Wedding dress blues

rojacobs

I have found a few Maggie Sottero wedding gowns online that I love, and have called all the retailers in my state to see if they have the gowns in shop to try on, and no luck.  I realize that I could hate them, or find something similar that I love in a local shop, but I'd love to try these specific dresses.  I'm not sure if I have any options, I don't want to blindly order a dress I've never tried on.  I've also looked for the same dresses on used dress sites and craigslist, but no luck. 

Any ideas?

In case you're curious, the dresses are Holly, Madison and Autumn Royale.

Thanks!

deanozzi

If you can not find the dresses to try on I would say you are out of luck, Have you tried looking out of your area? Like maybe an hour or two away if you don't mind taking the drive?

rojacobs

I have contacted all retailers in a 200 mile radius, all retailers in Oregon, and part of Washington.  I'd like to bring my mom with me to look for dresses, it would be a 7 hour drive for her to get up to Seattle which is the closest large city to Portland, OR. 

deanozzi

If that is the case, I would forget about them.

Are they brand new dresses that just came out or older dresses that you would find on a clearance rack? If they are newer, you may want to give it a month or so and call again. They might be so new that they don't have them stocked yet!

rswans

You might want to see if any of them have a trunk show coming up. There were three dresses from Maggie Sottero that I absolutely loved, but no one within several hours had them. When one of the stores had a trunk show (I think an extra 40-50 dresses), 2 of the 3 I liked were included. I ended up buying one of them so I'm glad I found out about the trunk show!

becka717

All 3 of those dresses are still listed on Maggie's website.  At least two of them have been available since 2010.  I didn't see that they were discontinued.  You should call one of the listed retailers and ask if they can order in a sample for you.  I have heard that some stores will do that for a fairly minimal fee ($20 to $50).  That amount is often then applied to the dress if you end up ordering it. http://www.maggiesottero.com/stores.aspx

SMLKLP

I have the same problem.  I really like Amanda, Gwenyth, and Madison but can't find them.  One of the bridal shops that I called told me about how they are able to get a loaner sample dress from somewhere else, but it would cost me $100.  They said if I end up ordering the dress then half the cost would be applied to the cost of my dress.  If you are really set on these dresses I would call the salons back that sell Maggie and ask them if they have a program like this.  I have only been dress shopping once, so I decided I am going to show salons these pictures just to explain my style and hopefully they will pull something for me that I will love just as much or more. Good luck!

rojacobs

I was wondering how trunk shows work, there is one in my town next weekend that I can try to get an appointment for.  Unfortunately I'll have to go by myself, but it might be worth it if they have the dresses I'm looking for!

Thanks for all the ideas, I'll also ask about getting some samples in!

PaoPao820

I had this problem... I live in NY and called close to 40 stores looking for autumn royale because i thought it was my dream dress. I finally found it in NJ and went to try it on. BUT as per PP, a lot of bridal stores can order a sample for you. Bc I'm in the NY area, it cost around $75 for them to do it, but where you are it might be a lot cheaper so if you're fixated, just do that. If you're not fixated, print the pics, go to a place that has a LARGE selection, and have them show you dresses that are exactly like them! That's all. But also try to have an open mind because my dress that I chose was nothing like what I was at first picturing. And I went to 11 stores and tried on over 120 dresses... I literally thought that I was going to be walking down the aisle naked. Good luck and just trust you'll find the dress that's meant for you!

Zimsgirl

Do they have Sottero and Midgley dresses? Adorae is similar and really beautiful

wineo929

I think going to a shop with the pictures is your best bet. I had a few in mind that I loved and the bridal salon pulled a few that were similar. I ended up getting a dress that incorporated all of the dresses I showed them. It was great!

francienyc

I would suggest a combination of the solutions above.  Go and try on some gowns at bridal boutiques, maybe bringing pics to show the salesperson what you had in mind.  Maybe you'll like something!  But if the Maggie Sottero dresses still haunt you, you can take more drastic measures like driving 7 hours or paying to order in a sample.

Although if there are places in Seattle, maybe it would be nice to go with your mom and make a little trip of it?  I had big dreams of buying my dress in Paris once upon a time and wish I could have made a little trip to try on dresses and swan about the city.  I didn't end up doing this, but it would have been really fun.

snuff9861

I had the same issue with the maggie dress I wanted. I ended up buying an Alfred Angelo that has a very similar silhouette with a different neckline. Compare the styles of other designers and see if theres a similar one