North Penn’s Winter Ball is quickly approaching! Finding a dress during the chaotic holiday season can be a pain, so I’m here to help you find the best stores in the King of Prussia mall that might fit your taste! Here are some of the stores I visited and what they have to offer. 

The first place I stopped by was Windsor… 

Walking in, a broad selection of colors caught my eye. They had every color of the rainbow and then some. However, the diversity stopped there. Most of the dresses were similar styles and cuts just in different colors, so it could either be a win or lose situation. There were more modest options available which is unusual nowadays, but definitely convenient for a school dance. There were so many different fabrics available, some of them being glitter, sequins, velvet, and some shiny options, and also various lengths and thicknesses. They had every size in stock, which is extremely convenient since there are usually shortages. Most importantly, though, this was the most cost-efficient place I looked. Almost every dress there was under $50, which is significantly better than some of the $300 I also looked at. Overall, Windsor had a good selection in every category, and was the best cost wise. 

Next, I stopped at Formal XO…

This is an exclusively high-end dress store, with options for any occasion available. Now, since this is primarily a prom shop there were not as many winter ball/formal dress options, but what was there definitely fit the occasion. Walking in, the extreme amount of sparkly dresses was almost overwhelming, but they also screamed “winter ball.” There were so many bright colors available, which definitely fit my taste. One problem, though, was the expensive prices on every single dress. Since they were high-end dresses, every one ranged between $200-$300, which is for sure not in everyone’s price range. On the other hand, I was able to speak with the friendly employee, who filled me in on all their prom information, so I will definitely be stopping by to look at their prom dresses once that season comes around.

Then, I tried a place I have never been before, Altar’d State…

Immediately after walking in, an employee informed me on a buy one get one deal that was going on for all dresses, so if you stop in with a friend, it will definitely be price-efficient. This is not primarily a dress store, it has all types of clothing, so winter ball dresses were scarce, however whatever dresses they had were definitely elegant, perfect for the occasion. The color selection was obviously not as diverse as other places, it had more of a darker theme to it, and less sparkly options as well. These dresses had more designs on them such as bows or slits or patterns. This place could be a hit or miss, but if you find something here it’s bound to fit the occasion. 

On my way out, I hit Macy’s to see if there were any hidden gems…

Macy’s is definitely a hit or miss store, with the broadest options of any store I visited. There were different style options for every color of the rainbow, but the most popular colors were red, green, and blue, which fits the season so it makes sense. There were for sure styles more on the modest side, with more coverage and longer dresses. There were so many sparkly options, which in my opinion fits the theme of winter ball perfectly. The negative about Macy’s is that there are limited hidden gems, and you really need to dig to find the perfect dress, but when you do, it’s cost-efficient and perfect for winter ball!

Honorable Mention… We stopped by 2 other stores that had scarce dress options, but are worth mentioning… Forever 21 and H&M…

At H&M, there is not a specific dress section, but rather a bunch of different dresses and different styles spread around the store. There was one rack with a few different dresses on it, but not enough to be considered a “section.” The dresses were surprisingly cheap, all under $20, but still stylish enough to wear to the dance. These dresses are more for a one time use, and probably can’t be resold or worn frequently, but are perfect for moving around at your school dance. It was basically the same story at Forever 21, but here there were more color options, as well as more texture-diverse options such as shiny, matte, and sparkly. The prices were similar as well as the quality and look of the dresses.

What I learned from this long dress shopping experience, is that to find the perfect dress you might have to work a little. There are obviously many places you can visit locally, but what it really comes down to is how the dress is right for you. Here, I just gave you my suggestions with more popular places to buy dresses, but there are still plenty of other stores I didn’t mention, and even some online sites as well!