Two people going to the same prom can finish the whole problem in one trip here. South’s sells prom dresses and handles tuxedos — rental and purchase — under one roof at 1180 Blowing Rock Road, which is US 321, the commercial spine running south out of Boone. The store is a mall tenant, not a standalone shop, and in this part of the High Country that carries some weight: the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce describes the Boone Mall as the only enclosed, climate-controlled shopping in the region.
The listings the store maintains put its start at 1985 and describe it as locally family owned. Prom is one line of a broader formalwear business that also covers bridal gowns, bridesmaids, mother-of-the-bride, and tuxedos. Practically, that means the people measuring a junior in March are fitting gowns the rest of the year too, rather than working a single season.
The brands confirmed here
Three prom labels list South’s on their own retailer locators:
- La Femme — the broadest of the three, ranging from simple satin columns to heavily beaded ballgowns.
- Alyce Paris — skews toward structured bodices, full skirts, and beadwork.
- Jessica Angel — almost entirely fitted stretch jersey and sequin silhouettes, cut close.
What is physically on the floor in any given week is a question for the phone: (828) 264-8977. If a size has to be ordered rather than pulled off the rack, ask how many weeks that takes before committing to a dress.
Who drives in
Watauga High School is the closest feeder, in Boone itself, with about 1,280 students. It is the product of a 1965 consolidation of five separate county high schools, which is part of why one school now covers so much ground — students come from across Watauga County to a single prom. Beyond the county line, the next schools out are Avery County High in Newland and Ashe County High in West Jefferson, both of which run their own proms in the same late-April-to-early-May window. Appalachian State is also in town, and its students need formal clothes on a different calendar than the high schools do.
Making the trip worth the gas
If the drive is coming from Newland, West Jefferson, or farther down 321, the rest of the errand list is in the same building. Ulta is in the mall for makeup, Belk and TJ Maxx for shoes, Saslow Jewelers for earrings, and Hobby Lobby for anything a prom committee needs. Panera and Tucker’s Cafe handle lunch. Parking is a surface lot, and it is the least difficult part of the visit except during December.
One caution on hours: the mall’s posted hours and an individual tenant’s hours are not always the same thing, and the store’s own site was not loading when this page was written. Call before driving in from another county, especially on a Sunday.