The store is known for its life-sized Barbie doll box, but the name on the sign belongs to a real person. Barbie's Formals opened in Milton in 1986, named for its founder, and her story starts with prom. The idea came to her when she went with her sister and saw the place where prom was being held, all decorated, and realized how much joy she could bring by dressing young women for nights like that. She paired her father's business know-how with her own love of fashion and opened a shop.
The store was only open three days a week for a few hours each day, but her love for her clients made it grow.
That line from the shop's About page sums up the growth story. Today Barbie's Formals is a full-time gown specialist at Perry Morris Square in Milton, in southwestern West Virginia, with prom at the center of everything on the floor.
Over twenty brands, prom first
Barbie's promises the largest selection of unique prom dresses to fit every girl's personal style, spread across more than 20 brands, and it frames the goal in fairy-tale terms: a Cinderella moment for every shopper who comes through the door. The prom labels named on its designers page include:
Homecoming, winter formal, pageant and gala gowns fill out the racks, and the store presents itself as able to find the right gown for every client at any budget. Pageant girls get their own section of crown-worthy dresses picked to stand out in front of judges.
Shoes get real attention here. Barbie's stocks special-occasion and evening footwear from designer brands in regular and extended sizes, and the jewelry case is pitched as elegant and affordable sparkle for the night of the event. You can leave with the gown, the heels and the earrings settled in a single afternoon.
Teen Board and layaway
Barbie's Formals runs a Teen Board made up of area high school girls who model for the store and represent it. Members are chosen through a competition, which gives the board a bit of pageant flavor.
Layaway is available during every gown season, and it suits prom shoppers who find the dress in January but want to spread out the cost.
Deposit
50 percent down at purchase, for layaways and special orders alike.
Layaway length
Up to six months, with no extra charge.
Payment
Credit cards, checks and cash.
The shop lists its customer base by town: Culloden, Yates Crossing, Barboursville, Melissa, Huntington and Charleston. That reach runs along I-64 in both directions from Milton. Cabell Midland High School in Ona is the big school next door, and Huntington High and Spring Valley sit to the west, while Hurricane and Winfield high schools in Putnam County lie east along the interstate.
Planning a prom trip to Milton
The website does not post a fixed schedule; it simply says to call for hours, and that is the first step before driving in from Huntington or Charleston. Prom season shifts the calendar at most gown shops, and a phone call also gives you a chance to ask what has arrived in your size.
Timing the purchase is where the layaway policy earns its keep. The layaway window means a gown chosen in the fall, around homecoming, can be paid off well before the spring dances, and one picked in January still has room to spare. Special orders carry the same deposit, so a shopper set on a particular Jovani or Sherri Hill style that is not on the rack should order early enough for it to arrive with time left over for any fitting she plans to arrange.
Bring the whole outfit question with you. Since Barbie's stocks heels in extended sizes, a shopper who has struggled to find formal shoes can try them with the gown on, under the same lights, rather than guessing from a box. The jewelry case is in the same store, so earrings and a bracelet can be matched to the neckline before you leave.
Milton sits on the Mud River along I-64, roughly between Huntington and Charleston, which is why the store's list of towns looks like a map of the interstate. Lincoln County High School in Hamlin is within range to the south as well.
Barbie's Formals prom FAQ
How long can a prom dress stay on layaway?
Up to six months with no extra charge, with 50 percent down when you place it.
What is the Teen Board?
A group of area high school girls, picked through a competition, who model for Barbie's Formals and represent the store.