Kimberly Bond Boutique Reopens As Illinois Moves to Phase 3

In the start of the new year, junior and senior girls have an important event on their minds….prom. When CoVid19 shut the country down in March, it included small businesses such as Kimberly Bond Boutique in Orland Park. Owner, Kimberly Bond said prom is 90 percent of her business.

After months of being closed and high school proms being cancelled or postponed, Kimberly Bond was looking forward to the day where her doors could open again.

“We’re excited to open” said Bond. “I’m looking forward in seeing all my customers. This was so drawn out and difficult.”

On Friday May 29^th, Kimberly Bond opened her doors. Kimberly Bond Boutique hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10AM-4PM, Saturday from 12-3PM and closed on Sundays.

“We also would appreciate appointments because we have a limited amount of people in the store” Bond explains. “If someone would come to my door, we will let them in if we don’t have people in here. We will accommodate our availability for them.”

Some area high schools have tentatively rescheduled proms for July. With state limitations still in existence, local area high schools have not confirmed rescheduled proms as of this writing. Kimberly Bond has heard from some of her high school clients that their prom is on when the state of Illinois opens up.

“We have a lot of prom gowns to choose from” said Bond. “I’ve also gotten calls from mother of the brides and grooms. A lot of weddings have been scheduled for October, so I have a lot of those dresses in stock as well” she added.

“When I posted on social media I was opening up, I had calls from mothers of brides who made appointments already” said Bond. “One of the most important things that I have missed, is seeing girls looking for prom dresses with their mother and their grandmother. To be able to dress them and see the closeness, it’s a family affair” said Bond.

For this story, high school girls modeled prom dresses before the shutdown of the state of Illinois. One was Jordyn Swenson from Homer Glen who just graduated Providence High School. At the time of the photo shoot, Swenson was looking forward to prom.

“Kim’s Boutique was the first place I went to looking for a prom dress” said Swenson. “In general girls begin looking for prom dresses early because it can be stressful. It’s one of the last nights you can have fun in high school and a night to remember. For myself and my friends, we want the night to be perfect.”

Swenson modeled several dresses for the photo shoot. Her personal choice for a dress was a beaded mermaid style. She offered advice for girls still looking for the perfect prom dress. “Pick out a dress you feel good in” said Swenson. “Don’t stress out, it’s going to be a great night, you will look beautiful.”

Some area high schools have tentatively rescheduled proms for July. Most high schools have not. Like many seniors this year, some will never get to experience their last prom. Swenson encourages other graduating seniors to remain strong.

"To any senior that is reading this, we’re all going through the same thing” Swenson said. “Yes, it’s awful that it’s happening, but it shows how strong we are as people that we can get through this. It may feel like the end of the world now, but it’s not. Once we are able to (hopefully) step foot on our college campuses, high school is behind us and we’re stepping into a new chapter of our lives. We just need to keep looking ahead and all the positives it brings, because that’s all we can do: stay positive for the good things still yet to come.”

Kimberly Bond encourages any woman looking for a special dress, she is here to serve. Bond gave an update on visiting her boutique.

The Boutique will be accepting customers by appointment. You can call the store at (708) 460-0474.

Limit 2 people per appointment

Please arrive at least 10 minutes before appointment

Knock or call the store where they will greet you

Temperature will be checked upon entering

MASKS are a must

“Small businesses really need support, especially now” Bond said. “We need to survive. This pandemic took a toll on all small businesses.”

In August Kimberly Bond Boutique will celebrate 34 years in business, all of them in Orland Park. The boutique is located at 8650 159^th Street in Orland Park.

All photos above were taken at Georgio’s Banquets in Orland Park before the shutdown.