Sevier County's Parkway gets the tourist traffic. Fewer people know that a family formalwear shop has been working in historic downtown Sevierville since 1976, a few miles and a whole mood away from the traffic headed to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Thomas Fashions is family owned and operated, and it handles the whole prom picture: the dress, the jewelry, the tiara if you want one, and the tux for your date.
Inventory is where a downtown shop has to prove itself, and the prom page on the shop's site answers with a number.
We have over 300 prom and formal dresses in stock, as well as can order from many more.
Three hundred dresses is a solid floor for a downtown shop, and the second half of that sentence is the useful part. If you find a style you love in the wrong color or size, ask about ordering it. Plus-size shoppers are part of the plan from the start.
Prom and formal sizes
030
The shop says its sizes run from 0 to 30.
The labels on the racks
Thomas Fashions names a working list of prom and formal designers on its site, with the note that these are just a few:
- Clarisse
- Ellie Wilde
- Colette
- Alyce
- Rachel Allan
- Stella, LaDivine, GLS and Alana Rose
Several of those names, Clarisse, Ellie Wilde, Colette and Rachel Allan among them, are labels best known for prom and evening wear. Students from Sevier County High School, Seymour High School, Pigeon Forge High School and Gatlinburg-Pittman High School can shop close to home, and the shop's prom page pitches the same racks for "whatever your formal event" might be.
Tuxedos, layaway and final-sale rules
The tux side is the store's quiet strength. Thomas Fashions offers a complete line of tuxedo and suit rentals in current colors, and if your date would rather own a tux, the shop can help with that too.
Tuxedo and suit rentals
The traditional black tuxedo, kept in house
Included
Shoes come with the black tux rental
Vest and tie
A wide choice of colors
Same day
Possible in black, as long as stock allows
Peak season
Two weeks' notice highly recommended
With notice
Navy, tan, grey and several fashion colors
For families spreading out the cost of prom, the store's site lists Lay-a-way available among its basics. It also states outright that there are no refunds and all sales are final, so try everything on, sit down in it, and bring your shoes if you have them.
Beyond prom, the shop covers wedding gowns, bridesmaids, flower girl dresses, veils, tiaras and jewelry, which is part of why it has lasted as a full formal counter for so long in this corner of East Tennessee. Sevierville juniors and seniors care about something simpler. You can find the dress, pick out the jewelry and book your date's tux in the same downtown storefront, without fighting tourist traffic or driving to Knoxville.
Sizing up a dress and booking a tux in downtown Sevierville
Does Thomas Fashions carry plus-size prom dresses?
Yes. The store says its prom and formal sizes range from 0 to 30, with more styles available to order.
How far ahead should we book a prom tux?
The shop can sometimes do a traditional black tux the same day if it is in stock, but it highly recommends two weeks' notice during peak season. Colors other than black need notice.