Trying on dresses alone

samwise1127

One of my bridesmaids lives out of state and my other lives several hours away.  I might have a third, but I totally decided yet.  My parents live out of state, and I'd wish they'd stay that way as much as possible.  So what do I do about picking out dresses?  Has anyone ever tried on and picked out their dress by themselves?  

MoxieMickie

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QueerFemme

Honestly, I wish I HAD gone shopping alone. I was a complete wreck with dress indecision... especially with so many different opinions.  even after I bought my dress, I kept second guessing myself. I wish I would have picked my own dress out, and not shown anyone until I walked down the aisle.

frommithtoteal

I went with just my mother but it wasn't either of us that picked out the dress I fell in love with, it was the consultant. They have experience and I am so glad I trusted her opinion because it really is a really great dress.

16maybeless

The first time, I went with a larger group (4 girls), and it was very fun but I got overwhelmed. The second time, I went by myself, and then the third time, I returned to the same store as trip #2 and brought along a close friend whose opinion I cherish. I didn't try on any new dresses during trip #3, just the ones I liked from when I went by myself. 

Honestly, I'm a better solitary shopper. This goes for regular clothes shopping, too. I hate group trips. I get exhausted and impatient and I'm much quicker at making decisions on my own. I would highly recommend going by yourself or going with 1 or 2 friends, max.

itzMS

Everything depends on your personality. Do you often ask for opinions when buying regular clothes? If so, you might want to skip the solo trip.

Personally, I haven't asked for anyone's opinion on what I wear....ever. So the solo dress shopping was right for me.

samwise1127

Thanks for the helpful advice.  I generally prefer to go shopping by myself but was afraid that it would mark me as antisocial when I went to bridal salons.  As much as I love my friends it's just too much input and opinion to deal with.  I went with my mom to try on one dress and it became so much about her that I just felt lost.  I feel better knowing that going solo doesn't carry any stigma.

ADH0906

I did both, and preferred going solo.  There was usually a "How many other people are we expecting?" moment at the salon, but that's about it.  TLC had me totally convinced that I needed 18 people with me to make a decision, but going at it alone was definitely the best option for me.

I didn't actually buy the dress until my out of state mom/bridesmaid were in town.  They got the salon experience, but it was about me showing them the dress rather than asking for their input too much.  Maybe that's an option for you and your bridesmaids?

16maybeless

samwise1127 said:

Thanks for the helpful advice.  I generally prefer to go shopping by myself but was afraid that it would mark me as antisocial when I went to bridal salons.  As much as I love my friends it's just too much input and opinion to deal with.  I went with my mom to try on one dress and it became so much about her that I just felt lost.  I feel better knowing that going solo doesn't carry any stigma.

I think my consultant was kind of relieved I was by myself! We had a really good rapport, and we were so quick; I got so many dresses on and off in 90 minutes, it was unbelievable. No worrying if I should bother showing everyone a dress I hated. No dithering. No one saying "I know that dress is $16,000, but you should try it on anyway!"

NOLAbridealmost

I went alone. I had a custom made dress so I never actually did the bridal salon thing, but I did all my consults, fittings, etc. by myself.  I showed my parents a picture of the final product but that was it.

efmcc67

It's not common, but I went with my FI. I'm in a similar situation; my wedding party is out of town, and my parents are a good 600+ miles away. I don't care about tradition, and I don't buy into superstitions, so I took FI because I knew he'd give me an honest opinion. 

I won't tell you we didn't get some funny looks. We were even accosted by a random stranger who seemed to feel impelled to tell us we were doing it wrong. She showed up to David's in a bee antenna headband, and somehow we're the weird ones. Go figure.

onelovelywedding

You may save yourself a lot of heartache if you just go by yourself -- If you can narrow your choices down to a two or three, then maybe bring someone in to look at them with you on a later date - you can get their opinion.  In any case, it is your dress to wear on your special day - pick what you want!

 

0Jilly0

I went shopping alone and once I found the dress I had my dad and aunt come back with me just to gauge their opinions IMO it was faster and easier to do it alone!

ash289

I also have to agree. I am very very indecisive and having others share their opinions will confuse me and I will end up not getting what I want. I plan to dress shop alone first and narrow it down to a few favorites before I ask others to join me. Good luck

LizM61409

I'm going with my mom and 2 sisters in a couple weeks... after reading this I hope it doesn't turn out to be too much!

rakkaya87

I went alone.... and am bringing my sister back Friday with me to try it on and SHOW it to her, not ask her to decide between some

annemagner

I went alone, it was the best option for me. My sister had my mom, and a few others with her (as well as me), for her dress fitting, and she told me a few years later that she wished she went herself, as she now looks back at photos she didn't like the dress, but felt pressured to buy it. I learnt from her mistake!