On Saturday, February 28th, 2026, my wife and daughter visited Carley's Formals in hopes to find a…read moreprom dress (we have purchased from here in the past). They were met with very young employees who they described as "very nice". The employee asked my daughter to sign a card consisting of her name, email, and phone number, but never explained as to why she needed to sign the card. During the "fitting" my wife said there was an older short blond female who they later found out was the owner of the establishment named "Denise". Denise was described as being very rude during their visit. At one point a dress was handed to my daughter with the lace corset straps untied by the employee. My daughter tried on the dress (with the help of a friend), but after getting the dress on realized it had a zipper in the back that had not been unzipped. They attempted to unzip the dress to remove it, but the dress would not unzip. They requested the employee help them, however the employee was also not able to unzip the dress. The employee then asked if she could remove the dress without unzipping it? My daughter explained that she was able to put it on without unzipping it, so she could take it off in the same manner. Denise then confronts my (juvenile daughter and her friend) in a very rude manner accusing them of damaging the dress. Then begins to yell inside of the store at my wife. Denise tells my wife that they have a policy that only the person trying on the dress and employee's are allowed in the fitting rooms, that my daughter & her friend damaged the dress and my wife was responsible for the damage. My wife attempts to explain that the zipper was non-functional when it was handed to my daughter and asked if was their policy to not have anyone else in the back, why was it allowed? Denise continued to yell in the store at my wife and her employee's and stated "And that's why we have the policy, because of people like that". During this interaction the entire store stopped shopping and watched Denise belittle my wife in front of her family and other customers. Denise was very rude, unprofessional, and will never have to worry about anyone in my family ever buying a dress from her again. If you're looking for beautiful dresses and great customer service, please go to Bella Esposa at the Carolina Outlet Center in Smithfield! PS for Carley's Formals: Please don't give your standard "copy and paste" response as you normally do, if you want an honest review you got one!

The moment we walked in (WE WERE THE ONLY CUSTOMERS THERE ) we were asked what the occasion was? We…read moresaid for our daughter's senior prom. We were immediately asked by the owner -short blonde hair- do you have an appt? She went to explaining that they could go ahead and see us bc they had availability but if they didn't we would not be able to see the dresses. Considering this was our first stop and first prom we were not aware of needing an appt to prom dress shop. Very awkward feeling. No video, no cameras, no FaceTime allowed! I do have to say the ONLY person that made us feel welcome there is the lady assisting us with the dresses (I don't remember her name but she had curly brown hair) Unfortunately we didn't find anything in the end but honestly the way the vibe / atmosphere in there I don't think I'd give a penny! Before leaving I asked to use the restroom... it seemed to be a BIG issue and I almost said don't worry about it but the two girls decided finally who was going to show me where the restroom was. After being the only customers in there for about an hour I don't understand the big deal of having an appt if you want your business to succeed... making your customers happy should be #1. Don't turn them away if it's "too booked!" People like us drove an hour to your business to feel awkward the entire time! This is a place where you should make your customers feel happy, excited, and beautiful... not feel awkward! 1st tip I would give is making the customer feel special the moment they walked into your facility! If you're looking for a beautiful dress try BELLA ESPOSA in Smithfield. They are helpful, NICE, laid back, and the prices are affordable! The girl that helped us deserves a 5 star however the others would get a zero star if able.

I had A-1 service at VIP Formal Wear today . It was a great experience shopping there . I had " Old…read moreFashion" service from Brian the manager . He measured my neck and arm length with precise. We tried a few shirts and found the perfect fit. He even hung in and placed it in a plastic cover bag along with the tie. He was very professional and he knew his business. I will return soon for tuxedo purchase. Thumbs up!

Good choices for rental or purchase, convenient location, excellent service. If you need formal…read moreware, this is the place.

Just Horrible Horrible Horrible! God forbid your item does'nt fit and you want a refund, as I…read morefound out via order # 2079. Not only do they not provide a refund (as confirmed 2x with Elizabeth in customer service (not) , over the past 3 weeks) , you also have to pay for return shipping. And you will get a nasty attitude as well from Elizabeth. If you are insistent on doing business with Formalwear Outlet , note their sister store has listings on Ebay for nearly 50% less, and with free returns, and no attitudes. Stay away from this place at all costs, unless you are prepared to be screwed. Scott Silver

We usually rent from MW but last year it cost us around $300 to RENT. Someone in my son's prom…read moreparty said they were going here for a good deal on suits for the guys so we decided to just check it out. We drove over an hour. The parking lot and overflow were full and when we walked in it was very overwhelming with us being used to being helped right away and having an assigned person to help. Laci (I believe ) helped us at the beginning as we looked lost and overwhelmed then Ally took over and we had her full and undivided attention. Thankfully. She was very knowledgeable in fitting my son with his correct size, gave her opinion on best color to match his dates dress etc she answered all the questions we had and we felt at ease being there and having her help us. The suit side was tame compared to the dress side. We ended up buying a whole suit, vest, white shirt, 2 ties (we couldn't decide on the color) and 2 pocket chiefs. All for $275 which is less than what we paid to rent at MW. And my son will have this suit until he outgrows it. Perfect for upcoming clubs and interviews his senior year next year. I highly recommend this place for suits and dresses. I'll update my review with a picture of my son on his prom night next month! Thanks ALLY!!!

