Do I need an appointment to try on dresses?

Yes. Appointments are required so that a stylist and one of our 50 private dressing rooms are reserved for you. Call or text 856-428-8181 or book online.

Cocktail Dresses & Evening Gowns 2027 | Best Sellers in Cherry Hill, NJ

Q: What is the difference between a cocktail dress and an evening gown?

A cocktail dress is short, knee-length or midi and answers cocktail attire and semi-formal dress codes. An evening gown is floor-length, usually more embellished, and is what black tie, black tie optional and gala invitations call for.

Q: What qualifies as cocktail attire for a woman?

A knee-length, midi or short dress in a dressy fabric such as crepe, satin, lace, beading or sequins, worn with heels and evening jewelry. A dressy jumpsuit or a sleek floor-length column dress also reads as cocktail attire. Denim, casual cottons, sundresses and office wear do not.

Q: What should you not wear for cocktail attire?

Skip white, ivory and champagne at a wedding, avoid hems shorter than mid-thigh, and leave denim, casual knits and beachwear at home. When in doubt, dress one notch up rather than one notch down.

Q: How much do cocktail dresses and evening gowns cost at Jan's Boutique?

Styles in this collection run from about 460 dollars to about 5,500 dollars. Most best sellers fall between 850 and 1,650 dollars, with couture houses such as Kelly Chase, Tina di Martina and Tom and Linda Platt at the top of the range. Jan's Boutique charges no sales tax on clothing.

Q: What sizes do you carry?

Jan's Boutique stocks sizes 000 to 26, and select collections in this edit are available to size 32. Some designers add a manufacturer upcharge above size 16 or 18, and your stylist will tell you before you order.

Q: Do you do alterations?

Yes. Alterations are done on site by our own fitters and include hems, taking in or letting out, adding sleeves or straps and bustles. Alterations are quoted at your fitting and are not taxed at Jan's Boutique.

Q: Where is Jan's Boutique, and how far is it from Philadelphia?

Jan's Boutique is at 406 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, about 8 miles and 20 minutes from Center City Philadelphia over the Ben Franklin Bridge, and an easy drive from Moorestown, Marlton, Voorhees, Haddonfield, Mount Laurel, Washington Township and Wilmington.

Q: How far ahead should I shop for a black-tie event?

Allow eight to twelve weeks. In-stock styles can go home the same day, special orders typically take 8 to 16 weeks depending on the designer, and alterations need two to three weeks on top of that.

Cocktail Dresses and Evening Gowns 2027 at Jan's Boutique - Cherry Hill, NJ

This is the collection our customers actually buy. We pulled the best selling cocktail dresses and evening gowns from more than 30 designer collections into one place: over 500 short, midi and floor-length styles in stock right now, priced from about $460 to $5,500, with most landing between $850 and $1,650. Whether you are dressing for a black-tie wedding, a charity gala, a bat mitzvah, a holiday party, a cruise or your own child's wedding, every style on this page can be tried on in our 13,000 square foot Cherry Hill showroom - about 8 miles and 20 minutes from Center City Philadelphia, with no sales tax on clothing at Jan's Boutique.

Cocktail dress or evening gown? How to choose

A cocktail dress is short, knee-length or midi. It is what "cocktail attire" and "semi-formal" dress codes ask for: rehearsal dinners, evening receptions, holiday parties, corporate events and daytime weddings. An evening gown is floor-length and usually more embellished - the right answer for black tie, black tie optional, galas, military balls and formal winter weddings. If the invitation says black tie, go long. If it says cocktail or semi-formal, a short or midi dress reads correctly, and a sleek floor-length column also works if you keep the fabric simple.

Not sure which way to go? Our stylists do this every day. Bring the invitation, the venue and the time of day, and we will pull both lengths so you can see them side by side in the mirror.

Shop by occasion

Black tie and gala: beaded and sequin floor-length gowns, column silhouettes, capes and overskirts
Cocktail and semi-formal: short, knee-length and midi dresses, jumpsuits and dressy separates
Mother of the bride and mother of the groom: see our full Mother of the Bride and Groom collection
Wedding guest: see Wedding Guest Dresses and Outfits
Plus size: see Plus Size Evening Gowns, sizes 16 to 32
On sale: see Evening Gowns and Cocktail Dresses On Sale
Daytime and less formal: see Day and Evening Dresses

The designer collections behind this page

Every style here earned its place by selling. These are the houses they come from:

