All About the Dress

You don't need to book a visit to All About the Dress. The store says it is not necessary to schedule an appointment to shop for a special occasion dress, and an owner is usually in the Main Street boutique in Armonk. For a prom shopper that is the whole appeal. Walk in and you get the racks and the person who chose the inventory, at once. Families who want a set time can still email the owner, Alisha Weiner.

The shop dresses girls ages 6 through 18 and pitches itself as a destination for every party need, from bat mitzvah to sweet sixteen to prom. Prom is the senior-year end of that range, and the store gives it its own season and its own prom preview page.

The prom racks and who’s on them

Alisha researches trends and buys from a long list of designers. The ones that matter most to a prom shopper are the same names the store lists first:

The long-gown names bring the beaded and fitted styles that fill senior photo albums, and the versatile group runs from sleek to full-skirted. Other labels on the list cover shorter party looks too.

The selection is tightly edited and spread across a range of price points, per the store, so a parent and a daughter can land on something that works for both of them. The goal it states is simple: make the shopping less overwhelming and let the girl feel confident in the dress.

Fit is handled on site. A seamstress is in the shop every Friday by appointment, and if you buy your dress there, the store says the alterations process is easy and fittings can be scheduled in advance. Book that Friday early in the season. A boned bodice or a hem set to a specific heel is not something you want to rush in May.

Shopping prom in northern Westchester

Armonk is a small hamlet, and Main Street is a few blocks of independent storefronts with curb parking rather than a mall garage. Byram Hills High School is the local senior class, and Horace Greeley in Chappaqua, Fox Lane in Bedford and the larger White Plains High School are all nearby in Westchester. The store’s testimonials page includes shoppers from across Westchester County, New York, plus Rockland County and Connecticut.

The press shelf is long for a shop this size. According to the store, Westchester Magazine has singled it out more than once.

• 2016 to 2019

  Best Party Clothes

  Best of Westchester, every July issue

• 2016

  Best Teen/Tween Special Occasion Boutique

  Westchester Magazine

• 2016

  One of eight stores chosen

  Westchester Magazine’s Ultimate Guide

It also lists coverage in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, and a customer featured in the New York Times Style section.

The timing advice comes from the prom preview page, and it is blunt about how much stock there is.

We 'prom'ise you will love our selection. Inventory is limited, so shop early in order to claim your favorite dress...

Booking and fittings at All About the Dress

Do I need an appointment to shop for prom?

No. The store says an appointment is not necessary, and an owner is usually on site. To set a time anyway, email the owner, Alisha.

Does the store do alterations?

Yes. Its seamstress is on premises Fridays by appointment, and fittings can be scheduled in advance for dresses bought at the shop.