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.
Those capital letters come straight off Glory Prom's About page, and the family behind the shop leans on them. 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 About page 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.
The shop is also not trying to be a bridal salon. Its FAQ is clear that there is no bridal or flower girl stock, because the family wants to do one thing well. 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, and the featured styles on its homepage are mostly Sherri Hill. The full designer menu, label by label:
- Sherri Hill
- Most of the featured styles on the homepage, priced there from $450 to just under $1,200.
- Portia and Scarlett and Ashley Lauren
- Named on the homepage alongside Sherri Hill as core lines, with Portia and Scarlett Couture pieces in the top tier.
- Jovani, Johnathan Kayne and Ava Presley
- Further designers the store calls out by name in its own description of the inventory.
- La Femme, Tarik Ediz and Rachel Allan
- Listed in the Browse by Designer menu, along with Nicole Bakti, Helsi and Starielle.
The site sorts the stock a few other useful ways as well: a Top of the Line collection, a $399 or Less rack, and Glory Plus for sizes 18 to 26. Short dresses arrived more recently. The FAQ says 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
Appointments are required. The FAQ answers that question with a "YES!!" and explains why: the store schedules dressing rooms and staff by the day, and most customers have driven an hour or two to get there. Friends cannot share one slot, either. Each shopper needs a room and an appointment of her own. Summer hours run by appointment only as well, and the booking link sits at the top and bottom of every page.
The family says at least 90 percent of shoppers find their dress in a single appointment, which fits the size of the inventory. Glory does not hold dresses while someone thinks it over, but it does offer layaway.
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 are not done in the shop. The FAQ suggests trying another dress if one does not fit right, 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. The store's directions page puts Vian about 40 minutes from Fort Smith, Muskogee, Poteau and Tahlequah, and 90 minutes or less from Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, Sapulpa and Sand Springs. 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 FAQ 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 share one appointment at Glory?
No. Each shopper needs her own dressing room, so book two appointments. The store suggests calling if it is hard to find two slots together.
Will someone else at my prom have my dress?
Glory keeps a log of dresses sold and the events shoppers say they are for, and it aims not to sell the same designer, style and color to two girls headed to the same prom. It cannot control dresses bought elsewhere, but the system usually works.