Working with Kpone was a treat. She and her staff are helpful, professional, insanely talented and best of all, bring it with a little snark and edge. I don't ever hope to have to buy another wedding dress, but if I did, I'd take it back to Mignonette in a hot second. Word to the wise: don't be stupid and wait til the last second I get alterations. Get in way early so you can be sure they can take you- they do get busy. Happy wedding'ing! read more

I am giving more than one star because the work that Mignonette did was good. However, she quoted me $200 cheaper than what she ended up charging me and wouldn't work with me at all. She also started razoring my mom's wedding dress before we determined what the actual price would be, so I was put in a position where I just had to accept what she charged me. Then, when I asked her to adjust the sleeves a bit because they were crooked and loose, she has now gone radio silent and won't respond to me at all. In fact, she initially suggested that I take the piece to another tailor to make the alterations to her original work rather than adjusting it. I am baffled by the lack of response and frustrated that she is clearly unwilling to work with me to alter my piece slightly to make it work for my wedding day. read more

This is long overdue, as I just celebrated my 4th anniversary, but I wanted to talk up this little shop. Kpoene' remade my mom's cathedral length veil into a much simpler version for me, carefully removing the lace from the main part, and handstitching it to the smaller version for me. She knew what I was looking for before I did. Not only that, but once she heard that the department store people had been so rude to me when my mom and I went shopping for my dress, she insisted on having my mom and grandma come in when I picked up the veil. She told me to bring my dress, shoes, jewelry, the works in with me, even gave me a little bouquet to hold when I looked at myself in the mirror. She was horrified that the sept store had just given me a plastic bag to carry my off-the-rack dress in, and gave me a garment bag... even threw in a lilac sachet after hearing that was my favorite kind of flower. I only asked her to do a small thing... and she went above and beyond and was such a genuinely warm and kind person. I would recommend Mignonette to anyone for their wedding, even if it's just for small things. read more

I brought my BHLDN dress to Mignonette for some light altering. They did such an amazing job. My dress was absolutely perfect, and I thought the pricing was very fair. I also loved the bustle they created. It worked perfectly with the shape of my dress. Highly recommend! Thank you, Kpoene! read more

Mignonette - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Working with Kpoene was by far the best part of planning my wedding. From the moment I met her, I knew I was in good hands. She did an absolutely phenomenal job taking my mom's wedding dress from the 70s and making it both modern and classic. The best part was how happy it made my mom that I was able to wear the same dress as she wore with my dad almost 40 years ago. Kpoene worked with me for over six months to have my dress be exactly what I wanted--down to adding pockets. I can't say enough about how great it was to work with Mignonette. It was night and day compared to some of the pushy bridal dress shops we visited. The end result was perfect and ended up being less than my favorite dress in the stores. Plus it was 100% unique and special. Mignonette's design and seamstress skills are unmatched and I had a ton of fun at each visit. read more

Kpoene is such a pleasure to work with! She did an amazing job altering my wedding dress and I couldn't believe how affordable it was for the amount of work she had to do. I purchased my dress from BHLDN and both my stylist there and a friend highly recommended I go to Mignonette. Every fitting was a fun and stress-free experience. Plus, she has a beautiful selection of jewelry, accessories, and incredible wedding dresses. Highly trust and recommend! read more

This was the bridal gown shopping experience I had envisioned when I first got engaged. After visiting two other salons with dresses that felt cheap despite the prices, where salespeople were fake nice and pushy, and where I was just one in a long series of clients for the day, stepping into Mignonette for my private appointment was refreshing. There was a fireplace. There was a robe. There was a pedestal before a three-way mirror. And there were beautiful, one of a kind, light as air dresses, that looked and felt amazing. Kpoene was helpful and encouraging without once being pushy or trying to up-sell me. She carries only her own designs and those of one other Chicago-based designer, and also offers locally-made accessories. These are not cookie cutter pieces, and neither is the experience of shopping here. read more

