Reserve the fitting room before you pick the dress. At Pure Couture that order matters more than it does at a small shop, because the store counts more than 4,000 dresses in stock and claims the title of Dayton's largest prom, homecoming and mother of the occasion dress shop. The reservation page admits that past seasons brought waits of over two hours for a fitting room. The booking system exists to stop that from happening again.
A family shop from 2009, now at The Greene
Pure Couture was founded in 2009, and the About page describes a family-owned store built around helping women feel confident and celebrated. The business now trades as Pure Couture Prom & Pageant, and it trades from The Greene, the open-air town center in Beavercreek. It is an easy address to find. The Greene sits just off I-675 at Indian Ripple Road, a few minutes from Beavercreek High and within reach of Bellbrook, Fairborn, Xenia and Centerville.
The About page leans into the setting. The Greene has more than 70 shops and 25 restaurants by the store's count, and it suggests making a day of the appointment, with lunch at Condado Tacos or Pies & Pints before or after. The page also says every customer deserves expert styling and a welcoming atmosphere.
Sherri Hill holds about four of every ten in-store gowns
The store's site lists far more dresses than the shop holds, and it warns that not every dress online is available in store. Its in-store filter narrows the prom collection to a few hundred gowns. Sherri Hill leads by a wide margin. Faviana is a clear second and Primavera Couture third, followed by Ashley Lauren, then Ellie Wilde and Ava Presley. Portia & Scarlett, Jovani and Alyce Paris fill out the list in smaller numbers.
The contact page names two more labels, JVN and Mac Duggal. Curvy shoppers get their own menu, with separate Primavera Couture and Faviana curvy collections. The prom menu also sorts by mood as much as by cut, from simple and classic to pure fun, glam, floral, beaded, one shoulder and off the shoulder.
What the in-store gowns cost
The site posts prices, and it sorts prom dresses into bands from under $300 to over $700. Among the gowns marked in store, most sit between about $450 and $675, and the typical one is close to $560. Entry styles start under $250, and the top of the range is about $1,300.
Typical prom prices, gowns marked in store
Under $250Most $450 to $675About $1,300
Paying for it can be spread out. The shop offers free layaway and Afterpay. One rule at the counter is firm, though. A dress must be paid in full before it leaves the store, and the policy page says checks will not be accepted as the final payment.
How the one-hour reservations work
Prom and homecoming shoppers can walk in. The store highly recommends booking anyway, and the reservation page gives three reasons. A booking guarantees a fitting room for the full hour. It skips the wait. And the shop says the visit is simply more enjoyable that way. Mother of the occasion shoppers are the exception, since that department requires a reservation.
1 hr
Length of a fitting room reservation
2 hr+
Past waits for a room without one
1
Shopper per reservation
A few details trip people up. Each reservation covers one shopper, so two friends who both want to try on need two bookings. The reservation should go under the name and phone number of the person trying on, not the parent paying. Regular hours are short on some days, with the store closed Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, so the after-hours option on the contact page helps. The shop will arrange appointments outside normal hours by email.
Sizing up, and finding a seamstress
Every dress is final sale. Once it leaves the store it cannot be returned, refunded or exchanged, and the policy covers a change in size or a change in the event's dress code after purchase. The same page notes that these gowns are fragile and can lose some sequins, feathers or beading with wear.
Fit takes some planning. Each designer has its own size chart, and the size is set by your largest measurement, so the store says alterations are typically required. The policy page refers shoppers to seamstress information it keeps, offered as a suggestion rather than a guarantee of anyone's work. The store's blog adds sizing advice. Formal sizes run smaller than street sizes, so go by bust, waist and hip measurements and the designer's chart. When you fall between two sizes, pick the larger one, because it is easier to take a dress in than let it out. For more stores from the Miami Valley to Cleveland, see our guide to Ohio prom shops.
Sizing advice from the store's blog
- Measure bust, waist and hips instead of going by your street size
- Check the designer's own size chart
- Between two sizes, choose the larger one
Planning a Pure Couture prom appointment
Can a friend and I share one fitting room reservation?
No. The store asks for a separate reservation for every person who will try on dresses, and each booking is for one hour.
Does Pure Couture still carry pageant gowns?
Pageant is in the store's trading name, but the website is built around prom, homecoming and mother of the occasion dresses. Ask the staff what pageant gowns are on the floor before you go.
How early should I start shopping?
The store's blog suggests starting a homecoming search at least two to three months before the dance, which leaves time for alterations. The same post warns that popular styles and sizes sell out quickly.