Question about dress shopping

[luvthemstrawberries]

I''m planning on starting to try on dresses soon. Excited!

And maybe this is a silly question (I hope not), but what exactly should I bring with me (besides a good bra)? I''ve been looking at lots of dress websites, especially the ones carried by the salons near where I live. I''ve got lots of favorites written on a big list. So should I bring the list for each line into each salon that carries the lines? Should I print out the photos of them instead? (The list or group of pictures would be quite large.)

I don''t know if I''ve gone overboard with writing down all the ones I''ve seen so far that I liked or what. IF they had every single one in the store, I''d be trying on LOTS of dresses - is that normal too? I typically have to try on 20-30 pairs of jeans to find one pair that fits me right, so believe me, I''m prepared. I just don''t know if salons expect that or if they just want you to describe what you like and they pick the dresses. Something about that just doesn''t seem right to me, because it''s like someone else picking my dress instead of me shopping for it. I realize most salons don''t let you thumb through the dresses like shopping for a shirt in a department store, but a big part of me wants to walk in with my list and look at (try on) every single one they carry to make sure I''ve seen everything I wanted to.

Any help is appreciated! I''ve never been dress shopping with anyone, so it''s all brand new to me.

 

[cammy85]

Just be aware that regardless of how many pictures you hae, most places keep you to a pretty strict timeframe. I''d say if you do have a huge stack, put them in order that you''d like to try on (from your favorite first). Also, depending on your consultant, they sometimes can recommend dresses you wouldn''t have thought of initially but once you get it on, you love it.

Just my 0.02

 

[galvana]

you dont need to bring anything, even the bra at some places they''ll give you a "wedding dress bra" to put on.
and i would call ahead and let them ahead of time what styles you want to try on so they can pull them out before you get there, to save some time.

The dress i ended up getting was kind of like cammy said, it was one the consultant pulled for me to try, i looked at it on the hanger and hated it! swear to god, but as soon as i put it on, i was in love.

MAKE SURE YOU TRY ONE THE ONES YOU "THINK" YOU WONT LIKE! as you never know!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

So do they like it if you come in prepared with an idea already of ones you want to try (while still having an open mind to their suggestions) or would they rather you come in and just say "v-neck, a-line - show me what you have" and let them choose?

 

[cammy85]

Date: 12/18/2008 1:16:50 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
So do they like it if you come in prepared with an idea already of ones you want to try (while still having an open mind to their suggestions) or would they rather you come in and just say ''v-neck, a-line - show me what you have'' and let them choose?

Honestly, I think it''s best if you have a general idea of what you think you want and just keep an open mind. I tried on sheath, A-line, Ballgown, Halter, Strapless, Sweetheart... you name it, I tried it. The consultant pulled several as well.

The other thing I was told to keep my sanity, and I think it''s a good idea:
If you go by what you ''like'' or what looks good on you, you''re probably going to be like me and have 40 gowns that you like haha. The consultant said two things - 1, compare dress to dress. Even if you like two of them, pick the one you like more and compare it to the next one. That was the only way I was ever going to narrow things down. 2, imagine yourself on your wedding day. What do you envision in general terms? That can give you an idea where to start. Once I tried on my dress, I could imagine myself walking down the aisle in it. That sold it for me. (I do kinda miss trying dresses on!)

 

[Sparkalicious]

Luvthemstrawberries - How exciting ... I hope that it''s lots of fun for you!

I think that in addition to the "essentials", i.e., your own bra if you prefer, I think that preparation is prudent given that bridal salons usually assign you a limited timeframe. I would suggest maybe calling ahead and speaking with your consultant to advise of any preferences you think that you may have so that they can pull dresses that fit that description or even some of your favorites and then, when you get there, that will be taken care of so you don''t have to waste time, in that regard.

Additionally, be open. Try on various skirt shapes and necklines etc b/c often what you love may not love you and what you think looks awful may look like a million bucks on ... You just never know.

I do think that giving your consultant a head''s up, of sorts so that they already have an idea of your taste/interests is the way to go to help streamline your bridal shop visits ... especially since you have several to attend.

Have tons of fun! Can''t wait to see what you come up with.

 

[mayachel]

From going with friends, I''d say make sure you eat breakfast or lunch first to ward off any low sugar fatigue! Then, dive into those dresses and have fun. I agree with trying on at least a couple that you would never have thought of just to see...

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Thanks cammy, princesscuts, and sparkalicious for the advice so far! I appreciate you chiming in.

So say one salon carries 8 lines I'm interested in. And say I saw 4 dresses on each of those lines' websites that I liked (most have more than that) - that's 32 dresses alone. Which even I think is crazy. Do you make multiple appointments? Should I do like cammy said and put them in order and hopefully find one before going through 32 dresses? Or is that just a number that will make the consultant go bug-eyed at me

in the first place, and I should *try*

to narrow it down beforehand??

ETA: And mayachel

 

[cammy85]

32 dresses?? WOWZA! I think that''s a pretty lofty goal for one trip. Depending on your style, dresses are HEAVY, and you can get really tired after a marathon dress appointment. Also, trying on that many dresses can put you in a little bit of a fog as to what dresses you liked for what reasons. Even at davids bridal, in 3 hours (yeah i know... I was one of those people.

