The prom racks at Edith's
More than 300 prom dresses, all off the rack, in junior sizes up to 20. That is the count Edith's Formal Wear gives on its prom and homecoming page, and it is why a downtown Fond du Lac storefront still draws prom shoppers from around Lake Winnebago. Long listed here as Edith's of Fond du Lac, the shop now trades under the Edith's Formal Wear name, and in spring 2026 it moved one block north on Main Street into the former Wood's Floral building.
The racks are built for trying on and buying the same day. Walk-ins are welcome for prom and homecoming, so there is no booking step for a dress search. Sleek or ballgown, sparkle or satin, the page promises every color and the season's trending styles. Special orders on prom dresses are taken only before peak prom season, so a shopper who comes in during February or March is choosing from what is in the building. If a particular style matters to you, start early.
Homecoming follows the same model in the fall, with short and long dresses in the same junior size run. The special occasion department adds evening gowns, cocktail dresses and pageant gowns sold off the rack, also in juniors up to 20, for anyone dressing for a pageant stage rather than a dance floor.
Tuxedos, and the paperwork behind them
The tuxedo counter is a real department here, not an afterthought. Tom Deitte, the founder's great-nephew, bought the tux business in 1989 and later ran the whole store, and suits and tuxes still carry a lot of weight in how Edith's serves a prom couple. The shop rents and sells in sizes from boys' 4 to men's 68, and it stocks more than 250 vest and tie combinations, which makes matching a date's dress color a lot easier. A rental is the full package of jacket, pants, shirt, vest, tie and shoes, with a $50 deposit.
The store lays out the rental process in five steps, and timing is the part prom couples tend to miss.
Step one
Book an appointment
Step two
Choose a tuxedo or suit style
Six to eight weeks before the event
Get measured by the staff
Step four
Pick up the tux or suit
After the event
Return everything
Anyone who comes in for sizing less than a week out pays a rush fee. In-stock suits can go home the same day, with a rush fee possible. Tux and suit fittings need an appointment, even though dress shopping does not.
A downtown fixture since 1937
Edith's began as a ladies' clothing store downtown and shifted toward white bridal gowns after World War II. The timeline on the site is credited to the Fond du Lac County Historical Society.
1937
Edith Deitte Murphy opens the business
1971
After her death, her nephew Rolland Deitte keeps it going
1989
Mike and Mary Wendt buy the business
2000
Tom and Cathy Deitte become full owners
2007
The pneumatic tube system for sending receipts is featured on the History Channel's Modern Marvels
2025
Tom and Cathy retire at year's end, and Dave and Vicki Schmidt buy the business that December
Fond du Lac High School is the big public school in town, and St. Mary's Springs Academy and Winnebago Lutheran Academy add private-school dances to the calendar. North Fond du Lac, Oakfield, Campbellsport, Lomira and Waupun high schools fill in the surrounding area. The owners count shoppers from Oshkosh, Appleton and Sheboygan among their customers too, and the evening hours on two weeknights make a school-night visit easy to fit in.
A few practical notes from the store's FAQ: special orders take 50 percent down with a signed contract, all sales are final, and Edith's does not do alterations in-house but hands out a list of trusted local seamstresses. Parking is on Main Street out front or in the lot behind the building, and the front entrance is at street level with every public area, restroom included, on the main floor. Bridal and mothers' dresses fill out the store, but for east-central Wisconsin prom shoppers the headline is the size of the floor. The prom page puts the shop's place in town this way.
Since 1937, Edith's has been a family-owned business dedicated to providing exceptional prom and homecoming dresses.
Prom at Edith's in Fond du Lac
Can I order a prom dress in another size or color?
Only before peak prom season. Once the spring rush starts, prom sales come from the dresses already in the store.
How early should a prom date be measured for a tux?
Six to eight weeks before the dance. Inside a week, the store charges a rush fee.