Finding and purchasing my dress was easy. Unfortunately, everything went downhill after that…read more
Over a month after I purchased my dress, they called to tell me they had forgotten to take the measurements needed for the custom cups I required as a fuller-busted bride. Since I live out of town, I had to pay a local tailor to take the measurements and send them in. At the time, I didn't think much of it.
When I purchased my dress, I was told it would take 6-8 months, and that dresses "typically arrive earlier." Around the four month mark, I called and was shocked to be told my dress wouldn't arrive for 10 months--far too late for my wedding. They blamed the delay on the measurements they had forgotten to take, claiming the production timeline didn't begin until they received them. This was never explained to me. I was told that if I was uncomfortable with the timeline, I could pay a rush fee. After fighting with them over a mistake that was entirely theirs, they finally agreed to cover the rush fee.
When my dress arrived, they immediately informed me that the bust would be too small but assured me they would fix it at no charge. When I went in for my fitting, the bust was 2-3 cup sizes too small, despite the custom measurements I had gone out of my way to provide after they admitted they had forgotten to take them. During the fitting, it became clear that additional measurements would have been necessary to properly construct the bodice. Those measurements had never been requested from me, highlighting another example of the store's lack of professionalism.
When I expressed my frustration to the owner, explaining that I was now facing a complete reconstruction of a dress I had paid thousands of dollars for, she couldn't have cared less. Instead of taking responsibility, she blamed the designer in Australia and gave me two options: send the dress back to Australia two months before my wedding or have their atelier reconstruct it.
Since sending it back wasn't realistic, I had no choice. Before they would even begin correcting their mistake, however, the owner demanded payment in full. I was forced to pay the remaining balance on a faulty dress that did not fit as ordered before they would fix the problems. When I told her I was uncomfortable paying in full under those circumstances, her response was simply, "I'm running a business."
The alterations process became a nightmare. After six fittings, the bust still wasn't fitting correctly or symmetrically, and the neckline looked nothing like the dress I had purchased. During my sixth fitting, we FaceTimed the owner so I could explain my concerns directly. I told her that after six appointments we still couldn't get the bust right and that the neckline had been completely altered from the original design. Rather than addressing any of my concerns, she ignored everything I said, spoke only to the atelier, and abruptly ended the call by saying she had to go because "her kids were on top of her." As a bride who had spent thousands of dollars and months dealing with mistakes that weren't my own, I found that response incredibly dismissive and unprofessional.
The only saving grace was the atelier, Carol. She worked through seven fittings, including a final fitting in my apartment where she hand-sewed my dress until it was wearable. She was kind and dedicated to fixing problems she did not create. Despite all of her efforts, the final dress still wasn't what I had originally ordered.
Unfortunately, Carol's efforts could not make up for the way this business is run. The owner was consistently rude, condescending, dismissive and unwilling to take responsibility for mistakes made by her store. At every step, blame was shifted elsewhere, and the focus was always on protecting the business--not the bride. I was expected to accept repeated mistakes, delays, poor communication, and ultimately pay in full for a faulty dress before they would correct issues that should never have existed in the first place.
Save yourself the anxiety, frustration, and disappointment.
