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In the midst of more than 100 teenage girls, just as many frenzied mothers, and nearly 8,000 dresses, sisters Heather Siegel and Fawn Merlino stand ready, co-owners of the Ultimate prom dress boutique in Peabody.As prom season approaches and the weekend crowds swell, the wait for a dressing room can be as long as two hours. Siegel and Merlino call it “organized chaos,” but that annual quest for sequins and chiffon has made the shop into a local success story.Their late mother, Frances Merlino, started the business in 1969 out of the basement of their Revere home with only three racks of clothing. Now, as one of the leading prom apparel stores in New England, the Ultimate recently moved to its grandest location yet.“From the basement to a 10,000-square-foot building, this is a dream come true,” said Fawn Merlino, who was just 5 years old when her mother first established the boutique. “I used to play in the racks of dresses,” she said. Forty-five years later, she works alongside her older sister, who started working for her mother in 1971, when she was 21, and the main selling items were sportswear and bathing suits. After a few lines of evening wear were added, the business started gaining popularity. At that point, Siegel knew it was time for change. 

“When we were in the basement 19 years ago we outgrew it,” she said. “It became really crowded. We knew we had to make a move. We knew if we continued to outgrow our space, we would lose business.”In 1995, they moved to a storefront in Saugus, shifting the store’s focus primarily to prom attire.watching A Charlie Brown Christmas for the umpteenth time Tulle Sweetheart Sexy Beading Crystal Ball Gown Wedding Dress, Business continued to escalate, so in 2005, the company moved again, to Route 1 in Peabody, just about a half-mile away from the current location. In addition to prom dresses, the store also sells wedding attire, such as bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses, and other special-occasion apparel, and offers tuxedos for sale or rent.Siegel said she has been told by dress manufacturers that the Ultimate is the largest prom store in New England, and ranks in the top five nationally. The new building, also on Route 1, is the first piece of property the company has owned. Roomy enough to accommodate more customers, it also has 150 parking spaces and 10 additional dressing rooms.“There’s just a lot more space; you don’t feel claustrophobic,” said customer Teresa Owens, who has shopped at both the new and old locations with her high school-aged daughters. The new Ultimate, which is almost five times the size of the previous store, boasts bright white walls lined with feather boas and scores of racks that hold nearly every style of evening dress imaginable, ranging in price from $150 to $800.short & petite evening dresses for their distinctive evenings Tulle sweatheart applique beaded a-line wedding dresses.“It’s beautiful,sometimes the holidays can be a little too serene White chiffon v-neck applique tea length wedding/party dress.” Siegel said. “It’s so spacious and bright. People who come here are shopping for a happy occasion, so we created an upbeat feeling in the store.”