Come shop for prom, homecoming, pageant, and tuxedos!
That line sits on the Carley's Formals homepage, and it leads with the dance most Johnston County juniors and seniors are already thinking about. The order sums up the Smithfield store, too. It sits out on U.S. 70 East, past the edge of town toward Pine Level, in a suite that draws shoppers from Selma, Princeton and the Pine Level side of the county. The mailing address says Smithfield, and the store is only a few miles east of I-95, so it is a simple trip from most corners of the county.
Where Carley's started
Smithfield is home base. When owner Denise Bass opened a second location in Goldsboro in 2017, the Goldsboro News-Argus reported that her first venture was in Smithfield, a pageant shop called Carley's So Sweet Pageant Boutique, named for her daughter Carley, who started competing in pageants as a toddler. Bass told the paper she saw the need for dresses at every budget, from about $200 to $1,500 and up. That pageant background still shows on the racks, and so does the instinct to price prom for real families.
These days the company sells under the Carley's Formals name, and its shared website lists both stores. The lineup is built around prom season, and for prom that means Jovani and Ava Presley. Ava Presley prom styles posted online run from the mid $300s into the high $500s, while Jovani prom gowns climb from the mid $500s past $1,000. Pageant and homecoming carry the other seasons.
Homecoming
Ava Presley and Rachel Allan, with new arrivals announced in the fall
Pageant
ASHLEYlauren kids' styles and Johnathan Kayne children's gowns
Tuxedos
Rentals in black and white, grey, charcoal grey and tan, so a prom date gets fitted where the gown was bought
Finishing pieces
Shoes from Diverse Style and the shop's own Carley's Couture jewelry
For a couple shopping together, the tux rentals and the finishing pieces count most. Carley's covers the gown, the tux and the earrings, which beats a Saturday spent driving up I-40 to Raleigh. The site also keeps a sale section for prom and pageant styles, and it deserves a look before paying full price for a gown you will wear once.
Smithfield-Selma, Princeton and Corinth Holders shoppers
Smithfield-Selma High is the closest high school, and its prom-goers are the store's natural base. Princeton High and North Johnston High sit farther east and north along the same side of the county, and Corinth Holders families come down from the Wendell side. Given the store's roots, pageant families from across Johnston County, North Carolina have their own reason to stop in.
The company also runs Carley's Formals Inc - Goldsboro, a second store down U.S. 70 in Wayne County. The two shops share a website, and the owner said from the start that each store carries different things, so ask whether a style you saw online is in Smithfield before making the drive.
Weekday hours at the Smithfield store run through the afternoon, with longer hours on Saturday, so check the posted schedule first. The website lets you browse styles and size charts at home first, which is the best way to arrive with a short list.
Good to know
Can I rent a tuxedo for prom at Carley's Formals?
Yes. The store lists tuxedo rentals in several colors alongside its prom gowns, so dates don't need a separate tux shop.
Can I return or exchange a prom dress?
No. The store's posted policy is that all sales are final, with no returns or exchanges, so try on carefully and bring your shoes.