Stephanie Knoppe did not plan on a dress store. When she decided in 2023 to open one, the push came from her three daughters, who went to so many formals and proms that the family kept driving to Branson for what they needed. “They had to go to a place in Branson to get a lot of what they needed for their dances,” she said. From Poplar Bluff, that is a long haul across the Ozarks for a single dress. Her first idea, she told the Daily American Republic, was a consignment shop in Poplar Bluff for resale prom dresses. That did well. Over time the business shifted away from consignment entirely and became The Prom Closet, a full formal store selling new gowns.
It started small, in a little shop by the Poplar Bluff post office that Knoppe described as packed to the brim with dresses. Local families kept coming, and that support led her to buy and expand into the current building on South Main Street downtown. Prom is still the center of the business, though the menu has grown to cover homecoming, special occasion and formal attire, mothers’ dresses, and more recently wedding gowns. Homecoming keeps the racks busy in the fall, and prom takes over once the new year starts.
What a fitting looks like here
Size and budget are the two worries most students bring through the door, and the shop addresses both up front. Knoppe told the paper she keeps a variety of price ranges on the floor on purpose, to make sure she can reach every girl. If the right style is not in stock in the right size, the store will order it in. Students from Poplar Bluff High School, Twin Rivers in Broseley and Neelyville all shop the same few spring weekends, and ordering a dress in beats settling for whatever is left on the rack in late March.
The menu on the store’s website lays out what a prom trip can include, starting with private prom shopping, a dedicated session booked through the store’s online scheduler.
Alterations
An on-site seamstress with more than eight years of professional sewing, who takes dresses bought at the shop and elsewhere
Tux rentals and fittings
So a date can be measured during the same appointment
Heels, earrings and accessories
Shoes, jewelry and purses stocked beside the gowns
Spray tans and self tanner
A pre-prom glow in the same building as the dress
The seamstress is Abby Rush. Knoppe told the Daily American Republic that having her on hand helps with sales, because Rush can tell a girl exactly what alterations are possible before she commits to a dress. A hem, a strap adjustment or a bodice taken in can all be talked through in the fitting room instead of guessed at.
“Abby has been with me for a year and a half now, and it’s nice having her on hand,” Knoppe said in that interview. For a family on a deadline, the advantage is local. The gown, the fitting and any follow-up adjustment all happen on South Main, without a second drive to another town for alterations.
Downtown, and on the runway
South Main puts the store in the middle of downtown Poplar Bluff, where US 60 and US 67 meet and draw shoppers in from Dexter, Doniphan, Van Buren and the smaller towns of Butler County, Missouri. A dress appointment downtown can be folded into a Saturday of other errands without a separate trip across town.
The shop also shows up where prom shoppers gather. At the 2026 Wedding & Prom Expo, sponsored by the Daily American Republic, The Prom Closet ran runway shows and brought a variety of prom and wedding dresses, plus shoes and accessories, for visitors to see in person. For families just starting to look, the expo offers a preview of current stock before booking a private appointment.
Knoppe has said that the best part is watching a girl find the dress she likes, and that she wants each customer to feel empowered in what she chooses. The store’s website puts that same welcome into a single promise.
We strive to be as welcoming as possible. No matter your price range or size, we'll help you.
Prom Closet questions from Butler County families
Will the seamstress alter a dress I bought somewhere else?
Yes. The store says its seamstress works on dresses from inside and outside the shop.
What if the dress I want is not in my size?
The Prom Closet will order it in and offer as many options as it can.