Prom season brings boom to area businesses
Teenage girls with their mothers in tow hustled between the racks of bedazzled, ruched, ruffled, beaded dresses and more lining the walls of Couture House in The Woodlands, a gown and tuxedo rental store. The buzz of activity at Couture House is a symptom of one major event: Senior prom.
“Hi sweetie, are you checking in for an appointment?” the woman working the front desk asked families as they poured into the small store tucked away behind a plastic surgery private practice.
Now that Couture House is in the throes of prom season, it’s critical that appointments are booked online prior to making the trek to Couture House as fitting rooms and dresses are limited. Appointments are in onehour intervals. During that time, girls get a fitting room and can try on as many rental or boutique dresses
for purchase as they can.
“It’s been really busy. … So very busy,” said Beth Everhart, the brand and marketing manager at Couture House. “I know the economy isn’t the greatest, but kids are still going to prom, and we’re giving them an option that’s not available anywhere else, which is renting.”
Girls from around Greater Houston and as far away as Beaumont have driven to the chic boutique for their weekend dress rentals, but much of the store’s clientele comes from The Woodlands, College Park, Oak Ridge and Klein highschools.
“Making them feel like a princess for prom is really rewarding,” Everhart said.
Couture House has thousands of dresses along with accessories to rent. The store has a variety of tuxedo rentals for men as well, although dresses is its bread and butter. The store opened its doors five years ago at its original storefront on The Woodlands Waterway. Since then, it has changed locations twice as demand for dress rentals for prom, pageants, galas and other special events has grown. Shopping season
Prom shopping is nearing its peak in The Woodlands area as the senior dance approaches. And Couture House isn’t the only small business serving prom needs in The Woodlands.
Love Couture Formal and Fashion Boutique is a gown retailer owned by a mom and daughter duo, and prom is a big sales season for them. The store doesn’t rent gowns or sell tuxedos.
The shop is just next door to Deretchin Elementary off FM 2978 in the far end of The Woodlands, and it offers a selection of 172 dresses plus mail-order gowns from the store’s designer catalogue.
Although the selection is smaller at Love Couture, co-owner Rush el le Rounds prides herself on the extreme care she gives to each client. Each dress on her rack is the only one of its kind in her store. Rounds goes to great lengths when ordering her dresses to ensure every girl who comes in gets a unique dress.
“No two girls can come to our store, wear the same dress and go to the same prom. We try to maintain that,” Rounds said.
Even with roughly 200 dresses in stock, the styles, colors and cuts to sift through can be dizzying. Rounds helps each of her customers find the perfect dress for them. She carries sizes from double-zero to 22 plus.
“Don’t settle for anything. Absolutely love that dress,” Rounds stresses. Nonprofit help
Not every girl can rent or buy a gown for prom. In an effort to give every girl the chance to dress their best and go to prom, nonprofit organizations in the area have stepped in to help through dress, cosmetics and accessories drives.
The Montgomery County Association of Business Women dress drive called A Dress for Barbara and The Giving Gown Foundation in Spring are two nonprofit groups that connect girls with free dresses for their formal events.
The Woodlands High School scheduled its prom for May 14. The Woodlands College Park High School scheduled its prom for May 20, and Oak Ridge High School has its scheduled for May 21. All three proms will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center.
“It is a nice night to see kids dressed up out of their normal school gear, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Greg Colschen, principal at The Woodlands High School. “We have great kids. They for the most part are very mature and make good decisions, and seeing them have fun one last time before they graduate (is my favorite part).”
To participate in prom, seniors must pay their senior dues, which covers one prom ticket, senior picnic, a class T-shirt and other expenses, according to the schools’ sites.
The cost of senior dues varies for each campus, but they range from $100to $125 for students in south Montgomery County high schools.
Aticket for a non-senior student is $65. Tickets can only be purchased when they go on sale at each school. Textbook, uniform, transcript and library fines and fees must be paid, items and books returned, and attendance make-up hours completed before a student can be issued a prom ticket.