I could not have had a more perfect experience at Mignoette. Kpoene was a dream to work with. So laid back, fun, and helpful. I came in with an $80 thrifted find and left w a wedding gown that feels it was made from scratch just for me.... style, fit, originality... it's so perfect. I can not wait to wear it at my wedding. The grand entrance idea always made me nervous (all those eyes on me!!!), but now I'm dying for my dress to make its debut. Well, and me too, the bride... but. .. the dress! ! THE DRESS! I just love it. Kpoene and her associate Adriana were so great, I would've invited them to the wedding if I could ;) Go check them out! You will not be disappointed (even if you just leave with a gorgeous accessory... every piece is incredible, and many handmade). read more

Kpone and the team at Mignonette were such a pleasure to work with! I took my BHLDN dress to them (which, I'm pretty sure, everyone does) and she tailored it to fit me like a glove. They're reasonably priced, efficient, and so so talented, plus not stuffy or trying to push you into more alterations or additions. One of my favorite memories was trying on my dress with my mother's veil and hearing Kpoene say "Oh, your veil has a hole in it" (fully expecting her to want to upsell me on a new veil). When I said I didn't mind and would stitch it myself, she said "I agree. It means it has history." Definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a pleasant alterations experience! read more

Mignonette was recommended to me from BHLDN, where I purchased my wedding dress. Everything about working with Kpoene was amazing. She was thoughtful, knowledgeable, and made me feel at ease. She helped figure out which alterations my gown did and did not need and helped select the perfect veil, hairpiece, and earrings to go with the style of my gown and my needs for the day. My husband wound up gifting me with earrings, and my sister was able to wear the ones originally intended for me which made the day even more special since she was not able to attend any of my fittings. read more

Mignonette - Bridal Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you are looking for a personal and unique experience when shopping for your wedding gown or accessories, Kpoene delivers. Her quaint boutique feels like a warm hug. On appointment day, we were greeted with wine and conversation. I felt like I was visiting an old friend! She asked about the wedding, the ring, how he asked...we were right at home. I had a clear vision of my dress and she sketched it on the spot. Her talent and professionalism were apparent right out of the gate. Do not pass up the opportunity to work with her on your gown or accessories! Visiting her at Mignonette Bridal was such a bright spot in the planning process! read more

Kopene and Ariana are warm, smart, and passionate, on top of doing excellent work. I came in with a 6-sizes-too-big skirt, a bag of bustiers, a Jennifer Lawrence pic, and an idea about a grey veil. They took these disparate pieces and turned it into a beautiful, modern-yet-classic, sexy, unique wedding dress. I also brought in a second-reception dress about a 1/3 of the way through the process and they were able to get it done right along with my wedding dress. With that dress too they had helpful guidance and did beautiful work. It looked fit for a movie star by the final fitting. I had a wonderful experience. I highly recommend mignonette. Pro tip: if you have scheduling restrictions start the alterations process as early as you can. They were as accommodating as they could be but it was clear they book solid. read more

They did an awesome job with my wedding dress alterations. My dress which I purchased from Alice and Ivory was a mess. Ariana helped me a ton and tried to get me a new dress from Alice in Ivory. When that didn't work, they completely remade the top to my wedding dress. It turned out amazing! They were so kind and patient with me and really worked hard to make my wedding dress amazing! read more

I had a great experience working with Mignonette for my wedding dress. They were willing to work with me on a shorter-than-preferred timeline, and Sarah Lowry did an amazing job creating my dress. It turned out exactly as I hoped it would because Sarah's not only a talented seamstress and artist; she also listened to all my detailed requests and provided excellent suggestions that were just right on. My friends and family were all amazed and had meaningful compliments, like "it is absolutely perfect for you!" and "it's so elegant and unique" and "it's really one of the best I've ever seen." Merci mille fois, Sarah and Kpoene! read more

