What is the best pre-owned website to purchase a dress?

Re: What is the best pre-owned website to purchase a dress?

• kvruns member

  

  January 2015

  I bought mine on preownedweddingdresses.com thanks to the Knot

  
  

  I was looking for a dress after I'd already tried it on in the store and knew it fit, my size, etc.  I think it would be hard to do otherwise unless there was a return policy with the seller.

  
  

  Things I asked:

  - are there any stains/rips/ marks - if so send me a picture

  - ask about what alterations have been done.  Mine had length altered and it was listed on site but she didn't list bust alteration.  She did provide me measurements though so I could tell myself

  - has it been dry cleaned (mine said No which I used to negotiate a lower price since cleaning is expensive)

  - asked for pictures showing the dress on her so I could see the length and how it fell in pictures

  - are any accessories included - belt/sash, veil, etc

  - what is the return policy, if any.  Should at least be allowed to return if the dress is presented incorrectly (ie different size than advertised, altered length when they say no alteration, etc)

  
  

  The fees on this site are a bit misleading, especially if you pay through escrow.com that they recommend.  We ended up just doing our own contract and payment through paypal.  After paying for shipping and the dress itself it was less than 25% of what I would have paid retail

  
  

  
  

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• cyaa member

  

  January 2015

  Similarly, I bought my dress on Tradesy.com (and if you are interested, am looking to sell it there too).
  
  Make sure to ask for bust/waist/hip measurements, and I found that height/weight was a good reference for me since I tend to be just tall enough not to be a "petite".
  
  We actually didn't end up buying/selling through the website because the seller lived within a couple of hours of me and we were able to arrange a convenient time to meet up in the middle.  This saved us both money and gave us both the opportunity to back out up until the last minute if the dress wasn't as she described.
  
  I loved that the seller was honest that it had some floor marks on the bottom from walking on the sidewalk for photos, it showed that she really wanted to be up front about the dress and the condition - in person it was barely noticeable.  Ask for lots of pictures (and don't accept just the stock photos from the vendor).
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Maggie Sottero: Deidre
  Dress Size: 10
  Street Size: 6
  Closure: Corset
  Train: Chapel Length
  Alterations: Added bustle that goes UNDER rather than on the outside (color coordinating buttons)
  Condition: Worn for outdoor wedding/reception (has minor grass marks on the underside of the train)
  Me: 5'4" / 140 (35/28/39) -- I wore 4 inch heels and did not alter the length at all.
  

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• Knottie44064430 member

  

  February 2015

  I was trying to do the same thing and I'm also in NYC. Go to Glamour Closet. They have sample dresses, a great selection and everything is beautiful. I don't work for them, btw, but I did get my dress there after trying on over 100. Also, the people who work there are very helpful.

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• Knottie02451815 member

  

  February 2015

  I second preownedweddingdresses.com

  I purchased my gown that retailed for almost $3000 for less than 1/3 of the cost. The best part? I didn't need alterations. The girl I purchased it from was two inches taller than me so I just wore heels. Plus, she was extremely kind, she actually helped me pick out my veil and belt.

  Its definitely a risk to buy something you've never tried on/seen so if you can, book at least one dress appointment so you can see what looks good on you and stay in your price range just in case you find something you love.

  If you can't find anything online look for trunk shows and sales racks. You can find gorgeous and usually pricy gowns on sales racks!

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• .defunct635833965868395700 member

  

  February 2015

  I bought mine from stillwhite.com

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