NER - Vent about my dress..

linnyv27 · May 2013

My wedding dress (in my signature) came in two weeks ago. When I went to pick it up, I tried it on and the bust area was too big so they said I needed it altered.

Today I went to a seamstress they recommended and she pointed out odd wrinkling on the bust area. She tried many different ideas to fix it, and said wearing a bra would help and lessen the wrinkles. This still resulted in some obvious wrinkling. She was confused and couldn't figure out why it was wrinkled.

I was already having dress regret because the material was a lot thicker than I remembered and the cut of the back and top didn't provide proper support, so this issue really had me second guessing. I scheduled an appointment to go see another bridal store that had been very good to me to try on two other dresses I had liked. I brought in my dress to compare it to the other two dresses I liked, and came to the conclusion that I really don't like my dress.

Then the owner/seamstress pointed out that there is a manufacturing mistake on the dress - there is too much fabric under the lace layer. That's why it's wrinkled and she walked me through what would needed to be done to fix it. Needless to say, it would be very expensive. She wasn't even trying to sell me one of the two dresses I liked from her store - she recommended I try to get it resolved with the original shop or get my money back.

Now my plan of action is to go back to the seamstress that shop #1 recommended, and get her concerns/suggestions in writing. Then go back to shop #1 (where I bought it) to get a refund or credit. I feel stupid for having signed the form and walking out with the dress like that - but I thought the wrinkling was just due to an improper fit. At this point, I don't even want the same dress anymore so I wouldn't want a replacement. Do you think it's likely they would refund my money or give me credit? Any suggestions on how to handle it - what to say? I'm really frustrated at this point and only have 3 months until the wedding.

erinlin25 · May 2013

That's tricky-- it is a gorgeous dress, by the way. All you can do is go back and ask. Show them your concerns; bring up what you were told was needed to happen in order to fix it, and see how they handle it. I would think that if the dress was not made correctly those alterations should not be your responsibility. Either the store or who made the dress should fix it and make you happy. Do some research and see if this was a common problem with this particular dress; and try the dress on again to see if that one has the same issue too. If its only happening to your dress then something is not right and it seems it should be fixed not at your cost. Good Luck!

[Deleted User] · May 2013

Honestly, I don't know for certain (and no one will until you ask), but I'd say you're probably stuck with that dress. The best they would probably do is return it for another of the same dress without the wrinkling problem.

You don't say what shop it was from, but I know David's won't let you just return a dress for another one. I only know that because I overheard a bride being upset because she bought a dress, and lost a lot of weight, and wanted a more form-fitting dress now, but they wouldn't let her exchange it, so they made her buy an entirely new dress.

I'm glad I love my dress, even after over a year.

Peledreamsofrain · May 2013

Unfortunately it's the policy of most shops that once you leave the store with your dress, that means the responsibility for it's condition is entirely in your hands. Any objections to manufacturing errors usually need to be made before you take it out of the store.

That being said, it never hurts to give it a try.

southernbelle0915 · May 2013

My guess is that they'll probably give you a hard time/not let you return it. You could also contact the manufacturer directly if you don't have any luck with the store (don't set your expectations too high).

If you want to wear something else and you can afford it, you could just try to order another dress (if they can order/alter it in time for your wedding) and hope to sort this out later. If you end up getting a different dress and can't return this one, you could sell it online. It's unaltered so that's a plus.

ZeroOrchestra · May 2013

Domino04 said:

Honestly, I don't know for certain (and no one will until you ask), but I'd say you're probably stuck with that dress. The best they would probably do is return it for another of the same dress without the wrinkling problem.

You don't say what shop it was from, but I know David's won't let you just return a dress for another one. I only know that because I overheard a bride being upset because she bought a dress, and lost a lot of weight, and wanted a more form-fitting dress now, but they wouldn't let her exchange it, so they made her buy an entirely new dress.

I'm glad I love my dress, even after over a year.

David's actually allowed me to exchange one dress for another. There was a price difference so that I would be paying them more, so that was probably a factor in their decision. From what I've heard they are hit or miss on it.

That being said, this doesn't look like a David's dress (gorgeous though!). I agree with PP that you are probably stuck with it. If they are really nice they could let you exchange it, but they don't necessarily have to. I would tell them what you've learned about the dress and insist they fix or replace it free of charge.

linnyv27 · May 2013

Thanks. It is a gorgeous dress, it just doesn't work with my upper body as I have a bigger bust and thicker frame up top. On top of that, it was made wrong so it looks even more odd. Unfortunately it's not a David's Bridal dress, it's a Jim Hjelm that I bought from a well known bridal shop in my area. They are known for having strict policies and don't even like to negotiate prices so I can imagine how it would go over if I walked in there asking for a refund or replacement.

I think I'll just sell it. The seamstress said the mistake/wrinkling would be less obvious on someone with a smaller bust, so it can work for someone else. It hurts thinking I'll be taking a loss of about $600-$1000 by selling it, but the other two dresses I liked cost less so it kinda balances out.