If I could give less than 1 star I would. At least 5 months before my wedding, I visited Mignonette about making a lace bolero. I showed Kpoene the picture and although she admitted she's never made one, she reassured me that this would be a simple project. It's a freakin' off the shoulder jacket with bottons in the back! I described to her the kind of lace that I prefer - mind you, I'm no seamstress so my descriptions/biases were just personal whims - I obviously wouldn't know if a particularly type of lace is or is not appropriate for what I wanted to make. Anyways, she bought me this gorgeous lace and for the next few months, would have me come back every few weeks to "try" on the bolero. So I myself am not a seamstress but my sister used to be one (she lives in a different state and no longer does any sewing anymore), so I kind of know that if you want to custom-make something you'd need to measure all the dimensions. Well, the only thing she ever measured, but never actually wrote down, was my chest. Weeks after weeks, appointments after appointment, the piece of lace was draped, pinned, trimmed down and repined onto my body. Finally, 4 weeks before my wedding, I arrived, excitedly for the FINAL fitting - only to find a bolero that was too far down my chest and sleeves that were too small. As we tried to pull the sleeves as far up my arms as possible, I discovered that I could NOT move them - the sleeves had been sewn too anteriorly so I had to shrug my shoulders to not rip the lace while there was like 6 inches of extra fabric in the back. As I was panicking, Kpoene asked me "What's wrong?!". Ummm, well... She actually didn't know why I couldn't move my arm. I had to explain to her the mechanics behind why this lace bolero is no good. Anyway, she remeasured my chest and at my coaxing, measured my biceps but didn't actually write down any numbers (Boy, she must have amazing memory!). Then she had me schedule to come back the next week. As I have little faith and time left in Kpoene, I wrote her an email 2 days later which included all of my other measurements (the ones that any etsy.com bolero maker would ask you to provide them) and emphasized that I really needed a finished product at the next appointment. She wrote back to tell me: 1. My lace selection is inappropriate - it's "too soft" 2. If I wanted "to call it a day" and work with another seamstress, pay her the $40 for the wedding dress alteration. Ok, ready for another nightmare story? here's what wrong with the wedding dress alteration. She put in some padded cups (which I was told later by the seamstress who ended up making my lace bolero in 2 weeks' time were too small - so she replaced them) and fixed the zipper. The zipper that Kpoene replaced would not zip all the way! Only half way through - UNLESS one person holds the dress in a "perfect" way and a second person, using all her force, pushes the zipper up as quickly as possible. Which is fine, I suppose, EXCEPT the zipper jumped and was nearly breaking open at the fitting. But instead of fixing the zipper, they gave me the dress and told me that that's just how the zipper on this dress works. They did sew two buttons across the site where the zipper was beginning to open, but only at my begging, because I didn't wan to have my dress blow up as I walked down the aisle. Kpoene also put in a waist stay, which my second seamstress also had to fix because it was too loose and wasn' t cinching my waist enough. She did successfully fixed some pointy fabric on the dress that was making my bosom look awkward. And remember how the lace fabric was too soft for making a lace bolero? My second seamstress instructed me in the sternest manner possible that I must get her soft lace otherwise I would not be able to move my arms since the bolero is so well fitted. AND she measured everyone, wrote them down, and drew a diagram! What a nightmare and a waste of my time. All those appointments when the bolero could have been made in two weeks' time. My advise: find a real seamstress! read more

I purchased a BHLDN dress and was recommended to take it here. After reading the reviews online, I thought this was my best option. My dress, the Lucca, is very simple. All I needed to do was have it shortened and have the shoulders lifted slightly so that the illusion neckline was flush to my chest. I specifically mentioned that I loved how the dress had no train since I wanted it to mirror my laid-back wedding. I asked that Kpoene add buttons from my grandmother's wedding gown up the back (five in total, non-functioning -- just for show). On my second fitting, as I looked at my dress hanging up, the first thing I noticed was that the buttons were placed all around the waistline, not up the back. When I asked what was going on, Kpoene explained that it was for my bustle. When I asked what bustle, she said "to bustle the train that I created when I shorted the hem". She showed me the little bustle loops she had added and the train trailing behind my dress. When I explained that this was exactly what I didn't want in a dress, Kpoene goes "You know, I had initially thought that you just wanted the buttons up the back, but everyone here said I was crazy." Well why didn't you 1) take notes in the first fitting or 2) Contact me to find out if you were, indeed, crazy? Then the neckline was still not flush to my chest so I asked about this again. Kpoene said that she could do it, but that I couldn't let my arms get any bigger or the dress would cut into me... at this point I was down to 124 lbs at 5'4". I don't believe that she was trying to be hurtful, but telling a bride to not let her arms get any bigger doesn't help with any stress levels. Maybe it could have been phrased differently. On my final fitting, the dress fit beautifully. The hem-length and buttons were correct. The chest fit exactly how I imagined (especially since my arms didn't get any bigger). What left a sour taste in my mouth was as I was checking out. The bill was $200 and I asked Kpoene if I could have an invoice for the pricing. Her response was, "What do you need to know?" I explained that since I don't know anything about wedding dress alteration costs, I would like to see how everything is broken down. (Oh, and also for the fact that the alterations were completely wrong at the second fitting and I want to ensure I'm not getting charged for reworking mistakes). She just said, "it's hourly and yours took 10 hours". Maybe it does take 10 hours to hem a dress, shorten shoulder straps and sew on five buttons. Maybe not. But when a customer asks for an invoice for services rendered, I think its a reasonable request to make one. In all, the work on my dress was done well. The steps it took to get there could have been greatly improved. read more

