Plus Size Evening Gowns & Formal Dresses 2027 | Cherry Hill, NJ

At Jan's Boutique in Cherry Hill, NJ, plus size is not an afterthought or a back rack. Our plus size evening gown and plus size formal dress collection is a curated, on-the-floor department of 114 designer styles from about 25 collections, priced $550 to $4,050 with most gowns falling between $820 and $1,350. Sweeping A-lines, sleek sheaths, dramatic ball gowns, beaded mermaids, jacket-and-gown sets and three-piece pantsuits - built for galas, black-tie weddings, mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom duty, charity balls, cruises, milestone birthdays and every formal night that deserves better than a rush order off a website.

We are a 13,000 square foot showroom with 50 dressing rooms and more than 15,000 dresses in stock, serving Philadelphia and the tri-state area since 1974. Jan's Boutique does not tax clothing, so what you see is what you pay - no sales tax on dresses or alterations. Book a private fitting or call/text 856-428-8181.

Plus Size Evening Gowns In Stock in Cherry Hill, NJ

Most stores that say they carry plus size formal wear mean they can special-order it. We mean you can walk in, pull gowns off the rack in your size, and see them on your own body in a real mirror. Our plus size evening department covers:

• 114 plus size evening and formal styles currently merchandised in this collection
• $550 to $4,050, median price about $998 - most of the floor sits in the $820 to $1,350 range
• Sizes 16 through 26 across the core of the collection, with select styles ordering through 28 and 30 and lettered lines running S through 3XL
• On-site professional alterations so the gown is finished to your measurements, not approximately your measurements
• No sales tax on dresses or alterations - Jan's Boutique does not tax clothing
• Over 2,100 five-star Google reviews

Inventory moves. Before you drive in for one specific style number, call or text 856-428-8181 and we will confirm what is physically on the floor in your size that day.

Designer Plus Size Collections at Jan's Boutique

These are the houses represented in our plus size evening collection right now, in rough order of how many styles we carry:

• Alexander by Daymor - 14 styles, structured evening and mother-of-the-bride gowns, sizes to 26
• Jovani Evening - 14 styles, glamour, scuba crepe, beading and bold color, sizes to 24
• Montage by Mon Cheri - 10 styles, the modern mother-of-the-bride workhorse
• Ideas by Barbara - 9 styles, New York made-to-order evening, strong in pantsuits and three-piece sets
• Ivonne D by Mon Cheri - 6 styles, Mon Cheri's luxury beaded-lace line
• Feriani Collection - 6 styles, New York evening and mother-of-the-occasion
• Soulmates and LuxeLace by Soulmates - 6 styles, hand-crocheted and hand-beaded silk jacket-and-skirt sets in lettered sizing to 3XL
• Gia Franco - 6 styles, evening and mother-of-the-bride by Feriani
• John Paul Ataker - 5 styles, New York fashion house, exclusive fabrics and sculptural silhouettes
• Rina di Montella - 5 styles, signature matching shawls and jackets cut from the same fabric
• MLNY by Morilee (formerly MGNY) - 5 styles, Madeline Gardner's evening line
• Cameron Blake by Mon Cheri - 4 styles, classic mother-of-the-bride tailoring
• Terani Couture Evening and Terani Mothers - 4 styles between the two lines
• Janique - 3 styles, beaded evening and mother-of-the-bride
• HynesPark and Park 108 - 3 styles from the same New York evening house
• Junnie Leigh - 2 styles, custom made in NYC, gowns with matching jackets
• Marsoni by Colors - 2 styles, accessible beaded mother-of-the-bride
• Tina di Martina - 2 styles, made in the USA couture, select gowns ordering to size 30
• Kelly Chase Couture - luxury evening and mother-of-the-occasion, ordering to size 28
• Frascara - Toronto-made evening, a mother-of-the-groom favorite
• Nicole Bakti - stretch jersey and satin, body-conscious evening
• Portia & Scarlett Couture - heavily beaded red-carpet gowns

Looking for a designer we have not listed? Browse the full Best Sellers Evening & Cocktail collection, the complete Plus Size department, or Portia & Scarlett Evening.

Plus Size Formal Dresses by Occasion

• Mother of the bride or groom. Start here, then compare the full Mother of the Bride and Groom collection. Montage, Cameron Blake, Ivonne D, Rina di Montella and Terani Mothers all cut generously through the bust and hip and offer sleeves or matching jackets.
• Black-tie and formal wedding guest. Floor-length, structured, beaded or column silhouettes. Also see Guest of and Wedding Guest Dresses.
• Galas, charity balls and military balls. Jovani Evening, John Paul Ataker, Kelly Chase and Portia & Scarlett Couture carry the drama a ballroom needs.
• Cocktail and semi-formal. Shorter and midi lengths live in Best Sellers Evening & Cocktail and Day and Evening Dresses.
• Plus size prom and bridal. We run separate departments: Prom Plus Sizes, Faviana Plus and Bridal Plus Sizes.
• Shopping a budget. Marked-down designer evening gowns are on the Evening and Cocktail sale rack, though sale styles are limited to the sizes physically left.

How Plus Size Formal Sizing Actually Works

Formal wear sizing is not ready-to-wear sizing, and nobody tells you that until you are standing in a fitting room feeling bad about a number. Here is the honest version:

• Formal sizes run one to two sizes smaller than street sizes. If you buy a 14 at a department store, expect to try an 16 or 18 in a gown. The number on the tag is a manufacturer's grading chart, not a judgment.
• Designers stop at different places. In this collection, Montage and Ivonne D top out at 20, Jovani at 24, Alexander by Daymor at 26, Kelly Chase at 28 and Tina di Martina at 30. Soulmates and LuxeLace use lettered sizing through 3XL.
• Most houses add a plus size upcharge. It is set by the manufacturer, not by us, and it typically starts at size 16 or 18. It runs about $100 to $150 on most lines and more on heavily beaded couture. Every price on this site shows the upcharge on the size dropdown before you order, so there are no surprises at checkout.
• You order to your largest measurement. Bust, waist or hip - whichever needs the most room decides the size, and our alterations department brings the rest in.

