Camille’s registers prom gowns by school after purchase, so no two shoppers from the same school will wear the same dress from our store.
That line sits in the middle of Camille's prom FAQ, and for a junior from Laney or Hoggard it comes before anything else. The registry is the reason to shop Camille's early in the season. Every gown sold is logged to a school, so the longer you wait, the more of the rack is already spoken for by someone in your class. Shop in January and the whole floor is open to you. Shop the week before spring break and you're picking from what's left.
Camille's opened in 2011. Owner Joanne Miranda started working retail at 14 and spent years learning the business before she opened her own bridal and formalwear store, and the shop marked 15 years in business in 2026. According to its About page, it has collected numerous "Best Of" awards and been through several renovations, and the page credits the store with one of the area's largest selections of bridal gowns, eveningwear, tuxedos, suits and accessories. For prom shoppers, the useful word in that list is eveningwear. It's a full department here, not a corner rack.
Walk-in rules on Market Street
Prom shopping is walk-in only. No appointment, no booking fee. On spring weekends a line can form.
A walk-in round at Camille's (a guide)
First
Get there early, as the store recommends; guests are helped in the order they arrive
Then
Start with up to five dresses and try more as time allows
On the busiest weekends
Expect a short wait, or you may be asked to rejoin the line for another round
Bring one or two people whose opinion you trust. Boyfriends and other male guests are welcome, but they wait at the front of the store so the fitting rooms stay comfortable for everyone. No food or drinks on the floor.
A few house rules shape the budget.
Holding a dress
Not without a purchase.
Prom layaway
Available with a 50% non-refundable deposit.
Missing size or color
A special order may be possible depending on the designer, usually two weeks to a month.
Alterations
Not in-house; staff hand you a list of trusted local seamstresses, so set aside time and money for a fitting.
The store also opens on Sundays from January through April, which helps families who can only shop on weekends.
The prom designers and what they cost
Prom sizes run from 00 to 24, and most dresses fall between $200 and $700. The store's prom and pageant designer page lists these lines with their price ranges:
- Jovani
- $299 to $799
- Ava Presley
- $359 to $699
- Johnathan Kayne
- $369 to $699
- Tiffany Designs
- $399 to $699
- La Femme
- $299 to $599
- Kate Parker
- $379 to $599
- Colors Dress
- $259 to $599
Alyce Paris and Joshua McKinley round out the list without posted ranges. The store notes that designer availability shifts through the season, so treat the table as a guide to price, not a promise of what's hanging that day. Homecoming gets its own collection in the fall, and the same eveningwear floor serves military ball and gala shoppers, a real second calendar on this stretch of the coast.
Prom dates are covered here too, and the About page names prom-goers alongside grooms and groomsmen as the people its menswear team dresses.
The menswear team
Suits and tuxedos through Jim's Formalwear
Rentals
Listed from $179 to $299
Purchases
From $378 to $699
A couple can settle both outfits on the same Saturday without leaving Market Street. The bridal side runs on separate booked appointments, so prom shoppers and brides don't compete for the same stylists' time.
One more service comes in handy after the dress is bought. Camille's offers professional steaming for gowns and menswear, even for pieces bought somewhere else, starting at $150 and by appointment, with drop-off three to four business days ahead. It's built for destination weddings, but it works for a prom gown that's been folded into a car trunk too.
The store is out on Market Street on Wilmington's north side, the road families from Hampstead and the Topsail area drive in on. Laney, Hoggard, Ashley and New Hanover students shop here, and so do Topsail High families coming down from Hampstead. It's a natural first stop for anyone shopping prom in coastal southeastern North Carolina.
The Camille's registry, layaway and seamstress list
How does the school registry work?
Each gown is logged to a school after purchase, so no two shoppers from the same school wear the same dress from Camille's. Early shoppers get the widest pick.
Does Camille's do alterations on prom dresses?
No. Staff hand over a list of trusted local seamstresses instead, so plan for a fitting after you buy.
Can I put a prom dress on layaway?
Yes. Prom layaway is available with a 50% non-refundable deposit. Dresses can't be held without a purchase.