Working with Mignonette for my wedding dress alteration was great. I purchased my dress too large and it needed some shortening, as well as being taken it. Kpoene made my dress look seamless and the bustle was easy to do but also beautiful. The dress fit perfect and I felt like a princess on my wedding day. Also communication with Kpoene was easy and she was always quick to respond. I appreciated that during the stressful wedding planning time. Thank you Kpoene! read more

How disappointing!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER expected this to be the end result of my experience with Kpoene and Sarah at Mignonette. I first met with Kpoene almost a year in advance before my wedding to ensure that my vision was going to come to life and that there was more than enough time to make that happen. I invested so much time and money to get slapped in the face with a sloppy dress that was made extremely poorly. Their carelessness and lack of responsibility is inexcusable. I showed her pictures and asked her numerous of times if this is something she can do and with no hesitation she said yes! My dress was supposed to be picked up by me on October 7th and guess when I finally brought my dress home, October 21st. Why? You ask....... Because Sarah breaks her finger so I decided to extend it until the following Monday which was the 14th being that I didn't want Sarah to be stressed out. After I give them both an extra week Kpoene texts me the morning of the appointment saying Sarah finished her part (the girl with the BROKEN finger) but that she hadn't finished hers because it was taking her longer than expected!!!!!!! Not because there was an emergency or something happened, simply because she was careless and waited to the VERY last minute to throw together a train that wasn't AT ALL what I wanted. She messed it up so bad it was embarrassing and looked like a 2 year did it! So we rescheduled for that Wednesday to try it on for the last time and bring it home. NOPE. The dress was a mess! The train was a joke, the bodice had indents in the bust area, and the wiring was bulging out. My lace was 95 dollars a yard, which they shreded it all up! Also they didn't use an entire other fabric I bought on my dress either! Total scam! They were doing work to it still and what was suppose to be a pick up ended up turning into a nearly 3 hour fitting, I died! So I now have an appt to pick up my dress the same week of my wedding, in hopes that they will get it right!!!!! Boy was I sooooo wrong, the dress was now worst than it was the week prior! At this point I said nothing, i already paid in full the week prior, signed the paper, and took it straight to my aunt that's a seamstress. She was in shock when she saw the dress, I had noooo other choice. It was less than a week away from my wedding, they made a disaster of it, and it was evident that they didn't know what they were doing. With pins they were good but once the sewing started it went down hil from there. I had to pay my aunt to try and fix what she could in those couple of days but to really fix it we would need more material and to be completely taken apart to fix the alignment of the dress. There is alot more that happened but I'd be here forever so my advice to anyone that is considering getting a custom gown from Mignonette is to go elsewhere! They do not know what they are doing!!!!! read more

Kpoene is awesome and this place rocks! I had my dress alterations done there and the staff was very friendly and did a great job. They instantly make you feel like a friend. I really appreciated that they were honest and didn't try and rip me off like so many wedding related vendors do. I would definitely recommend this shop for the Chicago bride looking to work with real people who know their stuff. read more

I can not say enough good things about Kpoene and her shop. If I could give her more than five stars I would! I bought a floor sample dress during a year end sale at Jenny Yoo and it was far too big for me. I found Mignonette on Yelp and emailed asking if they could do alterations on my dress. I met with Kpoene and she gave me a quote. About two months later I went back and had her do the work. Every meeting was enjoyable and productive. She even did a lat minute fix for me a week before my wedding. After my awesome alterations experience I wish I had just had her make my dress from the start! All the jewelry and accessories in her shop are super cute too. read more

