Scroll the prom section of Harriman Clothing Co.'s website and you will count more than two hundred styles. Most come from Faviana and La Femme, with Ellie Wilde, Portia and Scarlett and Colette filling out the rest. That is a deep bench for a village boutique. It is also the reason families from all over southern Orange County end up on Route 17M every spring.
Day-to-evening boutique is the shop's own description, and it fits. One side of the floor is casual tops, denim and outerwear. The other side is special occasion: prom, homecoming, bridesmaids, guest and cocktail dresses, plus a section for mothers. Shoes, jewelry and accessories are in the same building. That saves a second errand when the dress is settled and the shoes are not.
Family owned since 1971
The business has been family owned since 1971. Its owner studied at F.I.T. and at the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York, and the store credits her with a flair for buying for every body shape and personal style. The site describes Harriman Clothing Co. as the most unique destination boutique in the Hudson Valley for special occasion dresses, and says the shop returns a percentage of its net sales to the community. One Goshen mother, on the store's own reviews page, says she bought every prom dress for all four of her daughters here.
The selling style is personal shopping, and the store says there is no additional cost for it. A stylist works one on one with you, looking at color, body type, accessories and function as well as fashion, and the shop leans on what it calls its famous "Selection and Service." For a prom shopper, that means someone who will steer you toward the right neckline and the right shade, then help you add shoes and jewelry before you leave. Dress, heels and earrings, all chosen with the same stylist.
Every special occasion visit is booked, by phone or through the online request form, and the terms are spelled out in writing.
Guests: To ensure a focused experience, appointments are limited to the client and one guest. If additional guests are required, please request with your consultant.
That guest rule, from the store's appointment page, shapes your plans more than any other. Pick your one opinion carefully. The rest of the store’s terms cover timing, children and what happens after you buy.
Changes
Give at least 48 hours' notice to cancel or change the time.
No-shows
A no-show, or a change with less notice, means a $35 non-refundable deposit to rebook.
Small children
They cannot come along, because the boutique is full of delicate gowns in a limited space.
Special occasion dresses
Final sale, which makes that hour the place to decide.
Fittings without leaving the building
Alterations are done in house, by appointment, booked by phone or in person rather than through the shopping form. Pricing depends on the fabric and construction of the gown.
First fitting
About an hour while a specialist pins the dress on you; payment is due at this visit
In between
More visits if the work is intricate
Four weeks after the first
The pickup fitting
For prom, work backward from the dance. Buy early enough that the alterations still land comfortably before the date, and pack for that first appointment.
For the first fitting
- The exact shoes for prom, so the hem is set at the right height
- The bra or bras you plan to wear under the dress
- A slip
- Your shapewear
Monroe-Woodbury, Goshen and the Rockland line
Harriman sits at Exit 16 of the Thruway, where Route 17 meets I-87, so most of Orange County, New York and the Rockland line can reach it by highway. Monroe-Woodbury High School in Central Valley is the biggest prom close by. The hometowns on the store's reviews page read like a map of the county: Goshen, Warwick, Washingtonville, Monroe. That lines up with the students of Goshen Central, Warwick Valley and Washingtonville High School, and Suffern High School sits down Route 17 on the Rockland side.
Harriman Clothing Co. prom details
Do I need an appointment to shop for prom?
Yes. Special occasion dress shopping is by appointment only, booked by phone or online.
Can the store alter my prom dress?
Yes. Alterations are done in house by appointment, with about four weeks between the first fitting and the pickup fitting.
Which designers are in the prom collection?
Faviana and La Femme make up most of it, with Ellie Wilde, Portia and Scarlett, Colette and a few smaller labels alongside.