CrazyCatLady3 · May 2013

Could you try contacting Jim Hjelm directly about the manufacturing/quality control issue? That is a higher end designer and I would think they would want to stand behind their product. At the very least they should fix the extra fabric so the dress is in perfect condition (you shouldn't have to pay to have a seamstress do it if it is a manufacturing defect), even if they won't let you swap it out for a different style.

doiexist1987 · May 2013

A possible alteration to the style of the dress would be to add a criscross in the back to help pull in the extra fabric and give it more support. I know with my dress it went through multiple design changes from the initial pattern to get it to work with my body

[Deleted User] · May 2013

ZeroOrchestra said:

Domino04 said:

Honestly, I don't know for certain (and no one will until you ask), but I'd say you're probably stuck with that dress. The best they would probably do is return it for another of the same dress without the wrinkling problem.

You don't say what shop it was from, but I know David's won't let you just return a dress for another one. I only know that because I overheard a bride being upset because she bought a dress, and lost a lot of weight, and wanted a more form-fitting dress now, but they wouldn't let her exchange it, so they made her buy an entirely new dress.

I'm glad I love my dress, even after over a year.

David's actually allowed me to exchange one dress for another. There was a price difference so that I would be paying them more, so that was probably a factor in their decision. From what I've heard they are hit or miss on it.

That being said, this doesn't look like a David's dress (gorgeous though!). I agree with PP that you are probably stuck with it. If they are really nice they could let you exchange it, but they don't necessarily have to. I would tell them what you've learned about the dress and insist they fix or replace it free of charge.

You know, my MOH did the same thing at David's, and they let her exchange it AND refunded her money because the new dress cost less (she got pregnant). I wonder if they only do it when they want to. Like. Got skinny? Don't care. Got pregnant? Not your fault. New dress!

I also wonder if there is a timeframe. The MOH dress happened in like 3 months.

linnyv27 · May 2013

Update: The shop didn't end up doing anything for me, so I am left with selling my dress. Good news is that I bought a dress I truly LOVE from another bridal shop! Now I'm just nervous about alterations being rushed, but I am so happy so I found something else.

southernbelle0915 · May 2013

Thx for the update! Very happy that you found a solution you're happy with! Good luck with the alterations

TheBaysideBride · May 2013

Wow i am so glad this worked out for you. great job just dealing wiht the situation and resolving it!

PhoneCardLady · May 2013

Please post a pic of the new dress when you can!

linnyv27 · June 2013

PhoneCardLady said:

Please post a pic of the new dress when you can!

Just saw this - of course! Any chance I get to post my new dress.

It's an AlIure dress. I tried on the ivory/pearl color, but I ordered it in all ivory. It has beautiful fabric and crystal buttons on the back. Same mermaid style and lace on top, but provides much better support/shape.

cmclaire · June 2013

What a beautiful dress! I'm so glad you found another dress that you love!

Lowell14 · June 2013

Gorgeous dress!

StephJean83 · June 2013

missax said:

Domino04 said:

ZeroOrchestra said:

Domino04 said:

Honestly, I don't know for certain (and no one will until you ask), but I'd say you're probably stuck with that dress. The best they would probably do is return it for another of the same dress without the wrinkling problem.

You don't say what shop it was from, but I know David's won't let you just return a dress for another one. I only know that because I overheard a bride being upset because she bought a dress, and lost a lot of weight, and wanted a more form-fitting dress now, but they wouldn't let her exchange it, so they made her buy an entirely new dress.

I'm glad I love my dress, even after over a year.

David's actually allowed me to exchange one dress for another. There was a price difference so that I would be paying them more, so that was probably a factor in their decision. From what I've heard they are hit or miss on it.

That being said, this doesn't look like a David's dress (gorgeous though!). I agree with PP that you are probably stuck with it. If they are really nice they could let you exchange it, but they don't necessarily have to. I would tell them what you've learned about the dress and insist they fix or replace it free of charge.

You know, my MOH did the same thing at David's, and they let her exchange it AND refunded her money because the new dress cost less (she got pregnant). I wonder if they only do it when they want to. Like. Got skinny? Don't care. Got pregnant? Not your fault. New dress!

I also wonder if there is a timeframe. The MOH dress happened in like 3 months.

I exchanged my DB dress too. I had it for a week before I took it back for another. I think it depends on the store/staff honestly.

I returned a DB dress after it hung in my closet for a year. They made me pay shipping because it was the same dress just a bigger size and you could see on my order form I requested one size, they ordered a dress 2 sizes smaller and put a tag for a 3rd size on the dress. The shipping was a joke because it started at a different store in my state, went out of state to two different states and ended up at the store I ordered through. But the whole experience with DB in that wedding process makes me not want to work with them at all for my wedding.

allychase · June 2013

Oh my gosh that new dress is stunning!! Perfect for your figure!

NER - Vent about my dress..

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