Daniela is phenomenal to be honest when I picked up my dress for the last time I hugged her twice she went ABOVE AND BEYOND. To help me with my dress. I was looking for a plus size wedding dress and she absolutely made my dream dress come true. She custom made the top of my dress to fit me better! Her jewelry and head pieces are phenomenal I received so many compliments on my dress and headpiece. Daniela should absolutely be trusted to take care of your dress her style and taste is amazing. my partner also chose her jumpsuit from daniela where daniela added sleeves!! she is also amazingly patient! read more

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There are not enough words to express how thankful and just in awe of everything I was while working with Dame Couture! I had the extreme pleasure of working with Holly - to pick out my dress (Carolina, Truvelle) - and then again with Dani during the move, the arrival and alterations for my dress. Dani was the best part of my experience. I can not rave enough about her helpfulness, quick communication, easy adjustments, and just overall amazingness! Her exquisite work on my alterations - quick and way under what I thought for expenses! - was everything, and she was definitely the most calming part of my wedding planning. She even added pockets into my skirt, because YES! I will forever rave about Dame and forever recommend you go. Seriously the best decision I've made. (Photographer: Katy O'Dell Photography) read more

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Daniela is the best. The whole wedding planning shenanigans were not my cup of tee. Daniela made this big decision fun, no stress, and easy. Dame was the first shop I went to. I loved several of the dresses. And then I continued to shop around for weeks. I live in downtown Chicago so it might have been easier to just find a dress and shop, but in the end the dresses at Dame were still my favorite, and Daniela was the best to work with along the way as well. Totally worth the 2-3 trip for for fittings and pickup. After picking up the dress the experience was super smooth. Daniela was super responsive and helpful at each stage. Also love her attention to detail, clear talent and passion, and calming presence. Godsend. Photo cred: Christy Tyler Photography read more

I cannot say enough good things about Holly and Dame Couture. When I started planning my wedding, my maid of honor took me to all the usual stops - David's Bridal, Macy's, J. Crew, etc. All of these were merely fact finding missions on the way to Dame Couture. I knew by looking at their website that they definitely had the style that I was looking for. After trying on tons of dresses I knew that I wanted a dress that was: not white, sleeveless, built in corset, slight mermaid silhouette, no train. I took these ideas and several photographs to Holly. I looked through some of her amazing designs, but I knew I wanted a one of a kind dress. She drew some sketches, we looked at fabric swatches, we discussed the kind of fit I wanted for my body style, the level of comfort I was looking for, wedding hair, wedding shoes - all of it. I loved the fact that my dress would reflect my personality and that I would have a hand in its creation every step of the way. The prices are more than reasonable for a custom made dress, and the numerous consultations and fittings that you will schedule will ease any concerns you have along the way. Love, love, love Dame Couture! read more

Dame Couture - Las Vegas wedding - Bridal Near Me

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Daniela was my fairy godmother. She created a dress that pulled together everything I dreamed of and it's become one of my favorite memories of the wedding process. Daniela was a great listener, creator, and problem-solver. We went through a few different ideas before we landed on my dress. Each appointment we fine-tuned it and each time I could picture myself walking down the aisle more and more. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. In addition to my dress, Daniela helped with a bridesmaid dress. One of my bridesmaids was flying in from Poland the night before the wedding and didn't have a chance to be fitted to the dress. Daniela was able to help and my bridesmaid had a dress that fit perfectly. Daniela was everything a girl could dream of. I couldn't ask for more. She made my dress and wedding a wonderful experience. read more

I got Truvelle's Carolina dress from Dame Couture for my July 2017 wedding. I had the pleasure of working with both Holly (the previous owner) and Dani (the current owner). Although Holly and her shop in Evanston were wonderful, I'll focus on Dani and her shop in Addison. I liked Dani the instant I met her. She is not only a talented seamstress and designer, but she's SO sweet and professional. I couldn't have been happier with her alterations/adjustments and additions (we added a decorative belt to my dress, which was the perfect touch). The store is pretty, hip, clean, and spacious. Dame carries several designers and has some really unique dresses. My wedding guests were RAVING about my dress and how they'd never seen anything like it. If you want a great selection as well as great service, Dame Couture is the place to go!!! read more

