Mt. Lebanon says yes to newest dress shop
J.Jones Evening Wear holds grand opening
Mount Lebanon High School cheerleaders know it’s not too early to shop for a homecoming dress. So many of them jumped at the chance to participate in the grand opening celebration for J.Jones Evening Wear.
After 15 years serving customers in the Weirton, West Virginia, region, the formal wear store has expanded into the South Hills community, opening a location in the heart of Mt. Lebanon at 660 Washington Road.
“This is the dress,” said Lizzie Wolfson as she showed the pink, polka-dot party dress to her teammate Callie Bagay.
“I really like this one,” added Elle Arminas of the beaded, fringed black and white number she modeled in the showroom. “Possibly, it’ll be for homecoming.”
Meanwhile, Bagay mulled over a rose-printed, pink cocktail dress. For the Oct. 18 homecoming dance she wants something really special, and J.Jones is just the spot to make a purchase.
“All of the dresses are just very unique. So beautifully detailed and just so different,” she said.
“Beautifully designed,” added Wolfson.
Sophia Jahaj was overwhelmed by the selection inside the cozy boutique that provides formalwear for special occasions as well as bridal services to go along with personalized styling and top-notch customer service.
“This place is gorgeous,” Jahaj exclaimed. “I live like two minutes away from here so it’s nice that it’s right here and there are so many options. I’ll probably find my prom dress here,” said Jahaj.
Convenience and inventory are just two of the perks about the franchise, owned by Jill Jones and managed by Jessica Sperlazza.
“The location’s perfect,” said Sperlazza. “Everyone is so very community-based and everyone has been nothing but wonderful and supportive.
“I’m just excited for people to know that we’re here, so we can keep growing and keep on moving.”
More than 40 years ago, Jones gravitated to the formal wear business.
A South Park native, her first job was in a bridal store. At age 25, she opened a store in Peters Township, located on Route 19, before moving to West Virginia, where she raised two sons, Ethan and Joseph.
For 15 years, J.Jones Evening Wear has been anchored in Weirton.
Jones said she wanted to expand and open a store in the South Hills because she grew up there and because there are no “significant prom stores” in the area. The closest store is her own 10,000-square-foot superstore in West Virginia.
J.Jones “predominantly” features prom and special occasion attire. The shop will do bridal pop-ups, schedule bridal events, rent tuxedos for men and offer clothing for mothers of the bride or groom.
“No bridal gowns,” Jones said. “That would all be scheduled pop-up events where we’d bring in the dresses and collections.”
J.Jones Evening Wear features a wide array of sizes and a price cap.
“Not everybody can afford a $5,000 wedding dress,” Jones said. “Honestly, our price point is probably a little bit less than what (the competition) is. One thousand percent,” she added that J.Jones would likely be more affordable than most other shops.
Jones also prides on the service she offers her customers.
“We want them to have a very memorable experience. It’s a very important part of their lives,” she said. “We think that it should be special and it should be treated that way.”
According to Jones, the Mount Lebanon location was ideal, too.
“The community is very oriented here,” she said. The people in Mount Lebanon are very supportive of Mount Lebanon businesses, so it just made sense. And we love the location.”
The grand opening event on June 30 featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and plenty of giveaways, including swag bags, gift cards as well as homecoming dress giveaways.
J.Jones Evening Wear is closed Sundays and Mondays. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday as well as noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Call 412-556-8515 or visit jjoneseveningwear.com for appointments or more information.