) I was able to try on about 10 dresses in my first appointment. I made one a few weeks later and probably tried on another 6 or 7 in 2.5 or 3 hours again. I bought my dress that second trip. I think going through and finding your absolute favorites in pictures is a good first step. And see how long your appointment is (at the one designer salon I went to, they got me in 5 dresses in 1 hour and they were very strict on the timeframe.) Based on that, you can sort of ''budget'' how many dresses you can try on in that time frame. So pick the ones you really think you''ll love. If you don''t find the one on your first trip, just go back for round two...

or three...

or however many it takes to find your perfect dress.

Just remember, you don''t have to find it your first trip out.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 12/18/2008 2:24:30 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries
So say one salon carries 8 lines I''m interested in. And say I saw 4 dresses on each of those lines'' websites that I liked (most have more than that) - that''s 32 dresses alone. Which even I think is crazy. Do you make multiple appointments? Should I do like cammy said and put them in order and hopefully find one before going through 32 dresses? Or is that just a number that will make the consultant go bug-eyed at me

in the first place, and I should *try*

to narrow it down beforehand??

Good question!

I''m thinking that it is likely that of the dresses you have selected, there may be a common theme running through them, eg - skirt shape, detail etc ... Since many bridal salons do not carry every dress in a designers collection, just let your consultant know which ones you like and why and then have them pull what they may have in the store and try on as many as possible. If time runs out, make another appointment for some more dress fitting fun! I suspect, however, that given that there may be a particular "something" that you like about the dresses by the different designers that after you try on several, you will develop a greater sense of what you do and not like and may not need to try on 32 dresses as you''ll be able to narrow it down much before that. For whatever it''s worth, as well, 32 dresses does not seem like an inordinant amount to me. There are so many different bridal designers and variations of styles etc and this is such an important purchase ... Once you get into the groove you will be putting them on and taking them off quickly and will be through a whole lot of them before you know it.

If the consultant goes bug-eyed ... she''s not the one for you. Don''t narrow it down. I say the opposite ... Give them everything you like and leave it up to them to narrow it down. Although this will likely be due to them not have certain styles in the store, by letting them know your preferences, I think that you are better enabling them to pull dresses independantly for you ... ones which you may not have already seen and may be perfect for you.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 12/18/2008 2:33:29 PM
Author: cammy85
32 dresses?? WOWZA! I think that''s a pretty lofty goal for one trip. Depending on your style, dresses are HEAVY, and you can get really tired after a marathon dress appointment. Also, trying on that many dresses can put you in a little bit of a fog as to what dresses you liked for what reasons. Even at davids bridal, in 3 hours (yeah i know... I was one of those people.

) I was able to try on about 10 dresses in my first appointment. I made one a few weeks later and probably tried on another 6 or 7 in 2.5 or 3 hours again. I bought my dress that second trip. I think going through and finding your absolute favorites in pictures is a good first step. And see how long your appointment is (at the one designer salon I went to, they got me in 5 dresses in 1 hour and they were very strict on the timeframe.) Based on that, you can sort of ''budget'' how many dresses you can try on in that time frame. So pick the ones you really think you''ll love. If you don''t find the one on your first trip, just go back for round two...

or three...

or however many it takes to find your perfect dress.

Just remember, you don''t have to find it your first trip out.

HAHAHA that''s exactly what I''m gonna be, I already know it, unless I somehow stumble into something amazing, I''ll be there for hours just like I am anytime I try things on!!

Cammy thanks so much for the advice - that''s what I needed, someone''s personal account of how they went about it. Maybe 32 is too much. What I basically did was look at each website for the lines the salons carry, I looked through all the collections, and just wrote down the style of each one that had the features I wanted or just struck me as something I''d like a lot. Now that I''m basically done, maybe I should "trim" it down some, just like a rough draft of paper or something - I''m sure I could go back through and eliminate some (haha or at least try

). Thank you so much.

 

[havernell]

Date: 12/18/2008 2:24:30 PM
Author: luvthemstrawberries

So say one salon carries 8 lines I'm interested in. And say I saw 4 dresses on each of those lines' websites that I liked (most have more than that) - that's 32 dresses alone. Which even I think is crazy. Do you make multiple appointments? Should I do like cammy said and put them in order and hopefully find one before going through 32 dresses? Or is that just a number that will make the consultant go bug-eyed at me

in the first place, and I should *try*

to narrow it down beforehand??

Just because a certain bridal salon carries a certain line/designer, that doesn't mean they'll have EVERY dress from that designer in the store. Meaning, they may only have 2 of the 4 you like from Designer X. So, I would take in your list of gowns you like and ask them which they carry in the store currently. Then, try as many of those on as possible during your first appointment (and any other gowns your consultant suggests).

Like others have said, most times bridal consultants will have another appointment scheduled after yours (not sure how long the "average" appointment is, maybe 1.5 hours??), so they won't let you stay all day to try on dozens of dresses. So, you may very well have to make another appointment or two if there are still dresses on your list you want to try on after you first visit. There's nothing wrong with having multiple appointments at the same salon at all, so don't hesitate to ask them to set another appointment as you are leaving!