Five stars and then some for this amazing independent bridal retailer. The short of it: this is an absolutely amazing bridal shop with an incredibly kind and competent owner. Located just outside CHI in Evanston, this shop carries great designers and they do custom gowns as well. Everything is beautiful and you won't be disappointed, period. The long of it: I found Dame while searching for the nearest Rebecca Schoneveld bridal retailer. (I'm finding Wisconsin isn't replete with shops that carry more independent US designers, so Minnesota + Illinois seem to be to go-tos if you're looking for the likes of someone like Schoneveld - independent but larger-scale, made in the good ol' USA, less bling and more nuance, etc.) FYI: This is a bridal shop for a more independent bride who values quality materials, attention to detail and uniqueness in construction when it comes to gowns. Holly - the lady behind Dame Couture - welcomed us in after a somewhat harrowing + wintery Amtrak and Uber experience. She started us off with tea and a conversation; we then went through and picked out a number of gowns to try on. One after another were winners or near winners. I was surprised at how curated and fantastic the shop's offerings were, and almost all of them on, even. I had every intention of returning to Dame to work with Holly to find my perfect wedding dress, but a serendipitous stop at Amy Kuschel in SF this past week left me +1 on the wedding gown tip. I'm almost sad not to get the chance to work with Holly - she + Dame are that great. (That said, my dress is pretty amazing, you guys.) I can't recommend Dame highly enough. Go! Go now. Work with Holly and marvel at her curated collection. It's five star-worthy and then some. read more

This is a loooong overdue rave about Holly and Dame Couture. Easily my favorite part of the entire wedding planning process. I was sad when it ended! Let's just get this out there: I'm no size 2 bride. I don't love trying on clothes. So I wasn't exactly relishing the thought of going the traditional, judge-y route at high-end bridal stores. Still, I wanted the high-end experience, dammit! And I knew exactly what I wanted my dress to look like. (Or so I thought. More on that later.) I researched a ton of dressmakers in Chicago, and nothing was hitting me quite right. Then I widened the search, and like a beacon in the night, Dame appeared. Custom-made, vintage-inspired loveliness at every turn. I immediately clicked with Holly's design sense. So I booked my appointment, gathered up some pictures and headed north. The instant I walked in and saw Holly's smiling face, I knew I was in good hands. She and her shop actually put me at ease. (Seriously, I'm rarely at ease. New situations make me sweat.) There's just something about her way that's so confident, comfortable, adorable and fun. I absolutely knew she could conjure the vision I had in my head. Speaking of the vision, yeah, it kept changing. I kept looking at pictures, googling every possible variation of "vintage tea-length wedding," and trashing the ideas I'd been in love with just days before. Never once did Holly make me feel like a pain. In fact, when I finally settled on The Actual Dress, which was a 180 from where I started, she said, "You know, I'm even *more* excited to design this dress." She's a gem, I tell you. And so is her assistant Tai. I hope I'm spelling her name right -- she's the unsung hero of that place. When I finally tried on my finished dress, I couldn't believe it. Vintage and fun and girly and gorgeous. It was everything I wanted from the very start... it just took me a while to get there. But something tells me Holly knew exactly where we'd end up. She's just that good. read more

There just aren't enough words to describe how amazing Daniela is. She was phenomenal from the minute I walked in and continued to be throughout the entire process. I knew the dress I wanted and she was able to make it fit my 4'9 frame and make it look flawless. She was so friendly and personable and made each fitting fun. She is truly talented as well. I would recommend Dame Couture to any bride! I've never felt more beautiful than I did in my wedding dress and I have Daniela and Dame to thank for that!! read more

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It must have been some sort of divine intervention that led me to the Dames! I began bound and determined not to wear a wedding dress but somehow found myself slipping into Fern, a wedding dress that couldn't have been better suited for me or my "theme." Through all of my coffee spills, my hangovers, and my friends, Julie and the Dames still pulled together the PERFECT, custom-fit dress for me. The designs and plethora of materials to choose from are all gorgeous. The price is absolutely reasonable. And the studio and workspace are warm and inviting. I cannot rave enough about Dame Couture! I've done my best to direct other friends their way. And it's just a matter of time before I return to have my wedding dress customized for another occasion and/or have the opportunity and good fortune to work on another amazing creation. Check them out! read more

