Okay, so everything started out well with this bridal shop (employees were friendly, talkative, hlepful etc.) I knew what dress I wanted when I walked in and even showed them a print-out with price of where you could order it online. I was not expecting their price to be $300 more at the shop, so I asked if they could do anthing to come closer within range of the online price.
The woman came back and said, "well, we can't change our price, but we can include your alterations and bustle in this price." I thought great! It's still a little more, but that's a least a deal. The smallest comparable dress they had to try on was a 10, which was HUGE. The woman at the bridal shop matched my measurements, which they took, up with the designer's sizing chart and told me I was between a six and an eight. I thought that was a strange, as I've never been more than a four in ANY designer dress. I didn't think much of it though ... designers do have funky sizes so I thought, maybe this one's sizes STARTED at 4? I trusted them. I went ahead and told her, "Well I'm planning on losing about 5 more lbs or so, so why don't we get the smaller size six." They were reluctant to even let me order the six, but at this point, I had to insist. I've been a professional model, and am MORE than adept at controlling my weight.
So then the dress comes in, size six, and it clearly needs to be taken in the minute we put it on. It's a corset top and it need to be tied completely shut in order to just STAY up on me, which was still a struggle. Then the woman had the nerve to tell me that I really needed to stuff my bra. I'm sorry but was this dress not MADE to fit my body? The right size corset will stay up no matter what size b***s you have. Case in point: Kiera Knightly in Pirates of the Carribbean.
I asked the woman at the shop if it should have been ordered a smaller size and she says no I'm wrong, sizes go by inches and a smaller size could have been too small and hard to let out. The same thing is clear about the little jacket I paid an extra $250 for that bunches up over my b***s instead of fitting like it does on the model int he photos. I say, hey, "I think i need smaller" and she says, Oh it will only bunch more if we had ordered that. I believe her ... Again.
Then I go to pay and find out, no, alterations are not included. If i had looked at the receipt I would have known, but alas I was too trusting and took her word. Whatever, I was over it at that point and accepted the fact I'd be paying.
So then, baffled with my size issue, I come home and finally have the warewithal to look at the designer's size chart. Turns out according to THEIR measurements on the receipt, the biggest size I should have EVEN considered is a four, and that was only by .5 of an inch in the hips. I'm actually much closer to a size two in everything else! That isn't even accounting for the weight I TOLD her I was going to lose. Suddenly, it was no wonder the cups were too big, no wonder I thought i needed a hem because the dress was falling down on me fully taught, no wonder the jacket was crumpling. But somehow every time they CONVINCED ME I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS WRONG. UGH!
So now I'm really angry. Dress is paid in full, and I'm stuck with a full-lace jacket that I'll never wear because it can't be altered due to the material, and a dress that needs an expert to fix (best case scenario they can even take it in that much), because it is COVERED in intricate beading, all because they must have had a "sneaking suspicion" I'd gain weight (a lot of it), and didn't want to take the risk of having to pay to replace the dress if I did. Can't accept a skinny girl will stay skinny when she tells you that eh? Or is it that you want to make sure I pay that extra for alterations (which I thought were included anyway) by ordering too big?
Now I HAVE TO PAY EXTRA for sloppy alterations when I could have fit perfectly into the right size dress like I've done for every other wedding I've been a BM in? WTF?! Never need alterations in my life! I'm going to call tomorrow and DEMAND a new jacket. If I thought they could get me a new dress in the 40 days til the wedding, I'd demand that too, but I have zero trust in them at this point, and the fate of the wedding is in the balance. I refuse to go to David's Bridal last minute.
I also INSIST they pay for my alterations, either elsewhere (which I prefer), or at their place with them covering shipping there and back because I no longer even live in NY. That's the LEAST they could do for their multiple attempts to scam every last dime out of me. I'll let you know how they decide to handle this tomorrow, and if they do everything I ask, I MIGHT reconsider my opinion of them. I'm not very optimistic though. More likely I'll jsut get another spiel about how they are right and I'm wrong.
BigDressSmallBride
USA#2
Mon, August 17, 2009
Okay, so after about two very vehement conversations with the bridal suite managers via phone, and backing my argument up with measurements, a sizing chart, and eye witnesses from the store, the shop now seems more than willing to help resolve this issue.
Though I'd prefer a new dress, I believe it's a bigger risk to push for that. The shop has offered to do my alterations free of charge. It will be a 300 mile drive there and back, but at this point I will be more than happy if they just make my dress fit (without looking alterered) without charging me anything extra.
I just wanted to update and post that I do appreciate their efforts on my behalf.