Climb to the second floor of Black Tie & White Satin on Fremont's North Broad Street and the scale of the place changes. The prom loft up there has 32 dressing rooms, and the racks around them carry roughly 1,000 prom and formal gowns in stock. Downstairs is the bridal showroom. Upstairs is where the spring rush lands.
Susan and Nick Janssen opened the store in 1994, after Susan had spent time working for another bridal shop and decided to strike out on her own. It began as a wedding store and, by the family's account, moved quickly into prom and formal wear. The business is still family run, and by the family's count girls from seven states and 300 different schools shop the loft each year.
Walking in for prom
No appointment is needed for prom or homecoming. That is the store's stated policy, and it holds even in the busiest weeks. For shoppers who want a stylist's full attention, the store also sets aside VIP prom appointments from December through April, plus pageant consulting by appointment. Bridal, bridesmaid and tux visits are the ones that need a booking.
The loft runs on an off-the-rack model, with a second route when the gown on the hanger is not right.
In the loft
Every dress in the building
- Bought and carried out the same day
A different size or color
Ordered by the store
- Usually two to three weeks when the designer has it in stock
- Still in production? The staff texts or calls with a date
The store puts the size range at 000 to 30, and these designers are behind the stock.
Featured for homecoming
Strong pageant following
Also carried
- Jovani
- Alyce Paris
- Amarra
- Clarisse
- Jessica Angel
- Ava Presley
- Kate Parker
- Aerie Couture
That mix covers a lot of the market at once. A shopper hunting a beaded Sherri Hill and her friend looking for something simpler can both stay in the same loft, and anyone headed to a pageant afterward has Johnathan Kayne and Portia & Scarlett on hand.
Prices, holds and the fine print
Budget is the question families ask first, and the store answers it with numbers. Short dresses start at $49 and long gowns at $99, and the staff asks shoppers to say up front if they are working with a tight figure. There is also a sale room for anyone who wants the lowest prices in the building. Gowns are not rented.
Holding a dress takes half down, and the store spells out the terms.
We require 50% of the total price to reserve the gown for you. Final payment is due before the gown leaves Black Tie and White Satin.
Dresses need to be picked up within 30 days after the wear date. Once a deposit is down, all sales are final, with no returns or exchanges, which is why the stylists push hard on sizing before an order goes in. Designer size charts rarely match a shopper's everyday size, and the store asks customers to trust its fitting advice. Alterations are not done in-house; the staff keeps a list of local seamstresses and will pass names along.
For the date, tux and suit rentals come through the same building.
For your date
Tux and suit rental
Package
Jacket, pants, vest, tie, shirt and shoes
Fittings
By appointment
Fremont High students make up the home base, along with Archbishop Bergan families. The store's reach goes well past the city limits, though. Logan View, North Bend Central, Arlington and Wahoo all sit within half an hour, and the Highway 275 and US-30 approaches make Fremont the natural shopping stop for much of eastern Nebraska outside Omaha.
Timing matters more than location, and the store's advice covers both the day and the season.
Timing tips from the store
- Come in on a Monday, Thursday or Friday for a quieter visit, since weekends draw the biggest groups.
- Come in early in the season. New styles arrive each summer for homecoming and each winter for prom, so the first weeks are when the loft is fullest.
Before you head to Black Tie in Fremont
Is there really no appointment needed for prom?
Correct. Prom and homecoming shoppers can walk in any day the store is open. VIP prom appointments are optional and run December through April for anyone who wants one-on-one styling.
Can a dress go home the same day?
Yes. Every dress on the floor is sold off the rack, so the one you try on can leave with you. If you need another size or color, the store orders it, usually within two to three weeks.
What does it take to hold a gown?
A 50% deposit reserves it, and the balance is due before the dress leaves the store. Deposits make the sale final, so settle on the size with your stylist first.