At Truvy's beauty salon in 1980's Louisiana, personalities are big and hairdos are bigger.

The play opens with on the pre-wedding makeover of Shelby Eatenton, which is also the first day of Truvy's peppy new assistant, Annelle. While Shelby looks forward to married life and her mom M'Lynn frets over her daughter leaving the nest, Clairee tries to wrestle with life having recently lost her husband. Meanwhile, Annelle isn't sure if she's married and Ouiser has been a grumpy bachelorette for over forty years. As the friends enjoy their complicated but humorous lives, they must come to terms with the serious health risks of Shelby's diabetes, especially as she aspires to become a mother. Through it all, six women display what true womanhood looks like, as delicate as a flower, yet with the longsuffering and endurance of steel.