My daughter and I went with no appointment, so we weren't sure if she'd be able to try on dresses…read moreor just browse. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted and given an information paper explaining their store and procedures. We were assigned a dressing room and sales associate to help her pick out and try on dresses. Reagan was awesome! She took time to find out what my daughter was looking for and what she looked good in. We even ended up choosing a dress that she picked out for my daughter. We had a great experience, and they have a great selection of dresses! Prices are comparable to other formal dress shops. Definitely recommend shopping here!

This was the 9th shop that my daughter and I went to in search of a dress for her senior prom and…read moreit was the FIRST time that anyone offered any assistance with the dresses. Caroline was absolutely amazing! She was so helpful and jumped right in, helping my daughter try on dresses, helping to hold it in the right places to see the proper fit (alterations will be needed to bring it in a little). She even found matching earrings and gave advice on what other jewelry she thought would look best. She was not pushy at all. She was so very patient as my daughter tried on about 8 different dresses. My daughter felt like a princess standing up on the pedestal surrounded by lights and mirrors. We ended up purchasing the most beautiful ball gown! We had not picked it up for her to try on, but Caroline selected it and offered it as an option and it turned out to be the absolute perfect dress! We both fell in love as soon as she put it on. I highly recommend Jewel's Formals to anyone in search of a formal gown.

I walked in knowing what I was going to ask for but by the time I got to an associate I had a few…read moreitems in my hand. He asked if he could help and I said yes I'm looking for a plaid tweed suit and showed him a picture for reference. He looked at me and said, probably at a costume store. And I have to admit, now it's a little funny someone could be so bold, but at the time, I was so taken back, I just layed my items on the counter and walked over to your competition. And I tried to give ZERO stars but it will not allow

Do not come here for your formal wear needs. The staff, except for Sterling, was rude. I'm not sure…read moreif they are trained to try to not get business? All three of the men who got tuxes for my wedding had one of the items that simply could not be worn due to inappropriate sizing. The groom's pants had a hole in them. There were issues with making a "group" for our order. Such as, not being offered to make a group at the first visit, and then all subsequent visits being talked down to because we didn't make a group. Which we would have loved to do, had we known. I reccomend if a problem like that arises in the future, don't make your customer, who had no idea that a "group" needed to be made, feel bad or let them in on how much of a hassle it is that you have to do a few extra clicks on the computer. When you run into an issue, and all the customer wants to do is make a purchase in your place of business, move along and stop being so whiny. The bad service would have been tolerable, if the orders had been appropriately fitted and not come in later than we were told. When the orders came in late, it made it difficult to try to reorder the pieces that were wrong. Which by the way, staff was also rude to us about. I've heard good things about other formal wear places. The father of the bride had a great experience at a local formal wear shop, he said "the man that helped me was so nice". When your nice, people will love to spend money at your business. The bride and groom however, feel robbed after the experience here.

Men's Fashion at its best. Ticknors is one of my husband's…read morefavorite places to shop in the state. They have a great selection of men's clothing, all price points. Definitely on the higher end. But the quality and brands are worth it. They are always super helpful and make it easy to spend hours there. Customer fitting if needed.

Love this store! My son had bought a beautiful jacket a couple of years ago there. My husband told…read moreme he would like one like it. I never thought I'd find it, but Blake helped me out and checked all the stores and they had one left in his size! High quality and the people working there are the best! Thank you Blake!

The best! Do not hesitate to visit Al and Kay. You can walk into Alexander Eaton without any idea…read morewhat you want. They will look at you and start showing you exactly what will make you look your best. Vegas? No problem! C-level meeting? Easy! The clothing is of high quality so come with some $$$$ because you will spend it here

Easily the best men's shop I've been to in the Triangle. Al and Kay are a joy. They know their…read morestuff. They find clothes that fit me and look good!! They listen to what I want and (somehow) walk out from the back with several choices reflecting exactly what I wanted to see. The quality of the merchandise is terrific and they are true professionals in every sense. Love this place.