Being a bride is stressful enough, but worrying about someone cutting into your $3k gown is super scary. I can't say enough good stuff about this place. Kpoene, THANK you for being so sweet, thoughtful and patient with me. My dress fit like it was made for me when Mignonette was done with it. They took their time to make sure the dress fit and flowed the way I wanted. I had a small pouch made from my Mother's wedding dress added to the inside of the dress and they did a beautiful job adding this really sentimental piece for me. Thank you for a really great experience. read more

I can't say enough positive things about my experience at Mignonette. Like many of the other women who have already reviewed, I was feeling frustrated and daunted by the whole mass produced, princess, frou-frou bridal industry, so my mother and I planned a trip to Chicago to see what else was out there. Kpoene and her charming shop was such a refreshing change of pace! She asked a million questions, sketched on the spot and was full of amazing advice... she even went as far as suggesting other shops that may fit my aesthetic. Unfortunately the custom process with three fitting just wasn't economical for me, as I live in Vancouver, but there's no doubt in my mind that I would have loved working with Kpoene had I lived closer. read more

I brought my long-sleeved, full lace BHLDN dress to Kpoene and she and her team were like magic! The dress fit fairly well to begin with but it was too long for my short frame so she was able to shorten the dress at the bottom and take some length out of the torso and you could not remotely tell that it has been altered - they truly do fine, skilled work! At my second fitting the dress already looked incredible and tailored to me. As someone for whom the wedding dress had not been a particularly important part of the wedding process, I am so glad I invested in getting skilled alterations. I received many many compliments on my wedding day! read more

I could not possibly give Kpoene enough stars to warrant what she has done for my wedding. She took a 60 year old dress, previously worn by 3 other women in my family, my & turned it into my dream gown. The dress was made of a ridiculously opulent (and heavy) fabric that was spectacular in 1950 (but fraying at the seams in 2013 - the type most professional garment folks would RUN from) and kept its grace, while delicately transforming and repairing it into my dream gown. Kpoene was adamant about making sure the dress was exactly what I wanted, and was very patient with my indecisiveness throughout all of my fittings! Brides are always busy, and Kpoene was perfect for me because she was more than willing to work around my crazy schedule! I cannot thank her enough! She steamed the dress for me right before the wedding and even delivered it to the hotel with a little goodie bag and a gift card for the dress preservation/cleaning company that she recomends. Her shop is absolutely stunning, a mixture of jewlery, veils, housewares, fragrances, greeting cards and, of course, her one-of-a-kind beautiful, unique, fresh gowns! I will sincerely miss visiting Kpoene for my fittings, so I plan on stopping in often! read more

Kopoene has many beautiful ideas, many lovely dresses and many years of experience, A true artist.

Kpoene was lovely and her work was perfect. I scheduled my initial appointment to have my sample dress altered. Her original quote was significantly less than the other two alterations specialists that I had spoken with - and she stayed true to the quote in the final bill. Every time I was at her studio she was kind and clear in what we were going to be doing next - she definitely knows how to make a bride feel calm and beautiful during a time that can be a little stressful! I ended up buying my earrings & my veil from Mignonette, as well. On the day of my wedding, my dress fit perfectly, my veil was a dream, and I felt beautiful! I highly recommend working with Mignonette and Kpoene for your dress & accessory needs! read more

Where to begin? I purchased a gorgeous off-the-rack dress at an even more appealing price. I was TERRIFIED at the thought of alterations. My dress was two sizes too big so I couldn't give into my crazed nature and walk down the aisle without major renovations. I was referred to Mignonette. It's a store I've always admired from the window of the Belmont bus. After my first appointment all of my fears melted away. Everyone at the store is incredibly sweet, funny, and talented. The bustle was so perfect. The day of my wedding I kept getting compliments from family on how stunning it was. I didn't think bustles could be stunning! Boy was I wrong. The bodice fit perfectly. I felt like the French fairy princess of my dreams. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! read more

I am so happy I used Mignonette for my bridal alterations. Kpoene was a joy to work with, from scheduling appointments, fittings, and suggestions for how to tailor the dress in the best way. She is also incredibly affordable for the beautiful work she does. I was starting to have second thoughts about my wedding dress because I thought it might be a nightmare for alterations, but Kpoene did an amazing job. You would have thought the dress was made just for me. I also bought my veil and hairpiece with her. Go to Mignonette for an amazing alterations experience! read more

