Size 8 Dresses 2027 - Prom, Bridal & Mother of the Bride, Cherry Hill NJ

Jan's Boutique stocks 193 size 8 dresses for the 2027 season at our Cherry Hill, New Jersey store, priced from $320 to $4,398, with 46 styles under $500 and 110 under $800. Size 8 is the most versatile size on our floor. It is the one size where every department is stocked at the same time: prom, homecoming, sweet 16, quinceanera, pageant, cocktail, evening, wedding guest, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, and real wedding gowns. Every style on this page can be tried on in person at 406 Marlton Pike E, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, and fitted by our in-house alterations department.

What Jan's Boutique stocks in size 8 for 2027

Most stores treat a size page as a filter. We treat it as a floor plan. Here is what 193 styles in size 8 actually breaks down to, counted from our current 2027 buy.

Prom and teen occasion. Faviana leads the size 8 run with 14 styles across its main, Glamour and Plus collections, followed by Jovani with 4 prom styles plus 9 in Jovani Evening, 2 in Jovani Cocktail and 2 in Jovani Short. La Femme brings 5, Andrea and Leo 5, Jasz Couture 4, Rachel Allan 4 in homecoming plus Rachel Allan Short, Ava Presley 7 across short and long, Johnathan Kayne 3, Primavera Long and Primavera Short 8 between them, plus Clarisse, Ellie Wilde, Alyce Paris Prom, JVN, Tarik Ediz and Tarik Ediz Prom.

Evening, cocktail and social occasion. Portia and Scarlett Evening and its cocktail line account for 14 styles in size 8. Gia Franco Evening has 5, Terani Evening and Terani Cocktail add 4 more, and Nicole Bakti, Primavera Evenings, JB Couture Evening and Ysa Makino Evening round it out.

Mother of the bride and mother of the groom. This is where size 8 pulls away from every other size on the site. Alexander by Daymor alone has 10 styles cut in size 8. Frascara has 6, Cameron Blake 4, Ivonne D by Mon Cheri 3, Montage 3, Terani Mothers 3, Janique 3, Rina di Montella 2, MLNY 2, John Paul Ataker 2, plus Olvi's Lace.

Bridal. Size 8 carries the deepest bridal run of any size number we stock: Morilee Bridal with 5 gowns, Sophia Tolli Bridal with 4, JB Couture Bridal with 5, Martin Thornburg Bridal, Veni Infantino Bridal, Etoile Bridal, Elysee Bridal and Pronovias. If you want to see our best selling bridal gowns or shop bridal on a budget, size 8 is the sample size most likely to be on the rack.

Eighteen of the 193 styles are shown without an online price. Those are in-store styles, and the only way to see them is to come in. Call 856-428-8181 and we will tell you what is hanging before you drive.

Size 8 dress measurements by designer

There is no single size 8. Every formalwear house grades its own pattern, and the differences are large enough to change which gown you should try first. These are the published 2027 charts for the designers we carry in size 8, in inches.

The number that matters is the waist. Across these houses a size 8 waist runs from 27 to 29.5 inches. A Primavera Couture 8 is cut two and a half inches narrower in the waist than a Jovani 8, on an identical 36 inch bust. That is not a rounding difference, it is a full size and a half of ease. If you have ever zipped one designer's 8 easily and been unable to close another's, this table is the reason.

Hips move too. Faviana cuts the narrowest hip at 38 inches, while Alyce Paris, La Femme and Morilee all run 40. On a fitted mermaid or a trumpet skirt, two inches of hip decides whether the gown is a yes.

Most of these houses grade a flat one inch per size between 6, 8 and 10, so if a size 8 is close but not right, the next size is only an inch away in each measurement. Bring your bust, waist and hip numbers to your appointment and we will pull from the right houses instead of the right rack.

A bridal size 8 and a prom size 8 are not the same garment

This trips up more customers than any other sizing question we get, usually from a bride who wears an 8 in evening wear and is handed a 10 in bridal, or from a mother of the bride shopping both departments in one afternoon.

The honest answer is more specific than "bridal runs small." Look at the table above. Morilee's bridal 8 at 36.5 / 28 / 40 and Pronovias at 37 / 28 / 39.5 are actually equal to or roomier than Faviana, Primavera and Sherri Hill in prom. What is consistently true is that bridal is cut to a narrower waist relative to its bust and hip, and that bridal sizing is far less consistent from house to house than prom sizing is. Sophia Tolli's 8 has a 27.5 inch waist against a 39 inch hip. That is a defined waist by design, because a wedding gown is built to be structured and boned rather than stretched into.

The practical consequence: never order a wedding gown in the number you wear in prom or evening. Bridal gowns are ordered to your largest measurement and fitted down, which is why nearly every gown that leaves this store goes through alterations. That is normal, it is planned for, and it is not a sign that you ordered wrong.

It also cuts the other way. Because formalwear across the board is graded closer to the body than mass market clothing, the size 8 you wear at a department store is not automatically the size 8 you wear here. Go by the inches, not by the number on the tag in your closet.

Mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses in size 8

Size 8 is the deepest size we carry in the mother's departments, and it is the reason many families end up at Jan's for the whole wedding rather than one dress. Our mother of the bride collection in size 8 runs from tailored Alexander by Daymor suiting and beaded Frascara gowns to Montage and Cameron Blake by Mon Cheri, Ivonne D, Terani, Janique, Rina di Montella, MLNY and John Paul Ataker.

What we hear most often is that mothers are shopping online, ordering three dresses, and sending all three back. The sizing above is exactly why. A size 8 in one of these houses is a genuinely different garment from a size 8 in another, and photographs cannot tell you which shoulder line, sleeve length or waist placement will work on you. Thirty minutes in a fitting room with a consultant who knows these ten labels replaces three rounds of shipping.

We also keep the mothers coordinated. If both mothers are shopping, we record the first dress chosen so the second is complementary rather than matching, and we keep a note of the bridal party colors. If you need a larger or smaller size than 8 for a second family member, we carry the same houses across the range and evening plus sizes as well.

Mother of the groom shoppers should start in the same collections. The departments overlap almost completely in size 8, and the distinction is usually about tone and coverage rather than about the label.

Wedding guest dresses in size 8

For guests, our wedding guest collection and guest of styles in size 8 cover black tie down to garden party. Cocktail lengths from Jovani Cocktail, Terani Cocktail, Morilee Cocktail and Portia and Scarlett work for evening receptions, while day and evening dresses suit an afternoon ceremony. If the invitation says black tie, our best selling evening and cocktail styles and gala styles are the right starting point, and the evening and cocktail sale is where to look first if you have a budget in mind.

One piece of etiquette we get asked constantly: white, ivory and champagne are still off limits for guests unless the couple has said otherwise, and heavily beaded floor length gowns can read as bridal party rather than guest. Our consultants will tell you honestly if a dress crosses that line.

Shop size 8 by occasion

Every link below is filtered to styles cut in size 8 or to the department those size 8 styles come from.

• All size 8 dresses - the full 193 style run
• Prom dresses and homecoming dresses
• Sweet 16 dresses and quinceanera dresses
• Pageant gowns
• Evening and day dresses and charity event and gala gowns
• Mother of the bride and mother of the groom
• Wedding guest dresses and guest of the bride and groom
• Bridal gowns, non-traditional bridal and bridal on a budget
• Evening and cocktail sale - the fastest route to size 8 under $500

Shop size 8 by designer

These are the houses that cut a size 8 in our 2027 collections.

Prom and teen occasion: Faviana, Faviana Glamour, Faviana Plus, Jovani, Jovani Short, JVN, La Femme, Primavera Long, Primavera Short, Andrea and Leo, Jasz Couture, Ava Presley, Rachel Allan, Rachel Allan Short, Johnathan Kayne, Clarisse, Ellie Wilde by Mon Cheri, Alyce Paris Prom, Alyce Cocktail and Sweet 16, Tarik Ediz, Tarik Ediz Prom, Morilee Prom.

Evening and cocktail: Jovani Evening, Jovani Cocktail, Portia and Scarlett Evening, Gia Franco Evening, Terani Evening, Terani Cocktail, Primavera Evenings, Nicole Bakti, JB Couture Evening, Ysa Makino Evening, Morilee Cocktail.

Mother of the bride and mother of the groom: Alexander by Daymor, Frascara, Cameron Blake, Ivonne D by Mon Cheri, Montage, Terani Mothers, Janique, Rina di Montella, MLNY, John Paul Ataker, Olvi's Lace.

Bridal: Morilee Bridal, Sophia Tolli Bridal, Martin Thornburg Bridal, JB Couture Bridal, Veni Infantino Bridal, Etoile Bridal, Elysee Bridal, bridal plus sizes.

Alterations: how a size 8 becomes your size

Almost no gown fits perfectly off the rack, and the ones that appear to usually still need a hem. Jan's has an in-house alterations department, which is the single biggest practical difference between buying here and buying online.

What we can do to a size 8: take in the waist and side seams, adjust the bust and cups, reset straps, shorten or lengthen straps, hem to your shoe height, add a bustle to a bridal or floor length gown, and add modesty panels or sleeves. What is harder: letting a gown out significantly, since formal gowns are cut with limited seam allowance, and altering heavily beaded seams, which has to be hand worked around the beading. That is why we would rather fit you down from an 8 than try to open one up.

Hemming is the near universal one. Formalwear is cut long on purpose, because the designers do not cut a petite length, so the hem is set to your height and your actual shoes. Bring the shoes to your fitting, or buy them here.

Alterations are quoted at your fitting, not guessed at over the phone, because the price depends on the fabric, the beading and how many seams move. Ask when you try the dress on and you will have a number before you commit.

Sizes near size 8

If a size 8 is close but not quite, the neighboring sizes are typically one inch away in each measurement.

Size 6 and Size 10 are the direct neighbors. The full run: Size 000, Size 00, Size 0, Size 2, Size 4, Size 6, Size 8, Size 10, Size 12, Size 14, Size 16, Size 18, Size 20 and up. In letter sizing we also stock XS, Small, Medium, Large and XL, and a dedicated plus size department.

