Some shops tell you every dress looks great. This one promises the opposite.
We will respect, encourage and stand by you, and even tell you straight up if that’s a horrible {dress} idea!
The line sits on the boutique's Meet Us page, and it goes a long way toward explaining why prom shoppers from all over West Tennessee make the trip to this farmhouse boutique on Highway 45 North in Jackson. You get a private stylist, which the shop calls your "Sister-Sister" stylist, and you get an opinion. A first long gown is easier to pick with someone willing to say no.
The store's own pitch for prom is short and loud: "Serving looks. Stealing hearts. Owning prom." It carries everything from short sequin dresses to velvet maxis and even patterned jumpsuits, and it handles tuxedos for dates, so a date's tux and a gown can be settled on the same farmhouse floor.
How a recession-era idea became a prom fixture
Jenna graduated from MTSU in December 2009 with a broadcast journalism degree. That same month, home for the holidays and out Christmas shopping, she came across a formalwear store closing after 40 years in business. The wheels started turning. With her parents behind her, she opened My Best Friend Jenna in February 2010, in the middle of a recession, so the shop has been dressing Jackson prom-goers since 2010.
The name came from her mother. Jenna has always called every friend "my best friend," and while the family was brainstorming store names, her mom suggested "My Best Friend Jenna," figuring she would make lots of new friends along the way. It stuck. So did the shop.
The site is clear that prom came first. Bridal followed later, inspired by the weddings held next door at Madison Downs Venue, and today a second stylist, Lauren, leads that side of the business. There is a mothers' collection too. But the prom floor is where this story started.
There is also Dolly. She is the family's "duck hunting dog," and according to the shop, she decided she would rather spend her days greeting customers at the dress shop than chasing ducks. Clearance gowns hang on what the store calls Dolly's Sale Rack, the first place to look on a tight budget.
Lights, Camera, Fashion
If you grew up around Jackson, you have probably heard of LCF. My Best Friend Jenna presents Lights, Camera, Fashion, which the store calls the Mid-South's largest prom runway fashion show, held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Every model is a high school student from West Tennessee.
It is more than a fashion show. The program runs like this, according to the store's LCF page and a March 2026 WBBJ 7 News profile of Jenna King:
Auditions
Rising high school juniors and seniors from all over West Tennessee try out, and the modeling program starts in September
Runway and fundraising training
A runway instructor on posture and presence, plus a strategy for asking businesses and individuals to donate to St. Jude
Top Runway Model
A $5,000 scholarship, picked by a panel of celebrity judges
Fan favorite
Another $5,000 scholarship, chosen by the amount raised for St. Jude
WBBJ reported that LCF and My Best Friend Jenna have donated over $2 million to St. Jude over the last 15 years. In Jackson, the show doubles as a first look at a new season of prom gowns, worn by West Tennessee students on a real runway, all to benefit St. Jude.
Labels on the racks
The store's designer page names the prom and formal lines it carries. Those with pages on this site are Jovani, Johnathan Kayne, Rachel Allan, Primavera Couture and Dave & Johnny. Between them, those labels cover prom, homecoming and pageant looks, from full-length gowns to short party dresses.
Shoppers come from Jackson's own high schools, including North Side, South Side and Liberty Technology Magnet, and from neighboring counties, with Chester County High School in Henderson and Milan High School in Gibson County among them. For families anywhere in West Tennessee, it is a destination prom shop without a trip to a big city.
Appointments are booked through the store's website, and the booking page notes that you can call if you cannot find a time slot or need a follow-up visit. One policy to know before you buy: the store does not accept returns or exchanges on online or in-store purchases.
Booking a stylist, and a tux, at My Best Friend Jenna
How do I book a prom appointment?
Tap Book Now on the My Best Friend Jenna booking page. If you cannot find a time that works, or you need a follow-up visit, the booking page says to call the shop.
Does My Best Friend Jenna have anything for prom dates?
Yes. The prom page notes that the shop carries tuxedos for your date as well as dresses.