It’s prom season and every girl is looking for the perfect dress that fits their own personal style while also remaining trendy.

In every boutique and department store, the racks are lined with dresses covered in sequins, tulle, lace and silk.

It looks like there is a dress for everyone, with one major exception.

For the girls who want to maintain their modesty, it’s difficult to find a dress among the revealing cuts and slits that seem to be found on almost every gown.

Opting for modesty in their prom gowns are, from left, Audreyann Boren, Ashlyne Conway, Rebecca Farnsworth and Bailie McCabe.
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In the East Valley, a few stores help those girls find what they need while also staying stylish.

Jerolyn Greenberg, owner of A Closet Full of Dresses in Mesa, said the common stereotype behind what “modest” dresses look like is wrong.

“I think a lot of times people think modest means frumpy,” Greenberg said. However, a lot of the designers and brands that Greenberg sells have modest versions of a lot of their gowns.

“There are reps that know what religious groups need, and they’ve chosen gown styles that they have made modest for that exact reason,” Greenburg said.

This way, girls can get the styles they want while also feeling covered with sleeves and higher necklines.

Greenberg understands that many girls see risqué dresses in the stores and want to fit the trend, she said.

However, many girls want the styles without the revealing features.

“There are still many girls that want to look beautiful and trendy without revealing so much,” Greenberg said.

Jeanay Sirrine, owner of Modest Wedding and Prom in Mesa, said she offers stylish dresses that have modest sleeves and length.

“When a lot of girls come in they say, ‘This is exactly what I’ve been looking for,’” Sirrine said.

Sirrine has also had many moms thank her for making their daughter’s shopping experience much easier for them, she said.

Having raised daughters, Sirrine understood how difficult it was to find dresses for special occasions that were not revealing.

“They can’t see the rest of you if they only see skin,” Sirrine said.

Sirrine said she won’t carry anything that she believes is inappropriate and won’t change the image of her store. “There are some dresses that I honestly find offensive,” she said.

Carol McDowell, a junior at Mountain View High School, was brought up in the LDS church and chooses to dress modestly.

“When I dress modestly, it’s telling people that this is the way I choose to live and I’m just protecting my body,” McDowell said.

When McDowell first started looking for non-revealing dresses, she made the mistake of searching in the mall, she said.

“We went to all of the department stores and I only found one dress that was modest,” she said. “It was a motherof-the-bride dress.”

The dress also came with a price tag of $300, McDowell said.

McDowell was hesitant to shop in stores that specialized in modest gowns because she was afraid they would be filled with “flour sack” dresses. But, she said, Modest Wedding and Prom surprised her.

“This store showed me that there are so many beautiful options,” McDowell said.

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