Jovani Evening, Jovani Cocktail and Jovani Maslavi
Alexander by Daymor and Audrey + Brooks
Terani Couture Evening, Terani Cocktail and Terani Mothers
Montage by Mon Cheri, Montage Short, Ivonne D by Mon Cheri and Cameron Blake
Gia Franco and Feriani Couture
Janique, Frascara and MLNY by Morilee
Rina di Montella, Soulmates and Ideas by Barbara
John Paul Ataker, Tarik Ediz and Nicole Bakti
Kelly Chase Couture, Tina di Martina, Tom and Linda Platt and Fouy Chov Couture
Hynes Park, Park 108, Portia and Scarlett, Primavera Evenings, Journey, Marsoni by Colors, Jessica Angel and YSA Makino

Sizes, fit and alterations

Jan's stocks sizes 000 to 26 across the showroom, and select collections on this page run to size 32. Because every designer drafts differently, a size 12 in one house is not a size 12 in another - which is exactly why trying on beats guessing. Our fitters measure you, order the size the designer's own chart calls for, and finish the dress in our on-site alterations department. Many collections also add sleeves, raise a neckline, or supply a matching shawl or jacket if you want more coverage.

Popular details in this edit: gowns with sleeves, beaded and sequin bodices, A-line and mermaid silhouettes, jumpsuits and two-piece sets, detachable overskirts, hidden pockets, and modest options with three-quarter or long sleeves.

What you will pay

Styles on this page start around $460 and reach about $5,500 for couture pieces. The middle of the collection sits between $850 and $1,650, and the typical best seller is right around $1,000. Jan's Boutique does not tax clothing, so the price you see is the price you pay - which for a $1,500 gown saves a Pennsylvania shopper roughly $90 versus buying at home. Alterations are quoted separately and are also tax-free.

Plan your visit

Jan's Boutique has been dressing the Delaware Valley since 1974 from 406 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 - just off Route 70, minutes from Route 38, I-295 and the Ben Franklin Bridge, with more than 2,000 five-star Google reviews and 50 private dressing rooms. Appointments are required so a stylist is reserved for you. Call or text 856-428-8181 or book an appointment online. Most styles here can also be ordered online; a handful of designer pieces are showroom purchase only.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a cocktail dress and an evening gown?
A cocktail dress is short, knee-length or midi and answers "cocktail attire" and semi-formal dress codes. An evening gown is floor-length, usually more embellished, and is what black tie, black tie optional and gala invitations call for.

What qualifies as cocktail attire for a woman?
A knee-length, midi or short dress in a dressy fabric - crepe, satin, lace, beading or sequins - with heels and evening jewelry. A dressy jumpsuit or a sleek floor-length column dress also reads as cocktail attire. Denim, casual cottons, sundresses and anything you would wear to the office are not cocktail attire.

Can you wear a cocktail dress to an evening wedding?
Yes, unless the invitation says black tie. For an evening reception choose a richer fabric and a darker or jewel tone, and keep the hem at or below the knee. If the invitation says black tie, wear a floor-length gown instead.

What should you not wear for cocktail attire?
Skip white, ivory and champagne at a wedding, avoid anything shorter than mid-thigh, and leave denim, casual knits and beachwear at home. When in doubt, dress one notch up rather than one notch down.

How much do cocktail dresses and evening gowns cost at Jan's Boutique?
On this page, roughly $460 to $5,500. Most best sellers run $850 to $1,650, with couture houses such as Kelly Chase, Tina di Martina and Tom and Linda Platt at the top of the range. Jan's Boutique charges no sales tax on clothing.

What sizes do you carry?
Sizes 000 to 26 across the store, with select collections here available to size 32. Some designers add a manufacturer upcharge above size 16 or 18; your stylist will tell you before you order.

Do I need an appointment?
Yes. Appointments are required to try on so that a stylist and a private dressing room are held for you. Call or text 856-428-8181, or book online.

Do you do alterations?
Yes. Alterations are done on site by our own fitters, including hems, taking in or letting out, adding sleeves or straps, and bustles. Alterations are quoted at your fitting and are not taxed.

Where is Jan's Boutique, and how far is it from Philadelphia?
406 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 - about 8 miles and 20 minutes from Center City Philadelphia over the Ben Franklin Bridge, and an easy drive from Moorestown, Marlton, Voorhees, Haddonfield, Mount Laurel, Washington Township, Wilmington and the Jersey Shore.

How far ahead should I shop for a black-tie event?
Give yourself eight to twelve weeks. In-stock styles can go home the same day, special orders typically take 8 to 16 weeks depending on the designer, and alterations need two to three weeks on top of that.