victoria are part of the team, which the store describes as family owned and women led, with a tagline of “small town service meets big city style.”
The Sullivan building carries three things under the Mimi’s name: wedding dresses, tuxedos and prom dresses. The company counts Sullivan as one of its four prom locations, stocked for prom and for the homecoming season in the fall.
Prom prices and sizes at the Sullivan store
Mimi’s Prom gives its prices for each location separately, and Sullivan’s numbers differ from the metro stores. The entry price on long dresses is lower here.
| Category | Price range | Typical dress | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long prom | $99 to $850 | $400 to $450 | 0 to 24 |
| Short homecoming | $75 to $800 | About $300 | 0 to 20 |
Company-wide, Mimi’s carries prom gowns from Sherri Hill, Jovani, Ellie Wilde, Ashley Lauren, Ava Presley, Faviana, Atria and 2Cute Prom. What sits on the Sullivan racks in a given week depends on what has sold and what just arrived. Inventory changes every day.
Dresses in stock can go home the same day. The family’s team travels the country to handpick the dresses for all four prom stores, so the Sullivan racks come out of the same buying trips as the larger metro locations.
Short homecoming dresses come in for the fall, with prices from $75. The store holds trunk shows, sales and holiday promotions through the year.
How a Mimi’s appointment works in Sullivan
Every Mimi’s location works by appointment, Sullivan included, and that is what gives each shopper her own stylist and a fitting room set aside just for her.
When the company says to book
- Pick a weekday visit for a calmer room, since weekends fill with shoppers and their families.
- For a particular sale weekend, reserve a time as soon as the event is announced, because appointment slots get scarce during in-store events.
The money side is simple. The chain offers free 60-day layaway at every location. Good to know before you buy: sales are final, layaway and sale pieces included. Cash and the major cards are accepted, though checks are not. Alterations go to outside seamstresses, and the store keeps a list of recommended names to share with customers who bought their dress here.
Tuxedo and suit rental is set up mainly for wedding parties.
Tuxedos and suits
Jim’s Formal Wear
Fitting
Measurement appointments
Return
The Tuesday after the event
Sullivan High School is the home school. St. Clair, Union and Owensville are on the Franklin County and Gasconade County side, and Cuba and Bourbon are along I-44 in Crawford County. For more shops around east-central Missouri, this site lists stores in each direction. Shoppers in West County can also try the Chesterfield branch, Mimi’s Prom StL, which runs on the same appointment system.
Kitty Chen gowns and Morilee bridesmaids to size 30
Bridal in the Sullivan building is open by appointment only, with brides seen in private suites. The store names five bridal designers with their price ranges. Stella York sits at the lower end and Kitty Chen at the top, with Casablanca, Allure Bridals and Essense of Australia in between.
Bridesmaid dresses come from Morilee, with sizes 6 to 28 in stock and 0 to 30 and up by order. The shop suggests ordering six to eight months before the wedding. A first pick-out appointment runs about an hour and a half. Bridesmaids who cannot come can book their own measuring visit, and out-of-town bridesmaids can send in their measurements. Payment in full is required to place an order.
Sullivan prom shoppers ask Mimi’s
Does the Sullivan Mimi’s carry prom or only bridal?
Both. The company lists Sullivan as one of its four prom stores, with long prom and short homecoming dresses in season.
Why are Sullivan prom prices different from Chesterfield?
Mimi’s gives prices for each store separately. Sullivan’s long dresses start at $99 and top out near $850, while the Chesterfield store starts higher and runs past $1,000.
Is Mimi’s still in the old Main Street spot?
It moved in 2016. The shop left its original Main Street nook that year for a 10,000-square-foot building on East Springfield Road, which now houses the prom racks, the bridal suites and the tuxedo fittings.