Have fun and good luck! Post photos if you can afterwords!

ETA: Apparently Sparkalicious and I were typing at the same time since she gave you much of the same advice.

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 12/18/2008 2:37:10 PM
Author: Sparkalicious

Good question!

I''m thinking that it is likely that of the dresses you have selected, there may be a common theme running through them, eg - skirt shape, detail etc ... Since many bridal salons do not carry every dress in a designers collection, just let your consultant know which ones you like and why and then have them pull what they may have in the store and try on as many as possible. If time runs out, make another appointment for some more dress fitting fun! I suspect, however, that given that there may be a particular ''something'' that you like about the dresses by the different designers that after you try on several, you will develop a greater sense of what you do and not like and may not need to try on 32 dresses as you''ll be able to narrow it down much before that. For whatever it''s worth, as well, 32 dresses does not seem like an inordinant amount to me. There are so many different bridal designers and variations of styles etc and this is such an important purchase ... Once you get into the groove you will be putting them on and taking them off quickly and will be through a whole lot of them before you know it.

If the consultant goes bug-eyed ... she''s not the one for you. Don''t narrow it down. I say the opposite ... Give them everything you like and leave it up to them to narrow it down. Although this will likely be due to them not have certain styles in the store, by letting them know your preferences, I think that you are better enabling them to pull dresses independantly for you ... ones which you may not have already seen and may be perfect for you.

Haha with the exception of maybe 4 or 5, there is totally a common theme. It''s just that each one is so different in all the details - haha it makes it so difficult (in a good way

)!

So maybe 32 ISN''T too many haha... maybe I should look over them and if I don''t want to trim any, don''t... and just go in and go from there! And not worry yet about which ones they don''t have, just see what they do have. And I do plan on remaining open-minded... mostly.

Haha I hope I don''t make anyone go bug-eyed.

Thanks so much sparkalicious!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Date: 12/18/2008 2:40:40 PM
Author: havernell

Just because a certain bridal salon carries a certain line/designer, that doesn''t mean they''ll have EVERY dress from that designer in the store. Meaning, they may only have 2 of the 4 you like from Designer X. So, I would take in your list of gowns you like and ask them which they carry in the store currently. Then, try as many of those on as possible during your first appointment (and any other gowns your consultant suggests).

Like others have said, most times bridal consultants will have another appointment scheduled after yours (not sure how long the ''average'' appointment is, maybe 1.5 hours??), so they won''t let you stay all day to try on dozens of dresses. So, you may very well have to make another appointment or two if there are still dresses on your list you want to try on after you first visit. There''s nothing wrong with having multiple appointments at the same salon at all, so don''t hesitate to ask them to set another appointment as you are leaving!

Have fun and good luck! Post photos if you can afterwords!

ETA: Apparently Sparkalicious and I were typing at the same time since she gave you much of the same advice.

Thanks to you too havernell - these are all things I needed to know too! I haven''t done this before, so it''s good to learn the basics and the facts of what to expect.

 

[havernell]

Other tips for dress shopping:

- don''t wear make-up so you won''t leave smudges on the gowns

- wear underwear you are comfortable with your consultant seeing, because she''ll help you put on every dress and will see it all.

- Instead of just simply saying "I like it/ don''t like it" tell the consultant specifically what you do/don''t like about every dress you try on, so she can get a better idea of what other gowns to suggest

 

[marchswallowbird]

-- Bring photos of dresses you like
-- BRING a bra -- not everyplace has them, especially David''s Bridal and Alfred Angelo
-- Wear a slip. I took the strapless Spanx I will be wearing under my wedding dress. I got hot and sweaty while trying on gowns, and a slip kept me from perspiring on the gowns. It also made the gowns slip on and off more easily. It also gave me some modesty while in the dressing room with the attendant.
-- Bring a SMALL camera that will hide in your purse. A lot of these places don''t allow photos, but you can sometimes sneak them, if you turn off the flash and all the sounds on your camera, and keep it in your purse in the dressing room.

 

[elrohwen]

I don't see anything wrong with picking out dresses online and knowing what you want to try on. I would narrow the list down though. I think some people are better off letting the SA pick dresses for them, but I picked my two favorite dresses from the Priscilla of Boston site, went in and tried them on, and they were by far my favorites (and I'm buying one of them!). Sometimes the customer really does know what fits her body best! Be prepared if some of the places would rather pick the dresses for you. Maybe let them pick a few, but insist that you get to try on your favorites from your list.

Keep in mind that with your timeframe, you may not be able to try on all of the dresses you like, but bringing the list can help your SA know what you like. Bringing pictures of them will help you remember what is what, but the SA probably only needs to see the name or number to know what dress it is.

ETA: I agree with some of the other posters that if you bring your whole list, with pics, your consultant can help you narrow your list down and get to the root of what you're really looking for. That's what they get paid for!

 

[luvthemstrawberries]

Thanks havernell, marchswallowbird, and elrohwen. I appreciate ALL the advice, I really do! It''s making me much more comfortable about going in.