Chique Prom does not undersell itself. The store calls itself the oldest and largest prom store in the Southeast, and it puts a number on the second half of that claim: more than 5,000 dresses in the store, with new styles arriving every day. That scale is the whole point of the place. This is a prom store first, built for volume, and its storefront sits inside Triangle Town Center.
The mall, open since 2002, sits in North Raleigh off Capital Boulevard and I-540, which makes it one of the easier drives in Wake County for families coming from Wake Forest, Rolesville, Knightdale or Wendell. Parking is a mall lot instead of a downtown side street, and shoes, makeup and dinner can all happen at the same mall. A big group of friends shopping together will appreciate that.
The designer wall
A typical prom boutique carries five or six labels. Chique Prom's prom menu runs past thirty collections.
Prom names shoppers ask about most
- Sherri Hill
- Jovani Prom, Jovani Signature and JVN
- Portia & Scarlett
- Amarra
- Ellie Wilde from Mon Cheri
- Colette from Mon Cheri
- Jessica Angel
- Johnathan Kayne
- Jasz Couture
- Alyce Paris
- ASHLEYlauren
- Ava Presley
- Scala
- Tiffany Designs
- Intrigue by Blush
- Paparazzi by Morilee
Dedicated plus-size sections
- La Femme
- Madison James
- Primavera
- Rachel Allan
Homecoming lineup
- Sherri Hill
- Aleta
- Short Alyce styles
- JVN Homecoming
With four labels running dedicated plus-size sections, a size 20 girl is not stuck flipping through one lonely rack.
Why the registry matters at a store this size
Five thousand gowns is a lot of choice. It is also a lot of girls from the same schools buying from the same racks. Chique Prom handles that with a registry, and the store spells it out in capital letters before explaining it:
We keep track of our dresses and the events they are for, so no one going to the same event can purchase your dress from our store!
At Wakefield, Millbrook, Rolesville or Heritage, where hundreds of students may be shopping the same few weekends, that log is the difference between a unique gown and an awkward photo. Mention your school and your prom when you buy. Knightdale, Wake Forest and Sanderson families have the same worry, and the same fix.
Prom leads, but it is not the only calendar the shop works. According to the store, it is a go-to for prom, quinceañeras, military balls, galas and pageants, with weddings and mothers' gowns rounding out the mix. The deep quinceañera department makes Chique Prom a natural stop for families planning a quince and a prom in the same year.
Quinceañera
House of Wu, Vizcaya, Princesa by Mon Cheri and matching damas dresses
Galas and pageants
Military balls, galas and pageant gowns
Bridal
Weddings and mothers' gowns
The store frames all of it around a single mission: helping each customer find a gown that makes her feel as remarkable as she is.
Policies to know before you buy
None of the house rules is unusual for a high-volume prom store in the Triangle region of North Carolina; it is simply better to know them walking in.
Under 19
Bring a parent to try on or purchase.
Booking
Appointments by phone; walk-ins welcome first come, first served, especially in homecoming season.
Alterations and steaming
Not included in the price, so budget for a seamstress.
Anyone under 19 should plan the trip around a parent's schedule.
Shopping Chique Prom: quick answers
Is there a plus-size prom section at Chique Prom?
Yes. La Femme, Madison James, Primavera and Rachel Allan each get a dedicated plus-size section at Chique Prom.
Does Chique Prom offer layaway?
Its sales policy refers to layaways, noting that layaway sales, like all sales, are final. Ask the staff for current terms.
Will another girl at my prom have my dress?
Not one bought at Chique Prom. The store registers each dress to its event so no one else attending the same prom can buy it there.