I am, and always will be, a tough fit. My body is oddly proportioned - I have what my loved ones call a freakishly small rib cage. And at the same time, I have a very, very large rack. I have always wanted a wrap dress but never found one that didn't stun onlookers with my cleavage. Holly did it for me! I now own the perfect, blue wrap top dress. It will be worn for my sister's wedding; she purchased two dresses for her "big day". One for the ceremony and one for the reception - they both turned out amazingly and you'll probably see her review here soon. Just wanted to mention that Holly and Gretchen are so nice and were so easy to work with. It was such a fun experience... read more

A Lovely Dress My Fern wedding dress is complete and I am so excited to wear it on my wedding day. The dress, designed by Julie of Dame Couture is a perfect silhouette and fit for my figure. It's a dreamy throwback to the 50's with buttery Shantung silk and white organza flowers. Julie worked with me to design every detail from fabric to fit: a true couture shop with hand sewn pieces and embellishments. Both Dames are talented designers who are warm and sincere in their efforts. I couldn't recommend them more highly. read more

I love this place! When I went dress shopping with my Mom and soon to be Mother-in-Law, Dame Couture was our first stop. Gretchen made us feel so welcome in their charming little boutique. I even got makeup on one of their sample dresses and they were so nice about it. I felt terrible, but they put me at ease. I tried on several sample dresses to get an idea of what they could do. The concept of choosing elements from different dresses and having them custom-design a wedding dress right there in Evanston for me was so intriguing, especially at prices comparable to the typical bridal salons. After visiting other bridal salons (and not being treated as graciously as I had been at Dame), I felt strongly compelled to go back to Dame Couture. Working with Holly on my dress was one of the most exciting aspects of planning my wedding. She was honest, patient, and clearly passionate about her work. She even helped me pad my undergarments to make them more comfortable. She took me through several fittings to make sure everything was perfect and, in the end, everything was! Now that it's over, I actually miss those wonderful ladies! I ended up having a headpiece made by Megan, and that was perfect as well. I could not be happier with my experience at Dame Couture. Brides-to-be, go see these Dames! You will be so glad you did! read more

I was not pleased with the "marshmallow" gowns, prices, and ATTITUDES I was finding at other bridal shops. I found the Dames online and within minutes of visiting their Evanston boutique I felt right at home. I had a smaller budget and was only looking to try on samples. Holly never attempted to up sell anything and made me feel good about my body and the dresses I was trying on. She listened to me and did not tell me what I "needed." Awesome. I ended up choosing the 4th dress I tried on and never looked back. Dame Couture took the sample dress I chose and customized/tailored it to fit me for an amazing price. I received tons of compliments about my dress. I made the right choice. I felt beautiful and sexy on my wedding day. All I wanted and more. I would recommend Dame Couture to any bride, specifically gals wanting custom fits, hip styles, and friendly people. read more

Dani did an amazing job with my bridesmaid's dress for my sister's wedding! She was super professional and kind to this not-so-slim matron of honor, which was so very appreciated. She was fast, efficient, and did a beautiful job with the alterations. Thank you!! read more

I went to a few other bridal salons, and at a size 14 at the time, I was having such a hard time finding a dress that didn't make me feel like a marshmallow or like I was a little girl playing dress up. Until I went to Dame Couture. I was looking for a bohemian feel for my wedding dress and Dani had just the thing: a french cotton lace Kite & Butterfly dress. She was so great and fast with alterations and just a joy to work with. Dani and her shop had such a better vibe than some of the other places I went. It was a joy to go there for alterations. I got soooo many compliments on my dress. Would highly recommend this shop to anyone who is stressing about the dress like I was. read more

I love love love Holly. I don't know how to express how much I love the dresses she made me and my sister. Somehow, Holly found a way to turn my garbled, confused descriptions of what I wanted for my dresses--non-traditional, yellow, short, um?--into two amazing dresses that make me feel amazing. Holly and Gretchen helped with style input, and then created these wonderful dresses, and I'm so excited that I'll look as good as I feel on my wedding day. Seriously. I can't recommend Dame enough. Run, don't walk. Give Holly your wedding business. I can't imagine you could possibly disappointed. read more

