Picture a prom dress shop where the only other shopper in the room is your best friend. Formal Dresses for Less, on Freeport Road in Kittanning, works by appointment only, and it books two girls at a time. Each appointment runs an hour and a half. For anyone who has spent a March Saturday fighting for a fitting room, that is a very different afternoon.
The store has been dressing Armstrong County students since at least 2002, and its stock is built around school dances: short homecoming and snowball dresses, long prom gowns, and the accessories to go with them. It also carries graduation, engagement and bridal shower dresses, father-daughter dance dresses and shoes. It does not carry mother of the bride or bridesmaid dresses, and the site says so up front. This is a shop for the student in the family.
New dresses, a wide range of prices
The name sometimes raises a question, and the website answers it at the top of every page. The dresses are all new, purchased from distributors, and not consignment or used. The store promises a wide variety of prices and sizes, with something for every budget, and it says the dresses shown online are ones it actually has in the building, though colors and sizes may vary.
The online galleries give a good feel for the floor.
Prom
Galleries sorted by style
- Jersey, chiffon, ballgowns, lace and sequins
- A reduced prom section for shoppers watching the budget
Homecoming
Pages of its own
- Includes a set of great-deal short dresses
Jewelry, clutches, tiaras and hair pieces fill out the accessory side.
Layaway is a real selling point. The site mentions it by name more than once, and it makes sense for a gown found in the fall for a spring dance. A few things to sort out before you call:
- Know your dance and its date, whether it is homecoming, snowball or prom.
- If a friend is shopping too, ask about booking the two slots back to back.
- Ask about layaway if the dance is months away.
- Leave room in the budget for shoes and accessories, since they are sold right there.
Who it serves
Kittanning is the Armstrong County seat, on the Allegheny River, and the county's families are spread out along a lot of rural road. Students from Armstrong Junior-Senior High School are the closest customers. The drive is reasonable from Leechburg Area, Apollo-Ridge, Freeport Area and Karns City high schools too. For those families, a western Pennsylvania prom shop that sets aside ninety minutes per appointment can save a long trip toward Pittsburgh.
The shop's own About page sums up why people come back:
OUR CUSTOMERS LOVE THE SPECIAL ATTENTION THEY GET DURING THEIR HOUR AND A HALF APPOINTMENTS.
Booking questions
Can I walk in to Formal Dresses for Less?
No. The shop is appointment only and asks shoppers to schedule in advance, so phone the shop to set a time.
Does the shop sell bridesmaid or mother-of-the-bride dresses?
No. It focuses on school dances and the events around them: homecoming, snowball, prom, graduation, bridal shower and father-daughter dance dresses, plus shoes, jewelry and other accessories.
Does the store offer layaway?
Yes. The shop names layaway more than once and offers it on its dresses, which helps when a fall find is meant for a spring dance.