I had a great experience with Kpoene and Sarah. I purchased a BHLDN dress from a sample sale and it needed a lot of work including taking in parts of the top and taking out the lining of the skirt. I visited them three times and felt like I got great attention and care each time I was there. I felt like she was honest with me about what work was needed but also sensitive to my questions and concerns. She also made me the most adorable head pieces ever that worked out really well with my hair. Thank you, KP! read more

I had such a wonderful, no stress, experience getting my wedding dress altered here. Kpoene is very nice and thoughtful about ALL of the details, and gave me great advice about my dress (as well as managing my mother on my wedding day :) My dress looked more beautiful than when I brought it in. Yes, more. Kpoene added bra cups that gave it great structure and made the ladies look perky, and added a train and cute ties to tie up the dress when I needed to dance. The store is adorable. My dress was on time and affordable. I also saw some gorgeous dresses in store and jewelry as well. I highly recommend this place. This has been the easiest part of my wedding planning! read more

I came to Kpoene with a dress that was in need of a lot of work in the top area and a lot of shortening on the hem. My dress arrived right on time but only left us about 6 weeks to go until the wedding. Kpoene made me feel so relaxed/relieved/comfortable about the whole fitting process. The final alterations truly made it feel like "my" dress and I felt like a princess in it. She and her team did a beautiful job!!! I found her rate extremely reasonable and would highly recommend to any bride!! read more

I took my BHLDN wedding dress to Mignonette for alterations and they did an incredible job! Kpoene is professional, punctual, and knew exactly how to work with my dress. She made the appointments easy, quick and painless. The end result= the dress fit me perfectly!!!! I absolutely loved wearing it on my wedding day. Thanks Mignonette! read more

I was initially a little worried about getting a custom dress....I mean it's way easier to just go to the bridal store, pick one out, and you're done, but going through the dressmaking process you see the dress in all different stages, but that has made me really appreciate getting my dress made, it's made especially for me and only me which makes me feel like a Queen. KP is amazing at what she does, she knows how to make you feel comfortable, calm, and at ease. Even in your skivvies she makes you feel comfortable. I would highly recommend anyone with an allotment of time before getting married to have your dress made. It will mean so much to you as you are walking down your aisle. I also wanted to add that KP doesn't just "make dresses" you can tell she thoroughly enjoys the process, she wants to hear about your wedding, your fiance, even your cake! You can tell she just loves weddings in general and will do anything to make your dream dress come true! read more

Kpoene and her staff are wonderful. It is not an overstatement to say that you feel like you've walked into an enchanted cottage when you enter the boutique. And what is an enchanted cottage without a fairy godmother?! Kpoene is a super fairy godmother with a laid-back vibe. Being a bride can be scary as many vendors take advantage of your naivety; preying upon your uncertainties. Kpoene ALWAYS calmed my fears. I always left my appointments feeling reassured not just about my dress but the entire wedding process and being a bride. They are in high demand and can be difficult to catch on the phone for a detailed coversation so do yourself a favor and MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. Sitting down with Kpoene is the best thing you can do for yourself and your wedding. I wish I had followed up on her vendor referrals from the bridal expo she held in her boutique. Mignonette Bridal is where the magic literally begins. If I had it to do over again, I would stick with her and her recommended vendors. I also found her prices to be very reasonable. read more

This review is long overdue. I had a very small, low-key wedding in May and wanted a nice sash to go with my simpler dress. Having bought the dress at BHLDN, I naturally looked at their sash selection which was gorgeous, but it felt wrong to buy a belt that was 2/3 the price of the dress.. Enter Kpoene and Mignonette. Thanks to Yelp, I went over there to have them custom-make a belt. I showed them some designs of what I was looking for and Kpoene gave me a quote that I loved (i.e. half the price of BHLDN). Oh and apparently she does alterations too and having just come from a seamstress that was giving me a quote that equaled the price of my dress, I was very excited to hear this. Kpoene's quote was also very very reasonable for the alterations. Over the course of my fittings, I changed my mind on what I wanted for the belt and so Kpoene broke out a box of blingy trims that she had so we could play around. What I ended up with was a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind piece with trims I would have never put together but worked. And the alterations were fabulous to boot. A lovely and budget-friendly experience all around. read more