While I did not end up purchasing my dress from here I wanted to make sure they got a great review. I was looking for a knee or tea length dress for my non-traditional wedding and had a couple really lame appointments elsewhere. I was starting to feel a little desperate so I was calling around everywhere and asking if they carried any shorter styles and if I could get an appointment asap. Daniela fit me in that day and had a couple very nice options for me. I wouldn't hesitate to visit this lovely shop if you're needing a dress of any kind. They do custom as well so you have options no matter what you're looking for. Thank you for a great experience! read more

Holly is amazing! I found a beautiful dress she had already made and she altered it to put cap sleeves on it. I love, love the finished product. So many people commented on how much they loved the dress at the wedding. It was comfortable, beautiful and so me. I already have, and will continue to recommend Holly and her shop to family and friends. Thank you Holly, it was so great working with you! Lara read more

Daniela and Dame Couture were my wedding guardian angels. I initially met Daniela when I first started shopping for my dress. She was kind and wonderful to work with, and even though she had a beautiful selection, I left without purchasing anything. Fast-forward a few months to when my final dress fitting (a non-Dame dress) went awry. Panicked, we immediately thought of Daniela, and my mom made a call. We were at Dame's new location within an hour and I was trying on dresses for my wedding which was only 3 weeks away. Not only did I fall in love with a dress, but Daniela sold it off the rack and had it perfectly altered within 48 hours. Even though I was in panic mode, she could not have been more comforting. And even though it was a quick alteration job, her work was absolute perfection. I highly recommend Dame to any bride in search of the perfect dress. Daniela runs a beautiful shop, and she truly cares about helping her brides find something special. Daniela - thank you so, so much for everything you did for me! read more

Hurray for this wonderful boutique dress shop!! I came in with a budget, and a vintage wedding dress I wanted updated. I already had a few ideas of how I hoped it could be altered, tailored and re-vamped! The lovely knowledgeable Holly met with me and within 15 minutes I was confident I'd come to the right place. Holly is diligent, professional and puts you at ease immediately. Her assistant Megan makes the most amazing fascinator and head-pieces to compliment and complete the look you are going for. The process of working one-on-one with a designer and artist to create something unique in a world of over done and over priced wedding dresses is more than I'd hoped for. I really cannot say enough about this place. read more

The ladies of Dame Couture may be the nicest, snazziest, laid back, kind people I have met throughout the wedding process. An added plus is how well they treated the multitude of family members and friends that came with me on my visits - every time they welcomed us and made us feel 100% at home. The process never stressed me out and I left feeling like a million bucks. I highly recommend visiting and working with DC. They are 100% lovely and gems to meet. read more

After an appointment at another bridal shop I called Dame Couture to see if they would be willing to accommodate me without an appointment and luckily they were available for the next hour and a half. So my friend, my mom, and I headed straight over there and were greeted by a lady and her assistant. We were offered a glass of water as the assistant asked me some questions regarding the kind of wedding dress I was looking for; long, slight trumpet, a little beading, and priced around $1000. After the brief survey I was invited to look at the their rack of about 100 dresses. None of them drew my eye so I was ready to just say thank you and leave. But then the owner said something that I found quite offensive and that is the reason I am writing this review. She said that her dresses are all custom made in America and therefore priced around $1500. That if I were looking for a dress around my price point I would have to buy a dress made in a third world country so she recommended I go to David's Bridal or GiGis. Considering both I, my mom, and my best friend are products of third world countries I couldn't help but be offended by her "trying to be nice and helpful" comment. I just smiled, said thank you, and walked out the door. I felt it was necessary to give a heads up to any bride out there thinking about going to this place to be aware of what to expect. read more

Julie at Dame Couture recently designed and created the wedding dress of my dreams and I can't rave enough about Dame now. Their dress designs have kind of a vintage flavor to them, and I definitely felt my dress was completely unique and not the poofy bride-y thing that I'm sure I would have wound up wearing if I'd decided to go to a more traditional wedding dress shop. Julie and Holly do use their own patterns to start, and then they customize it to your specifications, from the fabric and trim to the general cut. They also build a pattern to suit your body before they even begin -- and change it over a couple fittings if need be -- so you know the thing is going to fit properly. Finally, this unique custom-made and designed dress was actually cheaper than every other already-made dress that I considered in the city of Chicago. Unbelievable. read more

