Show up on a February weekend and you will probably wait. That is the trade-off at Maggie's. The store's own FAQ says weekends are the busiest days, that there may be a waitlist, and that the smart move is to arrive right at opening. What you get for the wait is the prom floor the shop calls the largest in all of northeast Ohio: more than 1,400 styles in a normal stretch of the season, and more than 1,700 at the peak, with new arrivals coming in weekly.
The shop is young. Ben and Olivia Jarvis opened it in October 2024, choosing Fairlawn because the Akron area is Olivia's hometown. They did not come to it cold. Before Maggie's, the couple built a boutique called Jarvis Couture in Tyler, Texas, grew it, sold it, and moved back to Ohio to be near family. The name comes from Olivia's childhood dog, a Shih Tzu named Maggie, a clue to the tone of the place. It is meant to feel warm rather than precious.
The prom floor, in numbers the store publishes
Maggie's publishes its numbers, which makes planning easy. The prom pages and FAQ give these figures:
- Prom styles in store
- 1,400-plus, rising to 1,700-plus at peak season
- Size range
- 000 to 24
- Homecoming prices
- $80 to $800-plus
- When prom stock arrives
- From mid-November, peaking in January and February
- When it thins
- Toward mid-April
That size note deserves a second read. The shop says outright that 000, 00 and 18-plus sell very fast, and that sizes diminish as the season goes along. If you sit at either end of the range, January is your month, not April.
The store quotes prom prices as a floor, an average and a top end.
$240
Where prom prices start
About $550
Average prom gown
$1,000+
Top of the prom range
The featured designers on the prom page are Sherri Hill, Ellie Wilde, Ashley Lauren, Faviana, Amarra and Portia & Scarlett. The FAQ adds Amelia Couture, Ava Presley, Chandalier LA, Cinderella Divine, Jovani, Nox Anabel, Primavera Couture and Sydney's Closet. That is a long list for one shop, and it means you can compare several labels' takes on the same silhouette without changing parking lots.
Prom here works on a walk-in basis.
NO appointment is necessary for prom shopping, come find your dream dress with our friendly stylists!
Those capitals come straight from the prom page.
Every gown that leaves the building also gets registered to the buyer's school. The store is careful about what that means: it is a record, not a lock, and it does not stop another student from the same school buying the same style. Treat it as a useful check, then text your friends anyway.
How buying works once you find it
A few store policies shape the whole trip, so it pays to know them before you fall for a dress.
Everything in the store can also be bought on its website, which helps when a dress you tried on sells through in your size and you want to watch for a restock. In-store purchases and special orders follow different terms.
Your size is here
In-store purchase
- Final sale, with no refunds or exchanges
Missing your color or size
Special order
- Paid in full up front
- Carries a shipping fee
Layaway is available: half down, with the balance due within 60 days. The store does not do holds.
Alterations are not done in house. Maggie's keeps a list of trusted local seamstresses and will hand it over if you call. Build that hem and strap time into your calendar, since a gown bought in February leaves enough room before a late-April or May dance.
The bridal side runs differently, by appointment in private suites, built around the store's own customizable Maggie's Collection gowns. That is a separate experience. Prom shoppers will mostly notice it as the quieter half of the building.
On West Market Street, near the Fairlawn BMV
The store is on West Market Street, Fairlawn's main retail road, and its FAQ places it in the same plaza as the Ohio BMV office. If you have renewed a license in Fairlawn, you may already know the parking lot.
The closest prom schools are Copley High School, the Copley-Fairlawn district's school, and Revere High School in Richfield, whose students reach West Market Street quickly. Akron's Firestone Community Learning Center and the city's Catholic schools, St. Vincent-St. Mary and Archbishop Hoban, are a short run east. Walsh Jesuit in Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson High School, Wadsworth High School and Medina High School all send shoppers too, and Green High School covers the south end of the county. The store itself names the Akron and Cleveland area as its market, and the size of the floor is the reason families make that drive.
For families comparing a two-hour suburban mall crawl against one big stop, the math is simple. One building, a dress registry, published prices and a size range that starts at 000. Get there early.
Timing a Maggie's trip, and the tailoring after
Can I put a prom dress on layaway at Maggie's?
Yes. Layaway takes half down, with the balance due within 60 days. The store does not do holds.
When is the best time to shop?
Prom dresses start arriving in mid-November and the selection peaks in January and February. Inventory starts to drop toward mid-April, and the smallest and largest sizes go first.
Does Maggie's do alterations?
No. The store recommends trusted local seamstresses and will share its list if you call.