Every visit to All About the Dress is booked. The Main Street boutique in Armonk is open by appointment only, each appointment is meant to last an hour, and you set it up by emailing the owner, Alisha Weiner. For a prom shopper that is the whole appeal. You get the room, the racks and the person who chose the inventory, all at once.
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:
- Long, glamorous gowns
- Jovani, La Femme and Terani, the beaded and fitted styles that fill senior photo albums.
- Versatile prom and formal
- Mori Lee, Faviana and Alyce Paris, which run from sleek to full-skirted.
- Party and short dresses
- Likely, ML Monique Lhuillier and other labels on the list for shorter party looks.
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 Monday 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 Monday 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, it was voted Best Party Clothes in Westchester Magazine’s Best of Westchester issues every July from 2016 through 2021, and Best Teen/Tween Special Occasion Boutique in 2016. It lists coverage in The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, a customer featured in the New York Times Style section, and a spot as one of eight stores chosen for Westchester Magazine’s Ultimate Guide in 2016.
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
How do I book a prom appointment?
Email the owner, Alisha, to set up a time. The store is open by appointment only and each visit is planned for about an hour.
Does the store do alterations?
Yes. Its seamstress is on premises Mondays by appointment, and fittings can be scheduled in advance for dresses bought at the shop.