A family store built for prom and nothing else
Our goal and mission is to make sure you have a great experience in our store and come away with a dress that makes you look and feel beautiful. WE WILL ALWAYS BE WORTH THE TRIP.
That promise, capital letters and all, comes straight from the family behind Glory Prom. Vian is a small town on Interstate 40 in Sequoyah County, and Glory sits in its historic downtown in a newly restored building that is about 100 years old. Inside are around 2,000 brand-new long dresses for prom and homecoming court, from what the owners call the top eight to ten designers in the business, in sizes from 000 to 26W.
Glory was founded by Jana Parker, her daughter Grace (Parker) Gasso, and Jana's brother Jeff Cotner, all of Vian. The family sums up the division of labor with some humor: Jana is the backbone and face of the operation, Grace is the president, and Jeff handles the photos, the spreadsheets and the building. The idea grew out of Jana's own experience taking her daughters prom dress shopping across at least four states.
In 2023 the shop expanded to more than twice its earlier size. The owners describe the result as a room bigger than a high school basketball court, lined on every side with racks, and the building has a feature few stores anywhere can match: two balconies reached by pink stairways.
Glory is built to do one thing well. There is no bridal or flower girl stock, so every rack is about the dance. Everything here is aimed at high school and college-age girls, with prom, homecoming and pageant styles.
What is on the floor
Sherri Hill is the headline. Glory advertises the biggest selection of Sherri Hill formal dresses in Oklahoma. The designer lineup, label by label:
The headline
Core lines alongside Sherri Hill
Called out by name
Also carried
- La Femme
- Tarik Ediz
- Rachel Allan
- Nicole Bakti
- Helsi
- Starielle
The store sorts the stock a few other useful ways as well: a Top of the Line collection with Portia and Scarlett Couture pieces, a $399 or Less rack, and Glory Plus for sizes 18 to 26. Short dresses are a newer addition. The store usually starts the fall with at least 100 of them, a smaller selection than the long gowns but a solid start for homecoming.
Booking, paying and planning the drive to Vian
Every shopper gets a dressing room and staff time set aside just for her. That is why appointments are required, and the store answers that question with a "YES!!" It plans dressing rooms and staff by the day, since most customers have driven an hour or two to get there. Friends shopping together each book an appointment, so each one has a room of her own.
The family says at least 90 percent of shoppers find their dress in a single appointment, which fits the size of the inventory. If you need a little time to pay, layaway is the way to go, since dresses are not held while someone thinks it over.
To start
A non-refundable deposit of half the price, including tax, set up on a weekday during prom season
Up to four months
Pay the balance
Pick up in person once it is paid off
Some special-order, featured or closeout gowns may not qualify for layaway, and all sales are final, so check the fit carefully before paying. Alterations happen outside the shop. If a dress does not fit right, the staff will suggest trying another, and for hems it recommends a trusted seamstress at home, though staff can point you to good seamstresses around Vian.
Timing is flexible. Glory's prom season runs mostly from December through April, and new dresses arrive nearly every week through March, so an early visit gets first pick and a later visit gets fresh arrivals. November is when the shop is likely to hold markdown sales on the previous year's inventory.
The location works for a wide stretch of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.
Drive to Glory, as the store puts it
Fort Smith, Muskogee, Poteau and Tahlequah
~40 min
Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, Sapulpa and Sand Springs
≤90 min
Glory is one block west of Highway 82 and half a block south of Highway 64. Vian High School students have the shop in their own town, and families from Sallisaw, Gore, Muldrow and Muskogee High School reach it on the interstate or the state highways. The store also nudges visitors toward the other merchants reviving downtown Vian, which is part of why the family chose its hometown.
Glory Prom in Vian, before you book
Can my best friend and I shop together at Glory?
Yes, with one appointment each. Every shopper gets her own dressing room, so book two appointments. The store suggests calling if it is hard to find two slots together.