Lola's has been in Manalapan since 1993, and for most of that time it has been two stores in one. Its About page calls it the local go-to-store for back-to-school clothing and for unique tops and jeans for high school and college students. It is also where families come for designer dresses for proms, sweet 16s, bat mitzvahs, communions, graduations and college formals. That mix gives the shop a different feel from a gown-only salon. It is a store built for the whole of high school, not just the last few weeks of senior year.
The store sits on Route 9 South in Manalapan, and its customers, by its own account, come from throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Closer to home, Marlboro High School is in neighboring Marlboro Township, and students also come from Holmdel High School, Matawan Regional High School in Aberdeen and East Brunswick High School across the Middlesex border.
The Lola behind the name
The About page answers the obvious question directly:
There actually is a Lola. She was a well-established dress designer in New York City's garment center for nearly two decades before bringing her talent, expertise and experience to central New Jersey.
That background shaped how the shop sells. Consultants at Lola's are trained under Lola's own guidance, and the store frames their job as knowing what will look good on you and what fits the occasion. Melanie Gibson, who trained under Lola for six years, now carries the business forward, and the site says she and her associates understand fit as much as fashion. The goal, in the store's words, is that looking beautiful does not come at the expense of feeling comfortable. For a prom gown that has to survive photos, dinner and four hours of dancing, that is the right priority.
The shop also does its own alterations, and not only on its own dresses.
Alterations
On items bought at Lola's and at other stores, by appointment, per the FAQ
Bridal reconstruction
Added in 2024: a mother's or grandmother's wedding gown turned into a new piece
How a prom appointment works
Lola's is by appointment only for all in-store special occasion shopping, and the rules on the store's FAQ and booking page are specific.
Booking
By phone only, during business hours.
Per shopper
One appointment per shopper. Friends can come along, but two people trying on means two appointments.
Guardian
A parent or legal guardian who is at least 25 stays for the whole prom appointment, though not for retries, alteration fittings or pickups.
Sales
Everything bought or ordered in the boutique is final, with no returns or exchanges.
Out of state
Paid FaceTime appointments, with the fee applied toward a purchase.
Look past the website, too. The store says its site shows only a selection of what it carries, with a much larger range of dresses and accessories in the shop and new arrivals coming in regularly. Once the dress is chosen, book your alterations appointment so the fit is finished well before the dance. The shop is open seven days a week from January through April, which covers the heart of prom season, then closes Sundays from May through December.
One note from the store itself: other businesses in the area use the name Lola or Lola's, and the boutique is not affiliated with any of them, per its site. Check that you are booking with the Route 9 shop in Manalapan. You can find more prom boutiques around western Monmouth County, New Jersey on this site's state page.
Booking and alterations at Lola's
Can I walk in to Lola's without an appointment?
Not to shop for a prom or special occasion dress. All in-store special occasion shopping is by appointment, booked by phone.
Will Lola's alter a dress I bought somewhere else?
Yes. The store offers alterations on dresses bought at Lola's and at other stores, by appointment.