The moment you enter California & Main Dress Shop, you’re greeted with music that pumps you up for an experience you won’t forget.
You are surrounded by colorful dresses with distinct sequins and stones. The beautiful dresses line the walls and 100’s more on racks that cover half of the shop: all different colors, all unique, all potential dresses but one that could be the perfect one for you.
This unique store has been on Main since 1989 and with locals and tourist constantly coming into the store, it’s always busy.
Employees laugh at the fact that sometimes they don’t even have time to eat because of the many customers they have on a daily basis.
The store sells a wide array of dresses from pageant, prom, wedding, quinceañeras, sweet 16, cocktail dresses and “red carpet” gowns. The prices range from $79-$791, and although some of the dresses are very expensive, the staff is “flexible” and will try to help you out. There are special deals. For example for prom when you buy two dresses you get one 50 percent off, refer a friend get 50 percent off.
“The most unique thing that we offer is the personal shopping, you will not get the same experience if you go to another store like Macys,” said Mercedes Gonzales, a seasonal personal shopper at California and Main.
You’re almost guaranteed to find the perfect dress. “We have 8-10 personal shoppers (depending on the season) on hand, to help you through the whole process,” said personal shopper Alberto Merida.
But if the dress you love just doesn’t fit how you want it California and Mainoffers alterations at no cost added.
“The best part about working here is when I do my job, and see that a girl found her perfect dress, the dress she had been looking for,” said Gonzales who also bought her prom dress at California and Main. She understands how important the process is, that’s why Gonzales always wants to give the best service possible to her customers.
The shop keeps track of all the dresses they sell. “We don’t guarantee that no other girl will have the same dress as you but we try, we don’t have control if say, a former customer lets another girl borrow her dress,” said Amir King a designer for California and Main.
King added that, “The future of the store is very bright! We will be remodeling and I am working on new dress designs. The store is going to be completely different!”
Address: 481 East Main Street
Phone number: 805.643.6200
