Internet sites for dresses made abroad

shortcakes3414

Hey ladies, with 5 months to go and having just booked our date; my time is limited on buying a dress. Can anyone recommend any trusted websites for dresses made in china? I have heard both positive (cost) and negative (quality) thoughts and want some other bridal opinions.

WalkersFurMama

I bought my dress at lightinthebox.com - it cost $200 and is made MUCH nicer and feels so much better than anything I could afford at David's Bridal. It shipped quickly (arrived exactly 30 days after I ordered it) and fits like it was made for me (because it was! - you can give them your measurements and they custom make your gown for you). I was prepared to accept a gown that might not be super high quality. . . and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how nice the dress is. The fabrics feel fantastic and it is constructed very nicely. The beading is beautiful and obviously done by hand. 

This is my dress: http://www.lightinthebox.com/A-line-Strapless-Chapel-Train-Organza-Over-Satin-Wedding-Dress--WSW0159-_p52295.html?pos=ultimately_buy_4

There are reviews from real brides on there, and lots of the reviews include pictures of real girls wearing the dress so you can see how it looks on. 

I know the ladies around here don't take kindly to those types of sites. . . but I am SO glad I went that route. I ended up with a dress that looks FAR more expensive than what I paid and got my dream dress.

Please feel free to PM me if you have any more questions. 

LisaA2014

Support OUR economy and buy locally! I just don't get why anyone would help China's growing economy when ours is tanking. The internet ruins everything.

And if you 'can't afford' a dress locally, here's an idea get a second job. Thta's what people used to do when they wanted something they couldn't afford.

AddieCake

Why risk it?  There are plenty of less-expensive wedding dresses and options  available here, and you don't run the risk of getting a sh!tty product and having to then spend MORE money to get another dress. My dress was only $450 from David's Bridal. They also regularly have their $99 sales. You could get a bridesmaid's dress in white, even. 

cwstebbins

DO NOT GO WITH BIGDAYDRESS

First, let me express how extremely disappointed in this company I am. I have been lied to, and this company has perhaps the worst customer service I have ever experienced as they refuse to own up to their mistakes and make it right, instead insisting they should be allowed to keep my money and be given "another chance" Here are the key points: 1. They made the dress in the wrong color. At some point in the process before completion of the dress, how did nobody think to check the order? Or, since that is perhaps the ugliest combination of colors I have ever seen (dress was supposed to be a navy blue, instead it is a kind of shiny pastel puke green with dark shiny navy lace on top), how did nobody thing "hey, this is a disgusting dress, maybe we should double-check" 2. After you made the dress in the wrong color, I was sent an email on Feb 1. I had ordered the dress Jan, 17 and paid the extra for the 30-day. In the following emails, it came out that they could not send the dress out for shipping until Feb 15, which means the earliest it could POSSIBLY arrive was the 18th. I got it on the 20th, 3 DAYS AFTER it should have come according to the rush fee I paid. Now, I understand Nicole is refunding that (I have yet to see that refund, mind you), but if the dress had been made correctly, they still would not have been able to complete my order as given. Which leads me to two assumptions: Either they just planned to not honor my order correctly, or when they found out it would not be possible, they intentionally mis-made the dress so that you would have an excuse. Either way is unacceptable. 3. The only reason I agreed on Nicole sending the wrong dress was that I was told by her, and I quote, "How about this way, we gonna still send out this wrong dress to you. You can feel the fabric and lace. And try on this dress too. And if anything wrong with this dress. Please let us know.You can keep this wrong dress after you have a try" The deal was: they made the mistake, they would send the dress for free, I could see if I liked the dress in other aspects, and then decide if I wanted to reorder. When I got the dress, even ignoring the color it was HORRIBLE. I have this Romona Keveza dress (I wanted look-alikes for my bridesmaids). Side by side, it is almost impossible to tell it was the same dress. They use cheap limp fabric covered by heavy low-quality lace. The top is droopy since none of the fabric is stiff enough to hold up, and don't even get me started on the skirt...Now, they refuse to send the refund until they receive the dress back. (The disgusting colored dress which I was told they were sending from goodwill to try to convince me they should have a second chance.)So, as it stands now, I have paid $356.25 (The original Romona Keveza dress is about $2000 retail, so it really isn't even that great of a bargain, especially considering the dress is unrecognizable. I would pay maybe $50 for what they sent me if it had been an acceptable color, and then only if I was wearing it as a costume since that is the quality of the fabric used) I received the wrong dress under false pretenses from the company. I have not received a cent of my money back.DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY.

Read more: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/big-day-dress-website-legit-or-not#post-5378613#ixzz2MxZkOvr9

bunni727

As PPs have said, it is a big risk ordering from a knock off site: the quality is often substandard to the point of being unwearable, and the "savings" aren't worth the shipping, hassle, and stress. Also, the pictures of the dresses look like they are better quality than DB, that does not meant what you recieve will be anything like the picture, and there will be no action for you to take if that is the case.

Also, buying knock-offs just doesn't sit right with me. The working conditions for the people making your dress are not regulated, nor is there pay. Not to mention the inherent ethical conflict of simply buying a knock-off: you are paying someone to make a cheap version of someone else's design, because you don't want to pay for the real thing, but want to have it anyway. It just isn't honest.

If you tell us a budget and style of dress you like, we may be able to help find something from a legitimate company.

My dress was $499, from Allure.

QueerFemme

For every one positive lightinthebox review, there are 100 brides who come here in tears. Try davids bridal. Or consider buying a preowned dress.

Peledreamsofrain

David's Bridal has very nice prices, selections, and sales.  Every dress I've seen on a bride who ordered from China looked cheap.  The materials are lame, the fit is often tragic, the craftmanship is childish, and the customer service is a joke.

Doesn't your wedding deserve more than that? 

jenn5628

I ordered my bridesmaids dresses from www.outerinner.com and was very happy with them when they arrived.  They looked just how I was expecting them to look and the quality actually exceeding what I was preparing myself for (very nice satin underlay, nice detail in the rouching, etc.).  My maid of honour ordererd a standard size because it was close enough to her measurements and it fit beautifully, but the other two girls were able to order custom sizes. In the end they we didn't save as much money as I thought because shipping is very expensive, and I had to pay about $40 brokerage fee for the package crossing customs which I didn't know about - but I didn't mind because the dresses turned out so nicely.  

I am in no way saying that I support poor working conditions in other parts of the world, but I also understand that it's the reality of our consumer market.  And for those who think that buying a dress in your local bridal salon is 'buying local', most of those dresses are made in China anyway, you're just paying for a more expensive tag.  No offense intended to anyone... I did purchase my wedding gown 'locally'.