Mar 29, 2018 5 min read

When Janet Marshall of Charleroi got married 41 years ago, she bought her wedding dress at Zelenski’s Bridal & Prom Shoppe. When her two daughters got married within the past 10 years, both bought their gowns at Zelenski’s along with the mother of the bride, grandmother and bridesmaids. Even the flower girl’s dress came from Zelenski’s.

“We try to support local businesses, and the customer service is wonderful,” says Marshall. “They’re very nice people.”

That kind of loyalty is commonplace at Zelenski’s, where they often dress generations of brides from the same family. Sales consultant Sarah Stark knows one reason why many customer keep coming back to the shop on McKean Avenue in Charleroi. “I think it’s more personal, because we have time to talk with our customers, so it becomes a long-lasting relationship.”

Zelenski’s became and has remained the go-to dress shop, not just for weddings but also for proms and pageants. “How do you mark something in their life, high school prom, a wedding – this is something you’re going to remember for the rest of your life,” Stark says. “You’re not selling a dress, you’re selling a dream to someone and you want it to be everything.”

Family is the common thread that runs throughout Zelenski’s. which opened in 1923. It’s one of the oldest bridal shops in Pennsylvania – and in the country. Dorothy Lucas started working there at age 18 and stayed for 35 years. She was a seamstress and dreamed of one day taking over for the original owners.

“It was something she wanted to do all her life,” explains Dorothy’s daughter, Judy Lucas. “She’s sewn all of her life. When we grew up, there were gowns all over the house. She sewed wedding gowns, she made gowns from scratch.”

Dorothy’s dream finally became a reality in 1986, when Zelenski’s original owners decided it was time to sell. Dorothy and Judy teamed up to purchase the shop, and the mother-daughter tandem have kept the family business bustling ever since. Dorothy, now 89, still comes in to do bookwork and check on customers. Judy says they’ve sold prom dresses to girls whose mothers bought their wedding gowns at Zelenski’s, and then return for their own wedding dresses. “We do that quite a bit,” she says. “It’s so nice to see them all together, and they’re making memories. It’s such a fun business!”

It’s clear that Judy enjoys her work and her customers. “It’s the most fun anyone can have,” she laughs. “Of course, there are deadlines. But other than that, people walk in and they want to have fun and they can’t wait to get into these dresses.”

Bridal is big business, but so is styling young women and men for high school proms and providing glitzy gowns for pageant contestants. The pageant consultant here is Jennifer Vinsick, who was crowned Miss Pennsylvania USA 2001 and went on to work for the Miss USA organization as a consultant and coach. The gown she wore when she won her Miss Pennsylvania crown came – of course – from Zelenski’s.

“Zelenski’s does a lot of pageant business – and the Miss Mon Valley pageant is the oldest pageant in the Mon Valley. It only makes sense to bring the two together.”

That pageant features contestants ranging from infants to grandmothers in various categories, and many of the contestant buy their gowns at Zelenski’s. “We’re very fashion forward,” Vinsick says. “We know what’s coming up next and what to look for, so we know what our clients want.”

She enjoys getting to know the contestant and helping them choose the perfect style for their personality and figure. “What’s nice here is that we work one on one,” she adds. “What color looks best, what her goal is – and I think that’s what sets us apart. We’re not just a cookie cutter dress shop. We go outside the limits.”

“This is the year of the ball gown,” Stark says emphatically when asked about prom fashions. “We also see a lot of fringe, velvet, plunging necklines this year, or an open back.”

Metallics are on point for fabric choice, but pastels are also back in a big way. Yellow, she says, is very hot this year. “We see a lot of bold fabric with a really great cut,” Stark adds. “Rose gold is all across the board.”

Zelenski’s also rents tuxedos. Judy says high school boys attending prom these days are just as fashion forward as the girls. That means having fun with accessories such as suspenders, pocket squares, colorful socks or shoes, and tuxedo shades in plaid or indigo with satin lapels and colored shirts.

In bridal, the rule now is that there are no rules, and there’s such a variety of styles and fabrics available that every bride can find her dream dress and style. There are still some big bridal trends emerging this year, including the return of sleeves. Stark says strapless gowns have been popular for years, but sleeves and straps are making a comeback. Ball gowns are also very much the trend, but now paired with plunging necklines or backs or with sheer illusion necklines and sleeves with appliqués. Beading and layers of ruffles are back, and dresses with pockets are popular, as are gowns in hues of blush, champagne and rose gold for brides who want something nontraditional.

Zelenski’s staff is busy this spring matching all of the styles to brides, prom attendees and pageant contestants, and enjoying every moment.

“I want to make your day the most exceptional day of your life – something you’ll never forget,” Stark says. “It’s such a personal experience, and I feel so grateful that they allow me to be included in that day with them. It’s magical!”