Lex's of Carytown: Richmond prom gowns with a registry

For more than twenty years, Lex's of Carytown was a women's boutique selling unique casual clothing and jewelry. In the summer of 2019 the owners changed course and re-branded the store as an all-formal dress shop. The address stayed put in Carytown, the walkable run of West Cary Street that families across central Virginia already knew for dinner and a movie at the Byrd Theatre, and the inventory turned toward prom.

The store has been in business since 1996. The shop says it has been nominated "over and over again" as the number one place in Richmond to buy a unique and one-of-a-kind gown, and that new shipments arrive from designers every day. Its pitch is aimed squarely at the shopper who wants to stand apart from the rest of the dance floor: it invites shoppers who are "ready to step away from the everyday looks" to come see something different.

That point of view shows in how the store sells. The store puts prom dresses first, then evening dresses, bridesmaid dresses and non-traditional bridal, with formals for every other occasion after that. Homecoming has its own selection, with short styles from Sherri Hill and Amelia Couture, so the fall dance gets the same attention as the spring one, and a student can shop both seasons with the same stylists.

Prom labels on the floor

The shop's designer lineup is heavy on prom, with most labels carried for prom rather than bridal. Grouped the way a shopper would use them:

Big-name prom

Fashion-forward and couture

Value and range

For pageant and stage, Ashley Lauren covers both prom and pageant, and the shop adds that it stocks pageant gowns in all major brand names. The shop also sells formal shoes in every heel height, jewelry and other accessories, so a dress can leave the store with everything that goes with it.

Sizes in stock

00 to 24

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Sizes in stock run from 00 to 24.

The one-dress-per-school promise

A city the size of Richmond has a lot of proms on the same few spring weekends, and the fear of a twin in the photo booth is real. Lex's answers it with a dress registry, and it explains the idea in its own words.

We try and prevent selling the same dress to the same school for prom and pageants to help keep you from looking like anyone else! Why blend in when you can stand out?

The shop narrows it further: the goal is not to sell the same dress in the same color to the same high school. The promise means something to students from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond Public Schools, and just as much to those driving in from Douglas Freeman or Mills Godwin in western Henrico, or from James River and Cosby in Chesterfield. A registry only works if the store keeps track of every school, and that running record is the heart of the service.

Timing a visit in prom season

The shop sets the rules. Appointments take priority for the fitting room and stylists, and walk-ins are always welcome. For a more personalized session, the shop encourages coming Monday through Friday.

The shop asks shoppers hunting for a specific dress to contact it first to check availability. The shop's testimonials come mostly from prom shoppers and parents, and they keep circling the same point, that the stylists listen to what you like and pull dresses you would love.

The shop also supports UNOS, the Richmond-based nonprofit that runs the national organ transplant system.

Carytown shoppers ask Lex's

How does the Lex's dress registry work for prom?

When you buy, the shop notes your school. It then tries not to sell the same dress in the same color to anyone else from that high school, and it applies the same idea to pageants.

Which day is best for a prom visit to Lex's?

The shop recommends Monday through Friday for a more personalized session. Saturdays from February through April are set aside for prom, with no bridal or bridesmaid bookings, so a weekend visit in season is all prom.

Lex’s of Carytown