dresses??

hobo18

ok girls.  Here is my problem.  I have tried on a lot of dresses so far.  I like mostly all of them, but haven't found THE ONE.  Every store I have gone to so far has let me go into the stock room and look through the dresses.  I am not really sure if I like that.  I need a consultant who will look at all my pictures I come equipped with and pull dresses based on that. I want something that shows off my curves and is classy yet sexy(strapless).  No ball gowns and no sweetheart necklines.  I have pulled dresses I thought I like but when I put them on they are not at all what I like.  A good consultant I feel would be able to say "oh no that's not form fitting" or "no you won't like it it is too pouffy"  Any suggestions on stores?  I have been to Kleinfelds, Davids Bridal, Priscilla of Boston, Jaehee, and Bijou.  Help!  When I watch say yes to the dress the consultant just listens to the girl then they come back with dresses.  Why haven't my experiences been like that?  I need someone to look at my shape and my style and based her knowledge of her own stock help me from there.  How have your experiences been? 

Reilly626

The best experience I had was at Pronovias Flagship in NYC (near St. Pats)... Wow just amazing!  Eileen, the old manager from Kleinfelds found me my dress... she listened and looked at me and it was the one.  I highly recommend going there, the royal treatment was amazing!!!!!  I actually ordered it for less through Russells in Linden, but I credit Pronovias NYC with finding it!  Kleinfelds was the worst experience for me next to Hollywood in Kenilworth.

jrgoogrl

I had a wonderful experience at Exquisite Bride in Millburn. My dress was the first dress I put on! I tried on about 10 just for fun, but it was the first dress for me. The girls are fabulous and very helpful and knowledgeable. I've even gone back to put the sample dress back on just to show my MOH, MIL, and my BM's.

NikkiPSU

Who did you work with at Kleinfelds?  I had Blanca and she picked out the PERFECT dress for me!  It was nothing I would've picked for myself out of a stock room.

peaches85

Russell's in Linden.  I had one dress in my mind that I really wanted to try on and based on the style of that one they were able to pull a bunch of others they thought I'd like.  I worked with Erica who was absolutely wonderful.

LuvOB

I had a great experience at RK Bridal.  It is not as glamorous as the store previously mentioned but it has a knowledgeable staff.  They are also reasonably priced.

This was the 5th store I went to.

I told the consultant, Olga,what I wanted which was a lace form fitted dress.  She looked at me and asked if I was sure, I turned and said of course.  She pointed to the racks of dresses and showed me the sections that had styles I wanted. 

After trying a few on she was able to see which fit best suited me and brought me more dresses.  I liked them all, but did not love one.

Olga was patient with my stubborn head.  She politely asked if she could show me something different.  I agreed.  I tried the first one one and my face started to light up.  By the second dress the she selected I felt jittery and elated.  She found my dress.  The dress that made me feel like a bride.

The dress was very form fitted a soft satin with a little bling, no lace in sight.

Good luck.. you will it it!

uppereastgirl

Well, I think consultants tend to not second-guess the dresses you pull because (a) you pulled it so you must have liked it, and (b) so many people end up falling in love with dresses that are the opposite of what they thought they wanted.  If you try on a dress and LOVE it, do you really want the consultant to say "You shouldn't get that -- it is pouffier than what you said you wanted"?  I don't think they want to limit you because they don't want you to miss out on the a-ha moment when you realize that you look fabulous in a ball gown (even though all you ever wanted was a sheath dress).

I only shopped at two places -- Kleinfeld and Vera Wang.  The consultant at Kleinfeld (the blonde with the bangs) totally didn't get me and pulled dresses that weren't at all what I had said my style was like, and I left scratching my head at how with a choice of 1000+ dresses, I didn't get to try on a single one that I liked.  I really felt that she was pulling the same dresses that the girls around me (who clearly had very different taste from me) were oohing and ahhing over.

The consultant at Vera Wang understood me from the beginning.  Maybe it helped that they only carry one designer and the dresses tend to fit a certain mold (and the crowd that shops there tends to like that mold), but I ended up buying the first dress I tried on (which she pulled for me), and I definitely tried on a bunch I liked.

If you have certain designers that you like, maybe it makes sense to go to their flagships, if they exist?  And I'd just keep looking, generally, but maybe with more focus on what brands you like and what budget you're dealing with.

mbcdefg

Park Avenue Bridal in Verona, NJ

hcer0708

I so far have had a great experince with Russell's in Linden

hobo18

uppereastgirl i think you are right I have to focus more on a designer I like.   I want to try a store in Summit that has Jennifer Salzman

Nikki83185

I second Park Avenue in Verona..although I didnt get my dress here the girl was very good at picking out dresses for my body type, style ect. I would also reccomend Hollywood in Kenilworth where I got my bridesmaid dresses and Bridals by Roma where I got my dress...the women at both were great

37 Butter Knives

I know Reilly keeps using the words "royal treatment" about her experience at Pronovias. I  kind of have to laugh, though they certainly were the most pleasant store I visited (and they let you take photos!). I walked out empty-handed because their selection is quite limited compared with what you see on their website. I printed out five dresses from there, and they didn't have any of them.

Focusing on a favorite designer helps, but you'll have to start all over again if you are disappointed with what you see. I initially went to stores that carried Pronovias and Rosa Clará because I gravitated toward their designs, but I wasn't a fan after seeing them in the flesh. After giving up on them, I went to Kleinfeld for the hell of it, and I found my dress (by Marisa, a label that wasn't even on my radar).

I had a great saleswoman; I could imagine my luck would have been different if I ended up with Dianne. My only issue with Kleinfeld is that they don't submit the dress order to the manufacturer immediately; they time it so that it comes in one month before the wedding date.

hobo18

WOW a month!!! that is terrible!!   I had Renee at Kleinfeld and although she was very nice she just seemed to let me run around the stock room by myself.  I just need someone to know their dresses!

lisab711

If you decide to try Kleinfelds again Sara was awesome. I got my dress from her, but also looooved the ladies at Park Avenue in Verona.  They just did not carry the dress I ended up with...I tried on over 30 dresses. Good Luck