Touch of Class

Branson spends its evenings in sequins. The boutique’s own site calls the town the live show capital, and Touch of Class, a Gretna Road boutique open since 1997, has spent much of that time dressing both sides of the footlights. Its homepage bills it as Branson’s premier bridal and formalwear boutique. For students at Branson High School, Hollister, Reeds Spring and Forsyth, that history translates into a shop that knows how a gown needs to move under bright lights.

Prom, quince and homecoming

The formal side of the store is organized the way a teenager shops. Prom and pageant gowns are split into A-lines and ballgowns on one page and fitted dresses on another, so a girl who already knows she wants a mermaid silhouette can skip straight to it. Homecoming dresses get their own section for the fall, and quinceañera gowns sit beside dama dresses, so a quinceañera and her court can shop from the same racks.

Four designer logos run across the store’s prom page: Amarra, Colette, Ellie Wilde and Primavera Couture. Those are names a Taney County student would otherwise chase up US 65 to Springfield, and here they hang a few minutes from home.

The store also runs a Homecoming Ambassador program for high schoolers. Freshmen and older students can apply after following the shop on social media and tagging three friends on its ambassador post, which gives a student a way to get involved with the store before her own prom season.

Fittings without the wait

Walk in for prom. Appointments with a dedicated stylist are set aside for brides, and the booking page explains that every other kind of formalwear shopping works on arrival. A separate form lets shoppers reserve a dressing room, and the store asks that groups stay under eight people. During the late-winter rush, reserving a room is the easiest way to keep a Saturday visit on schedule.

The tux counter handles rentals and purchases.

The process is laid out in three steps.

1. Pick a style in the store with a stylist.
2. Get measured in person, or call in measurements from out of town.
3. Try the rental on three to four days before the event, leaving time for adjustments.

The out-of-town option is built for wedding parties, and the store also offers direct shipping for groomsmen who live elsewhere. For a prom date, the in-store fitting is the simpler route.

Costumes for Branson’s stages

The part of Touch of Class that sets it apart in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri is the stage work. A separate apparel page for performers describes the shop as costumer to many of Branson’s top shows.

• Performer apparel

  Sport coats, suits, tuxedos and stage shirts

• Magician costumes

  A specialty of the shop

• Custom sewing and alterations

  Offered on the same page, and the store can ship anywhere

A shop that keeps entertainers’ wardrobes ready for show after show brings that same attention to sequins, seams and fit when a junior tries on her first prom gown.

We are proud to costume many of the top shows in Branson, as well as productions, and performers around the world!

Touch of Class prom questions

Can a quinceañera and her damas shop here together?

Yes. The store stocks quinceañera gowns and dama dresses in the same section, alongside its prom and homecoming collections.

What does a tux rental cost?

Packages listed on the site run from $118 to $169 with a coupon, with coat-only rentals and accessories such as shoes and a vest and tie priced separately.