Silhouettes That Flatter a Fuller Figure

There is no single "most flattering" plus size formal dress - there is the one cut for your proportions. What our stylists reach for most:

• A-line and fit-and-flare - skims the hip and stomach, the safest starting point if you are unsure
• Empire and draped-front - ruching and crossover draping across the midsection hide a tummy better than any shapewear
• Column and sheath in stretch crepe or jersey - long, unbroken vertical line; Nicole Bakti and Jovani do this well
• Ball gown - a fitted, boned bodice over a full skirt gives waist definition and unlimited coverage below
• Gowns with sleeves, capes or matching jackets - the single most requested feature in plus size formal, and the reason Soulmates, Rina di Montella and Junnie Leigh sell out
• Three-piece sets and evening pantsuits - Ideas by Barbara builds these specifically for women who do not want a gown at all

What to Expect at Your Fitting

You get a stylist, a private room and as long as it takes. We do not put a clock on plus size appointments, we do not hand you three options and shrug, and we do not make you shop out of a catalog. Bring the shoes you plan to wear (or close to the heel height), any shapewear you like, and a photo of the venue if you have one. Our stylists have been fitting plus size formal wear in this building for decades and will tell you honestly what is working and what is not.

Alterations happen on site. Hems, bust and waist adjustments, strap and sleeve changes, bustles and custom modifications are all handled in-house, and none of it is taxed.

Serving Cherry Hill, South Jersey and Philadelphia

We are at 406 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, minutes off Route 70 and a short drive from Philadelphia, Marlton, Voorhees, Moorestown, Haddonfield, Mount Laurel, Washington Township, Medford and the whole Delaware Valley. Customers regularly drive in from Center City, the Main Line, Bucks and Montgomery counties, Delaware and North Jersey - because a curated plus size formal floor of this size is genuinely hard to find between New York and Washington.

Appointments are required. Book online or call/text 856-428-8181.

Plus Size Evening Gown FAQ

What is the most flattering formal dress for a plus size woman?
There is no universal answer, but the highest-hit-rate silhouettes are A-line and fit-and-flare (skims the hip and stomach), draped or ruched empire styles (camouflages the midsection), and structured ball gowns (defines the waist, covers everything below). Stretch crepe column gowns work beautifully on tall or hourglass frames. Fit matters more than silhouette: a gown ordered to your largest measurement and then altered will always look better than a smaller size you squeezed into.

What should a plus size woman wear to a formal or black-tie wedding?
Floor-length, in a rich fabric - crepe, satin, beaded lace or embroidered tulle. Add sleeves, a cape or a matching jacket if you want coverage through the arms. Avoid white, ivory and champagne out of respect for the bride, and skip anything shorter than tea length for a true black-tie invitation. Our Guest of collection is a good companion to this page.

Where can I buy plus size formal dresses near me in South Jersey or Philadelphia?
Jan's Boutique at 406 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, about 15 minutes from Center City Philadelphia. We stock 114 plus size evening and formal styles in a 13,000 square foot showroom with 50 dressing rooms and on-site alterations. Call or text 856-428-8181.

What plus size formal dresses hide a tummy?
Look for crossover or ruched draping across the front, an empire waist that releases above the stomach, a structured boned bodice, or an A-line skirt that starts at the natural waist. Heavier fabrics - crepe, mikado, satin faille - hold their shape and skim; thin jersey and unlined chiffon cling. Our stylists will pull these for you if you say the word.

Do evening gowns run small?
Yes. Formal wear typically runs one to two sizes smaller than department-store sizing, and every designer grades differently. A size 18 in one line can fit like a 16 in another. That is exactly why trying gowns on in person beats guessing online.

What sizes do your plus size evening gowns go up to?
Most of this collection runs through size 26, with Montage and Ivonne D topping out at 20, Jovani at 24, Alexander by Daymor at 26, Kelly Chase at 28 and Tina di Martina at 30. Soulmates and LuxeLace by Soulmates use lettered sizing through 3XL. Jan's carries sizes 000 to 26 across the store.

How much do plus size evening gowns cost at Jan's Boutique?
This collection runs $550 to $4,050, with a median of about $998 and most gowns between $820 and $1,350. Marked-down designer evening gowns start around $100 on our sale rack. Jan's Boutique does not tax clothing, so there is no sales tax added on the dress or the alterations.

Do you charge extra for plus sizes?
Jan's does not add a plus size markup. Some designers apply their own upcharge, usually starting at size 16 or 18, typically $100 to $150 and higher on heavily beaded couture. That charge comes from the manufacturer and is displayed on the size dropdown of every product page before you order.

Can plus size gowns be altered?
Yes, and most should be. Our professional alterations department works on site - hems, bust and waist adjustments, sleeve and strap changes, bustles and custom modifications. Alterations are not taxed at Jan's Boutique.

How far in advance should I shop for a plus size formal dress?
Four to six months for a special-order gown is comfortable; couture and made-to-order lines can run three months on their own before alterations. If your event is sooner, say so when you book - a large share of this collection is in stock in the store and can be fitted and altered on a much shorter timeline.

Ready to shop? Book your plus size evening appointment at Jan's Boutique, 406 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, or call/text 856-428-8181.