Homecoming & Semi-Formal Dresses in Scranton, PA

Homecoming is the most last-minute dance of the year. The date creeps up, the group chat settles on a color two weeks out, and suddenly a dress ordered online has to arrive, fit and be hemmed in ten days. That is the situation Elizabeth's Boutique exists to solve. Our homecoming and semi-formal dresses are short, they are on the floor in sizes 000 to 28, and you can try on a dozen of them on a Saturday afternoon and walk out with the one that fits.

We have been doing this on Cedar Avenue since 1994, and we are open year round rather than reopening for the season. If your dance is this month, that matters more than anything else on this page.

This year the color story is genuinely different, and it is worth knowing before you shop:

• Brown is the 2026 color. Deep chocolate through soft mocha, with taupe and warm earthy neutrals alongside. It photographs beautifully against autumn light and almost nobody expected it.
• Metallics are the loud alternative. Gold and silver are the standout choice if brown feels too quiet, and black is still the dress that never looks wrong.
• Corsets and structure. Boned bodices and lace-up backs carried over from prom and they are everywhere in short styles now.
• Two piece sets. A cropped, structured top with a high-waisted flared or fitted skirt. Easier to fit across two different measurements than a one-piece.
• Fit and flare. Tailored through the waist, then flared sharply over the hips. The most forgiving shape on the rack and the one that suits the widest range of bodies.
• Long sleeve minis. Worth a serious look for a Northeastern Pennsylvania October. National trend guides are written for Texas weather; the walk from the car in Scranton is cold by the first week of the month.

Fabrics to ask for: satin, sequins and glittering finishes that catch a gym light, velvet for the colder dances, plus lace, tulle and mesh. Necklines run strapless, plunging, V-neck, off-the-shoulder, sweetheart and high neck. Embroidered florals and polka dots are the detail trends.

Alterations are done here. Nothing is shipped out to a warehouse and back. A dress bought two weeks before the dance can still be hemmed and taken in.

Sizes 000 to 28, in stock. Not a size chart, not a special order. Most styles are on the floor to try on the same day, at both ends of the range.

Free layaway. Secure the dress now and pay it off before the dance, which is the whole reason families end up gambling on a cheap online order.

Free parking in our own lot. The lot is behind the building. No meters, no garage, no circling downtown with a teenager in the car.

Students shop with us from Scranton, West Scranton, Dunmore, Valley View, Abington Heights, Mid Valley, Riverside, Old Forge, Carbondale, Lakeland, Scranton Prep, Holy Cross, Wilkes-Barre Area, Pittston Area and Wyoming Valley West. Homecoming in this area generally lands between late September and mid October, and winter semi-formals run December through February, but check your own school calendar because every district sets its own date.

We're at 724 Cedar Avenue, Scranton, with free private parking behind the building. Open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 to 6, and Saturday 11 to 4. No appointment needed, just walk in during those hours. Call (570) 969-6168 first if you're bringing a group of friends so we can keep enough fitting rooms free.

We're at 724 Cedar Avenue in Scranton, with a free lot behind the building. Students come to us from across Lackawanna and Luzerne County. Dunmore, Clarks Summit, Old Forge, Moosic, Pittston, Kingston and Wilkes-Barre are all a straightforward drive.

Later than you'd think. Our alterations are done in house, so a dress bought two weeks out can usually still be hemmed and taken in. Call (570) 969-6168 first if your dance is inside two weeks, so we can check the alterations schedule before you drive in.

It's the question we get asked most, and it's a fair one. Tell us your school when you come in and we'll tell you honestly what has already gone out to it. Our stock is short runs from Juliet and Poly USA rather than the same national styles every online shop is shipping, which is most of the protection right there.

Yes, 000 through 28, and most styles are on the rack to try on the same day. Petite at the 000 to 2 end is stocked, not special ordered. Trying ten dresses on in an afternoon is the thing no website can offer you.

Nearly. Both are short and dressy, and the same dress usually works for a September homecoming and a January winter formal. Velvet, satin and sleeves read as winter; lighter satin and sparkle read as autumn. We stock both from the same racks, so one visit covers both dances.

Full formal wear. Prom dresses, quinceañera gowns, damas dresses, Sweet 16, bridal, bridesmaids and mother of the bride. All in sizes 000 to 28, all altered in house.