My quest for the perfect bridal dress lead me to Dame Couture. Dame is a fabulous concept for a wedding dress store: they will create a real couture dress for you. This means, they will take your measurements and custom make the dress so that it fits you perfectly. The dresses are fabulous! I bought my reception/ after-party dress there. It is fantastic! I cannot wait to wear it! Both Julie and Holly were very nice and easy going. There was no pressure to buy. My only complaint was that there was a mild unpleasant smell in the fitting room. read more

I am so happy that I found Dame Couture! This was the second place I stopped at when I started looking for my dream wedding dress! My entire experience from start to finish was extremely pleasant and stress free. Daniela was so amazing through the entire process. I received so many compliments on my dress the night of the wedding. Everyone was saying how stunning I looked and that my dress was the most gorgeous dress they ever saw! Thank you Daniela for helping me find my dream wedding dress and for all the incredible beading work you did on my dress! read more

How much do I love the Dames? I want to divorce my beloved, newly wedded husband just so I have an excuse to get another wedding dress. OK...so not really but I can't say I haven't fleetingly thought about this when I walked out of Dame Couture with my beautiful retro dress for the very last time. Holly and the Dames are too cute for words. They made it so pleasant for me to get my dress. I initially thought that I would be bawling every time I went there since I would be going alone (mother, sister, girlfriends in CA) but they made it so great. And the final product was incredible! It was classically beautiful and I know I won't be cringing when I show my children pictures of our wedding day. I felt like such a glamorous Hollywood star. read more

I couldn't be happier in my decision to buy a dress at Dame Couture. I cannot thank Daniela enough for helping me in the dress selection and more importantly with the fittings. My dress and belt were beyond perfect. She is incredible at what she does and it was a pleasure to work with her. read more

Daniela is so amazing. She designed my bridal shower dress for me. It was PERFECT. She really understood my vision and exactly what I was looking for in a dress. I felt like a Princess the second I put it on. the colors, fabric, and design were unbelievable! I am so happy I happened to stumble upon her store on my way to a starbucks run. She's also so easy and flexible to work with which made my life so much easier. I would definitely recommend her for any bridal or even special occasion needs. She really makes your vision come to life. Thank you again Daniela! read more

Holly and the girls are the absolute best. They designed my dream wedding dress for me, and although I won't get to wear it thanks to my runaway groom, they provided impeccable service in a rush at a very fair price. They are extremely welcoming and very talented. I would recommend them to anyone, and I hope to use them again in the future! read more

I had the most amazing dress I could've imagined thanks to Holly at Dame Couture. Through all the fittings, Holly was super cool and nice, and I always felt at home there...this far exceeded any other dress shopping experience I had and it was so fun to see the dress take shape and tweak it along the way. I got so many compliments on the dress and I felt truly beautiful in it on my wedding day. The best compliment I got was from my husband who said "it couldn't be more you." I wish I could get all my dresses made by Holly! read more

The Dames were the best to work with. At my first consultation I brought in some pictures and ideas and their input completely blew me out of the water. The entire process was wonderful. They made me a sage green dupioni silk dress incorporating my mother's mantilla lace from her wedding dress. I felt so elegant and glamorous on my wedding day all thanks to them. Holly and Julie dealt with my mom and maid of honor with grace and poise (even when a good slap in the face was needed). I highly recommend a dress from these gals! I even wore my dress on my wedding anniversary because it's so darn beautiful. read more

Great designs, even better staff. I loved working with these ladies - they are calm and sweet which is rare in the crazy world of wedding vendors. Sick of strapless wedding gowns? Dame Couture has lots of options, many with a vintage twist. Wish they made non-bridal pieces - I'd love to have another dress made by them. read more

Holly was a delight to work with and I loved each visit to Dame Couture. After many trips to many bridal shops with no luck I was relieved to find this gem. I urge you to visit Holly at her shop and prepare to have a wonderful time! I look forward to the next special occasion my husband and I have to get another dress with Holly! read more

