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Worthy Convos: Finding Your Gown and Your Confidence at Crown & Gown
We started Worthy Convos to highlight people and organizations doing good and interesting things in our community. Crown & Gown is a boutique that understands that gowns, be they bridal, prom, quinceañera, mothers, or bridal parties, should be stylish and empowering without being eye-wateringly expensive. Bonnie Mays, marketing director for Crown & Gown, kindly took the time to participate in this Worthy Convo.
Tanglewood Moms: Could you tell us a little bit about the history of Crown & Gown?
Bonnie Mays: Crown & Gown was built around the belief that luxury should feel exciting, empowering, and beautifully within reach. That’s why our team hand-selects fashion-forward designer gowns and prices them up to 70% off retail prices!
We opened the first portion of our 15,000-square-foot store on Hulen Street in March, making our debut with Prom. From there, we introduced Mothers & Special Occasion, followed by our Bridal collection in June. Later this year, we plan to open our newly renovated adjoining space, which will complete the Crown & Gown experience. Once fully open, we’ll have around 2,000 gowns in stock for Bridal, Prom, Quinceañera, and Mothers & Special Occasion, with Tuxedo rentals coming soon. And one of the things that makes us different is that so much of our collection is available for off-the-rack shopping – you can fall in love with a gown and actually take it home.
TWM: Your motto is “For Every Crown Moment.” What is a “Crown Moment”?
BM: We all have special moments in our lives that deserve to be celebrated. It might be your wedding day, your high school prom, being named to Homecoming Court, your quinceañera, or watching your son or daughter get married. To us, each of those is a Crown Moment. It’s really less about the dress itself and more about what the dress represents. These are the photos you keep, the stories you tell, and the days you remember years later. We just get the privilege of helping you feel incredible while they’re happening.
TWM: Why is Crown & Gown “More than a Boutique”?
BM: Because we’re creating something much bigger than a traditional dress shop. Crown & Gown is designed to be a destination for multiple chapters of your life. You might come to us for your prom dress, return years later for your wedding gown, bring your mom in to find her dress, and eventually bring the next generation through our doors. We also wanted the selection and experience of a large formalwear destination without losing the personal service you expect from a boutique. That combination is really what “More than a Boutique” means to us.
TWM: What can someone expect when they make an appointment?
BM: First and foremost, they can expect to have fun! Dress shopping is supposed to be exciting, and we never want someone to feel intimidated walking through our doors.
Our stylists take the time to learn about you, your event, your style, your budget, and what you’re looking for – but we’ll probably encourage you to try something unexpected, too. Sometimes the gown someone would never have picked off the rack ends up being the one. Our goal is to guide you without taking over the experience. At the end of the day, we want you to feel like yourself, just on a really, really good day.
TWM: How do you choose which designers to feature?
BM: We look for designers who give us that combination of fashion, fit, quality, and value. One of the biggest differences with a true designer gown is something you really have to see and feel in person – the structure, construction, fabrics, boning, lining, and attention to detail are just on another level.
We know online shopping has made it easy to order five or six inexpensive gowns and hope one works, but once you put on a beautifully constructed designer gown, you can feel the difference immediately. The way it supports you, fits your body, moves, and photographs is hard to compare.
TWM: What makes shopping for a quince dress different than shopping for a wedding dress or a prom dress?
BM: A quinceañera gown is such a unique shopping experience because there’s so much tradition, personality, and family wrapped into that one dress. It’s not simply about finding something beautiful; it’s about finding a gown that makes her feel like the celebration truly belongs to her. Quince gowns also give us permission to really have fun with fashion. There can be incredible volume, color, sparkle, intricate details, and accessories. Bridal, prom, and quince shopping are all emotional in their own ways, but there’s something especially fun about watching a young woman see her entire quince look begin to come together.
TWM: What are the biggest trends you’re seeing right now?
BM: Across every department, we’re seeing customers become much more confident about choosing something that feels personal rather than following one specific “rule.” In bridal, we’re seeing beautiful texture, basque waists, corset-inspired bodices, dimensional details, as well as ball gowns. Prom is embracing color, sparkle, fun silhouettes, and statement details. For mothers, we’re seeing women move away from the idea that they have to wear something overly traditional. They want flattering, modern gowns that make them feel beautiful too – and we LOVE that.
TWM: How does Crown & Gown balance fashion trends with timeless style?
BM: We love a trend, but we don’t think anyone should choose a gown simply because it’s trending. The best dress is still the one that makes you feel amazing when you put it on.
When we’re buying, we absolutely look at what’s happening in fashion, but we balance those statement pieces with silhouettes and details that have staying power. We want someone to look back at their photos ten or twenty years from now and remember how incredible they felt, not wonder why someone talked them into wearing something that never really felt like them.
TWM: Do you have a favorite story from Crown & Gown?
BM: Honestly, some of our favorite stories aren’t necessarily the big, dramatic “yes” moments. They’re the customers who walk in convinced that nothing is going to look good on them, or who have already had a disappointing shopping experience somewhere else. Watching that person come out of the fitting room standing a little taller, then seeing their face change when they look in the mirror never gets old. Sometimes you can see the confidence come back before they’ve even said a word. Those are the moments that remind us why we do this.
TWM: And finally, in our increasingly casual world, why is formalwear still relevant?
BM: Maybe because the world has become so casual! There aren’t that many opportunities anymore when we get to really dress up, gather the people we love, take a million pictures, and celebrate something important. Weddings, proms, quinceañeras, galas, and milestone events give us permission to make a moment feel different from an ordinary day.
And your outfit has this incredible ability to mark those moments. Years later, you may not remember what you wore on a random Tuesday, but you remember your wedding dress. You remember your prom dress. You remember what your mom wore to your wedding. That’s why we don’t think formalwear is going anywhere. People will always find reasons to celebrate! And those are our Crown Moments!!