A size 8 in formalwear most often corresponds to a Medium in letter sizing, but the letter and the number are graded from different charts, so check the inches rather than assuming.

Try on size 8 dresses in Cherry Hill, NJ

Jan's Boutique is at 406 Marlton Pike E, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, on Route 70 about fifteen minutes from Center City Philadelphia and easy to reach from Camden County, Burlington County, Gloucester County, the Main Line, Delaware and the Jersey Shore. Call 856-428-8181 to check what is on the floor in size 8 or to book an appointment.

We are open Tuesday through Sunday and closed Monday. Appointments are recommended for bridal and for mother of the bride, and walk-ins are welcome for prom and evening, though weekends in peak season fill up early. If you are driving more than an hour, call first and we will confirm the specific styles are in the building before you leave.

What an appointment gets you that a website cannot: the actual weight and stretch of the fabric, the real color under real light, a consultant who knows how each of these houses is graded, and an alterations fitter who can tell you on the spot what the dress will cost to finish. If you have your measurements, bring them. If you do not, we will take them when you arrive.

Size 8 dress questions, answered

Is a size 8 dress a small or a medium?

In formalwear a size 8 usually corresponds to a Medium, though the two charts are graded separately. A size 8 measures roughly 36 to 37 inches in the bust, 27 to 29.5 in the waist and 38 to 40 in the hip depending on the designer. Compare those inches to your own rather than relying on the letter.

Is size 8 an S or an M?

Most formal houses place size 8 at the top of Small or the start of Medium. Because the waist varies by two and a half inches between designers at the same size 8, the letter is the least reliable guide of the three. Use the measurement table above.

What are the exact measurements of a size 8 dress?

By designer, in inches: Primavera Couture 36 bust, 27 waist, 39 hip. Jovani 36 / 29.5 / 39.5. Alyce Paris 36 / 28 / 40. Faviana 36.5 / 28 / 38. Sherri Hill 36.5 / 28 / 39.5. La Femme 37 / 29 / 40. In bridal, Sophia Tolli 36 / 27.5 / 39, Morilee 36.5 / 28 / 40 and Pronovias 37 / 28 / 39.5.

Is a size 8 dress big?

No. A size 8 sits in the middle of the standard US formalwear run, which spans 000 to 30 and beyond. At Jan's it is our deepest and most complete size, which is why it carries every department at once.

What is a UK size 8 in US dress sizes?

A UK size 8 is approximately a US size 4, since UK sizing runs four numbers higher. If you are shopping from a UK chart, work from the inches instead of the number, because the conversion is approximate and formalwear grading varies by house.

Is a wedding dress size 8 the same as a prom size 8?

No. Bridal is cut with a narrower waist relative to the bust and hip, and bridal grading is less consistent between houses than prom grading is. Sophia Tolli's bridal 8 has a 27.5 inch waist, while La Femme's prom 8 has a 29 inch waist. Order a wedding gown to your largest measurement and have it fitted down.

What size dress should a size 8 wedding guest order?

Start at a size 8 in cocktail and evening, but check the waist measurement of the specific designer first. If your waist is closer to 29 inches, houses like Jovani and La Femme will fit more comfortably at an 8 than Primavera Couture will.

Do you have size 8 mother of the bride dresses to try on?

Yes. Size 8 is our deepest run in the mother's departments, with Alexander by Daymor, Frascara, Cameron Blake, Ivonne D, Montage, Terani, Janique, Rina di Montella, MLNY and John Paul Ataker all cut in size 8. Call 856-428-8181 and we will confirm what is hanging before you come in.

Do you carry size 8 dresses under $500?

Yes. Of the 193 size 8 styles, 46 are under $500 and 110 are under $800. The evening and cocktail sale section is the fastest route to the lowest prices in this size.

Will a size 8 need alterations?

Usually at least a hem, because formalwear is cut long and designers do not cut a petite length. Beyond that it depends on how your waist, bust and hip compare to the designer's chart. Jan's has an in-house alterations department and quotes the work at your fitting.

How far in advance should I order a size 8 gown for 2027?

For prom, order in the fall or early winter before your event, since special order styles typically take several months and alterations need time after that. For bridal, plan on the better part of a year. For mother of the bride, three to six months is comfortable. In-stock size 8 styles can go home much faster, which is another reason to call before you shop.

Can I buy a size 8 dress online instead?

You can, and many of these styles are available to order. The trade off is that you lose the fitting, the fabric in hand and the alterations quote. Given that a size 8 waist varies by two and a half inches between the designers on this page, trying on is what saves the return.

Where can I try on size 8 formal dresses near Philadelphia?

Jan's Boutique, 406 Marlton Pike E, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034, about fifteen minutes from Center City over the Ben Franklin Bridge. Call 856-428-8181. We carry prom, homecoming, pageant, quinceanera, cocktail, evening, wedding guest, mother of the bride and bridal in size 8 under one roof.