These ladies rock! I wanted a different dress than the standard strapless dress that everyone seems to push on brides-to-be. Holly is great and totally understood what I wanted. If you want a dress out of the ordinary, see them immediately! I priced out the cost of my dream dress versus a dress from a store, and Dame was cheaper. Plus, I don't have to pay the $300 rush fee and the $500 alteration cost because the dress is designed to fit me exactly, based on my measurements! read more

I love Holly! I was sad at my final appointment. I was driving from Buchanan, MI a few times a months for months. I actually miss her. My dress is exactly what I wanted. At my first appointment I was 6 months post baby so I still had some weight to lose before the wedding. The second dress I put on I fell in love with, even with the baby weight. When it was finally time to pick it up the week of the wedding I still loved it as much as I did then. We had to go down a few sizes, but she was very accommodating. I wish I had another event to go. I would love her to make me another dress! Maybe for a renewal. read more

I just got married this past weekend, and I had to log into Yelp and highlight how amazing Holly is! Her shop is so incredibly unique and was exactly what I was looking for. At the wedding, people did NOT stop raving about how amazing my dress was and how different it was from cookie cutter dresses you see at weddings nowadays. Holly has amazing taste, is extremely talented and may be the most responsive person ever. I really enjoyed every visit to her shop, and she always went above and beyond to help me think through all the details. Thank you so much for everything, Holly! People definitely heard about Dame Couture at my wedding! read more

My daughter was quite anxious about the experience of shopping for a wedding dress after a few visits to some of DC's swankiest bridal shops. She was arriving in Chicago for a friend's wedding and I suggested we make an appointment with Holly. This was on a Thursday! She asked which designer and specific styles my daughter liked and offered to have those dresses shipped express overnight so they would be in the shop on Sunday, the day of our appointment. I just had this sense Holly was the only one who could make this happen in such a short period of time and would connect with my daughter. My daughter liked all of the dresses she tried on but Holly pulled out a dress from a different designer and urged her give it a go. And everyone agreed it was "her" dress. It was one of the most relaxing and satisfying experience for us because Holly really knows what she is doing. And you won't find a shop that carries such beautifully crafted gowns, priced so modestly. Thank you again, Holly! read more

I can't say enough about how great of an experience I had working with Dani at Dame Couture. I came in not quite sure what style dress I was looking for. Dani helped me select a variety of dresses and seemed to instinctively know what my style was! She really took the time to learn about our wedding day and was so fun and sweet to work with! My experience dress shopping at Dame felt both personal and enjoyable! On top of having a variety of unique and gorgeous dresses, I felt so confident in Dame Couture handling alterations for me as well. Such a wonderful store and a great fit for anyone looking for a really special and personal experience! read more

The one thing I was seriously dreading before my wedding was going to one of those awful bridal boutiques with bad carpeting to try on big floofy wedding dresses. Besides the fact that I didn't want to deal with pushy salespeople trying to talk me into something I didn't really want, big floofy wedding dresses are not my style. I decided that perhaps a way for me to avoid all of the aforementioned unpleasantness was to find an actual dressmaker. Enter: Dame Couture. These women are absolutely fantastic! I mainly worked with Holly on their "Billie" design. I was trying to keep costs down on the dress and choosing the "Billie" helped me get the perfect dress at a reasonable cost. In fact, though it was a bit more than I set out to spend, it was more affordable than a lot of off-the-rack dresses. The dress wass a kind-of a fiftyish pin-up type deal. I love the color red so the dames incorporated a fabulous red silk brocade (kinda of an Asian influence) underneath the bottom flounce and around the bustline, along with buttons up the back made of the same material. A wrap made out of the same beautiful brocade pulled the look together. It was so beautiful. And everyone loved it. One of my friends told me that she thought I was exaggerating about the coolness of my dress but, after she saw it, she changed her mind. "You weren't lying," she said. So, trust me, if you're looking for a headache-free experience and a dress made especially for you that will end up being the most beautiful dress you've ever worn, go visit the Dames. You won't regret it. Those women are the best wedding dressmakers in Chicago! And Holly is the greatest! read more