This Burlington prom floor started as a Merle Norman Cosmetics studio, and the dresses came later, almost by accident. Today the site for The Dress Boutique at Merle Norman lists thousands of dresses in sizes 000 to 24, with prom as the heart of the business, and it still sells the skincare and makeup that started it all. For Alamance County families, it has been part of the spring routine for years.
The shop is now inside Holly Hill Mall in Burlington. Its website announces the move in capital letters, so if an old listing or a relative's memory points you somewhere else, trust the site. Holly Hill is the new home.
From one gown to thousands
The store's About page tells the story, and it is a good one. Wanda Shelton joined the staff of Merle Norman Burlington in 1981 and was managing it during her last year at Elon University. When the business came up for sale, she was 23, freshly graduated and had no collateral, and the banks were not interested. Her parents, Ray and Carlene Shelton, took out the loan for her. She paid it back within ten years, and Carlene worked beside her as manager. Wanda has owned the shop since 1986.
The dresses came from a problem of her own. Merle Norman held a big convention every year that called for cocktail dresses and long gowns, and she could not find one anywhere. So she went to the Atlanta market, and the About page traces what happened next:
- She found a line she liked and bought one gown for herself and 20 for the store.
- Those sold out in a couple of weeks, so she bought 40.
- When those sold out, she bought 100.
- Then 500.
- Then 1,000.
Within a few years the store had to be remodeled and expanded just to make room. That history explains the feel of the place. It is still a cosmetics studio as well as a formalwear floor, so a prom shopper can pick a dress, shoes and jewelry and then sit down to talk makeup.
What prom shopping looks like here
Volume is the selling point. The About page draws the comparison itself: most boutiques have a few hundred dresses, but this one provides thousands of pieces for every body type, every occasion and every style. It also says the pieces it carries are unique, and that you will not find them in a department store. Each spring it publishes a prom lookbook, and the 2026 edition is posted on the homepage as a flip-through.
The online catalog names a long list of prom designers. Look for La Femme, Faviana, Ellie Wilde, Alyce Paris, Primavera, Colette, Jasz Couture, Clarisse, Ava Presley, Johnathan Kayne and Scala. That spread runs from sleek satin to full sequins to ball gowns, and several of the same labels also show up in the homecoming section.
Booking needs some lead time, so don't plan a same-day trip.
Appointments
Required. Allow 48 hours for the store to confirm your requested time.
Booking form
Covers prom, homecoming, pageant, quinceañera, military balls and party dresses.
Private option
For anyone who wants the floor to feel a little calmer.
Two traditions come up again and again in the reviews the store posts on its own site. The first is the bell: when a shopper says yes to her dress, she gets to ring it, and the whole floor celebrates.
Who comes? Students from Walter M. Williams and Hugh M. Cummings high schools here in Burlington, plus Western Alamance in Elon, Graham High and Southern Alamance. The store also lists the Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Fayetteville markets among those it serves, so expect company on spring Saturdays. For families anywhere across the central North Carolina Piedmont, Holly Hill Mall works as a meeting point between the Triad and the Triangle.
The racks also hold gowns for pageants, cruises, galas, class reunions and quinceañeras, plus a mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom section. But in spring the floor belongs to prom, and the homepage makes no secret of its excitement about that.
Your prom fun starts at The Dress Boutique! With thousands of gorgeous dresses, we have yours in stock, waiting for you!
Booking, sizes and the Holly Hill move
Do I need an appointment?
Yes. The store says appointments are required and asks for 48 hours to confirm your requested time. Request one through the form on its website.
What sizes does the shop carry?
The store stocks dresses in sizes 000 to 24, and its homepage notes it carries plus sizes.
Where is the store now?
The Dress Boutique has moved and is now inside Holly Hill Mall in Burlington.