BUYING DRESS ONLINE??

Clairebearcakes

Tell me what you think: I'm planning on going to a wedding gown store and trying on a variety of dresses to find out what looks best on me. From there, I was going to buy a dress off of ebay from a WELL RATED seller because they have the most amazinggggg dresses on there for less than 200 dollars. Yes, I realize its an important dress and I shouldn't "skimp", but nobody is helping me and my fiance pay for this wedding, and I'm not really as into the dress as many brides are. Plus, if you go search ebay, there are really gorgeous dresses on there (way better than the stuff at David's Bridal). If anyone has any experience with buying bridal stuff off ebay, lemmee know! Thanks.

stina93446

I'd be wary just because you can try on a million a line dresses with pick ups and when yours arrives in the mail, it doesn't fit. what company does this seller supposidely sell? If the dresses are less than $200, they may be made in china. Have you looked at David's Bridal? They have some inexpensive gowns. Or Trash to treasures board here. I would be too afraid to purchase it online unless I had a specific dress I had already tried on.

mbcdefg

Be careful - if it's a dress that's made in China, chances are that it might not be what you're expecting or what's pictured. A few girls here have ordered China dresses and were very disappointed with what they got. I'm not really "into" designer or expensive wedding gowns, either, but I wanted to wear something that was nicely constructed and didn't look cheap. If the eBay seller is only showing stock photos, and/or photos of the original designer's dress (like if they show a Maggie Sottero and say that you can buy a lookalike for $200), then that's not a good sign. They should show you photos of their actual work. There are SO many resources for you to get a well-made, inexpensive dress in person, so IMO I would exhaust those options before you go with an eBay dress. (Unless of course you're talking about buying a legitimate designer dress from someone on eBay, not a China-made knockoff):* Jcrew.com, target.com and nordstrom.com have lovely wedding dresses for around $200. Check bluefly.com as well.* buy an evening gown in white, ivory or maybe silver/gold. Also look in stores that sell prom and homecoming dresses - Windsor, Group USA, department stores, etc. * look for off-the-rack dresses at Group USA and David's Bridal* look into more inexpensive designers - for example, I don't think Alfred Angelo gowns are very expensive* look into buying a sample gown from a bridal salon * buy a used dress from Craigslist, savethedress.com, oncewed.com, Preownedweddingdresses.com, eBay or the Trash To Treasure board. Ask your local Knotties if anyone's selling her dress, or if she bought an extra dress that she needs to unload* check thrift shops and consignment stores. I was in the Salvation Army a few years ago and saw a gorgeous, modern Mori Lee dress for $100* see if Brides Against Breast Cancer, or Running of the Brides, will be held in your area soon* does a relative or a girlfriend have a dress that she'd loan you?* see if a local dressmaker can create something for you in your price range, or modify another dress to your liking (maybe a loved one's old gown that she wouldn't mind being altered, or a thrift shop gown or an eBay gown)* look on etsy.com for handmade gowns, or put in an Alchemy request for someone to make you one (you can specify what you are looking for and how much you want to pay, and people will bid for your business and then you pick one)* buy a bridesmaid's gown in white* buy a knockout evening gown or BM dress in your favorite color. You need not wear white if you would rather not. Plenty of brides marry in colored gowns and they're gorgeous.

jagore08

You should also check out [url]http://jaysbridal.net/store/home.php[/url], [url]http://www.pearlsplace.com/[/url], or [url]http://rkbridal.com/[/url]. All of these stores are reputable dealers for the dresses they sell. You might not find a dress for $200 but you can find one for much less than they sell in stores.

Jesie85

Most dresses come from China anyways, or their material does, check your clothes or check the tags inside the dresses.

stina93446

Jesie, yes stuff comes from china. But on the web from a seller can be from anywhere. If you buy a jcrew dress on jcrew, it probably was made in china, but you know that it's jcrew. Some random seller on ebay may be putting a picture of a davids bridal dress and when it arrives at your house, there are stains, stitching problems, etc.

Clairebearcakes

Well, when I first started planning my wedding, my dress budget was 2500 dollars and I got in the mindset of buying a very elaborate designer gown. But after booking a surprise venue, that budget went out the window and now I'm down to 700. I feel really desperate because the gowns at david's bridal are sooo plain. But thanks for all the suggestions of where else I can go. I will definitely check out those websites/stores and see if I can find anything. Thanks!PS: Yes, I believe most of the places on ebay are Chinese sellers. I've found very mixed reviews on them.

stina93446

If you post a dress that you like, the girls on this board can usually find something similar. A lot of companies make knockoffs and a good quality versus the dresses from china.

margaretmc3

Definitely be careful with online dresses. When I was searching for my dress, I was amazed to see the ones from the bridal store offered online for WAY less than retail, but the reason they're cheaper is because they're not the same dress. One website had a stock photo from Maggie Sottero and it even said "Maggie Sottero" across the top of the page, but I noticed that the web address bar said "Maggie Sottero-Inspired." Another website made the mistake of showing the actual "designer inspired" dress and when you looked at the closeup, you could see that it was of poor quality. The fabric didn't look right and the stitching was bad. It looked homemade. That being said, you might be a little safer going through ebay, especially if the seller is highly rated. Just check out the return policy very carefully. You've got enough time until your wedding to return the dress if it's not what you want and still have enough time to pursue other options. You should continue to check out the bridal stores. My budget was $500-600 and I was amazed at how nice the dresses in that range were. Plus, they often sell the sample dresses for much less than the price of a new one. If you go to a nice, busy store, they're going to have a lot of dresses, and the staff is with the customer when the dresses go on and off, so they're in good condition. Good luck with your search!

Janbrit

Be careful for the Chinese copy houses, they copy from photos. If you want real bargains go to Pearlsplace.com or Netbride and you will save much money and get a real designer dress.

Clairebearcakes

I checked netbride and asked them for a price quote on a dress i really love. thanks!