NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KOLN) – Hirschfeld’s has been in the apparel business for 100 years in North Platte, and the store’s Prom Shoppe is now a destination in itself.
We caught up with manager Abbie Pack to talk about the history of Hirschfeld’s, and to find out more about the services at the “Prom Shoppe” in North Platte’s Canteen District. “Hirschfeld’s clothing has been in business since 1917,” Pack said. “My boss is the third generation owner of this long-standing family business. It’s a big honor to be a part of a wonderful tradition of retail in this community.”
Hirschfeld’s started out specifically as a men’s clothing business. The store sold suits, sport coats, and other types of men’s dress attire. “Throughout the 100 years, the store has also moved into women’s clothing, we now rent tuxedos, we sell casual wear, and about 11 years ago, we branched out into the prom dress business.”
The Prom Shoppe at Hirschfeld’s offers a wide variety of dresses for formal occasions and even for pageant contestants with Miss Nebraska. “The fact that we are in western Nebraska, there isn’t as big of a population here. But, we do think we are the biggest prom dress store in Nebraska. At the peak of our season, we carry more than 2,000 dresses. Not only do we carry 2,000 dresses, we carry 2,000 different dresses. It’s not like a department store where you come in and you’ll find 15 examples of the same dress. We carry 2,000 unique dresses at the height of our season.”
Pack says families drive from all over the region to look for the perfect dress at Hirschfeld’s Prom Shoppe. “Having girls drive from Omaha to shop is an honor,” Pack said. “We have girls who come from Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, and Colorado. This means a lot to this community. The families come, they shop, they stay in hotels here. It’s been amazing to see the response.”
Hirschfeld’s staff members also work hard to make sure students within a 100-mile radius of the store get the chance to have that special feeling of attending a high school prom in style. “We rent prom tuxes,” Pack said. “We drive into the Sandhills and all over western Nebraska to deliver tuxes to schools. We try to serve all of the small towns. We start with prom dresses in December, and for us, March is prime-time prom season.”
Pack says one of the best times to visit the Prom Shoppe is during an event called “Crowns and Gowns.” It’s a special event where the store rents out an event center and a wide selection of dresses are available. “Crowns and Gowns is the first weekend of February every year,” Pack said. “It’s by appointment only. We work really hard to try and make this the best experience we can when people come to see us.”
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