I attended a Tuesday afternoon appointment to shop for my bridal gown with my maid of honor. The first words Nancy asked me was what my budget is. I told her, and she asked if I was there to try on a specific dress. I said no, but I had a list on my phone of different styles from 4 different designers they carry. She immediately started looking up the dresses and announcing either that they did not have them in stock, or the price. I told her I knew the prices, and I was willing to pay those, that's why I put them on my list. She basically ignored this. She asked if it was an indoor or outdoor wedding, but didn't go further than that. I got bored with her just staring at the ipad, and got up to look at a few dresses that caught my eye. She saw, and said, "Oh, those are Monique Lhuillier" in this tone that basicaly said, those are NOT in your price range.
At this point, she had not asked my name, introduced herself, asked what MOH's name was, shook our hands,never once asks me where I'm getting married, when, what's my fiance's name, looks at my ring, asks about the proposal, what he does for work, what I do for work, anything personal about myself AT ALL.
Every rack she saw me look at, she announced the designer's name. Finally she said, "well there's more in the back, come on" and I tentatively followed her back. She pointed out the racks of dresses that were "within my budget". Then she asked, "so I guess you just want a pouffy traditional dress? Or lace?". She didn't pay attention to the list I gave her at all (the answer is- none of those things!) She went to the rack, grabbed one and literally shoved it at me and said, "Here's one." I'm left there, holding it. She just stands there for a while as I dig through all the racks, and finally asks if I'm going to try on the ones I'm holding. She only then takes them from me to hang up in the back room dressing room (which has only one little seat, no pedestal, and bad lighting). MOH asks where she is supposed to sit, and Nancy tells her she can just wait out at her desk. HER DESK.
We go to the fitting room, and she tells me that if I want help after I get the gown on she will be outside. I ask if I get any shapewear or a bra and she gave me this hideous look, and told me no, because when you fit your dress, it will be without a bra so it's best to do it without. I take one look at the sizes, and they are not sample 12s, but all 6 and 8s, and I know I will be hanging out of all of them. I'm dumbstruck, struggling to put on a big dress by myself. I get one on that I like, and feel really uncomfortable with how poorly it fits and how much it shows. She puts a strap on the back and I go out to show MOH, and because she's sitting at the desk, I'm literally standing in the narrow hall to show her. Not a pedestal, not with nice lighting, nothing. I go back. I finally find one I really do like, but its an 8 and has about a 10 inch gap in the back. The back is the most interesting part. I mention to Nancy that it's hard to visualize. She says, "well it's not the hard, see this little piece on the side? That's the back. Just imagine a lot of it." I say I'm uncomfortable because it's so exposing. She says, "Well I guess if you want this, you can pay a fee and I and I will get a larger sample size." I feel so deflated, and mumble, "guess it would help if I wasn't so fat." She just looks at me with a smirk and shrugs. At this point we're heading to show MOH, and I get so upset I look at her and say, "No, when a bride says she looks fat, the correct answer is that I don't and I look pretty." Again she just shrugs. I see MOHand burst into huge tears. There is a nice large fitting room right by the desk that she did not put us in, and I go in there and shut the door to cry, I'm so upset and humiliated and having no fun at all. Because the top is tight and I have no bra, I feel really unsexy and it's hard to get a good idea of how it should look, so I once again ask for a bra. She tries to get out of getting me one, with several excuses, and I politely insist. She goes to a drawer and makes a big show of finding one of those stick-on ones, unsticking the disgusting used cups, and hands it to me.She also just opened the door and came in at some point when I was totally naked. I covered myself with a cry (I'm very body comfortable around people I like. Not her). She just said oh, and shut the door. What??
I spoke with Barbie, the buyer, and the store manager, and both were aghast and totally apologetic. Unfortunately, the damage was done, and I left feeling utterly miserable. read more