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Today, I went dress shopping for the third time, and it was really disappointing.
The first time, I went to David's, where they have a ton of dresses in every size. The second time, I went to J. Crew, where I told them ahead of time which dresses I wanted to try and which sizes, and they made sure that they had all of them in stock.
Today, I went to a more traditional shop that carries Pronovias and Watters, two brands I was curious about. I printed out a list of all of the dresses I wanted to try on. There were about 12 on the list. Out of the 12, they only had two in stock. And I couldn't even try those two on because I am a street size 12-14 and they only had the samples in size 6. The woman told me that I could just hold it up in front of me, which I think is ridiculous.
Is this what it's really like at most traditional dress shops? If so, I may have to stick to David's. I don't understand how they can get away with carrying hardly any samples and such a small size. What a crappy experience.
Well, its not really their fault for not carrying your size. Perhaps you should go to a store that you know carry plus sizes.
Yeah I don't get this either. I can't imagine they would have a hard time getting rid of samples when the time comes, so why not have some on hand in larger sizes?
Maybe its because they know that some dresses just dont look right in a larger size.
@Aug8Bride you have got to be kidding. Whose fault is it then? Pronovias and Watters both carry up to size 24!
But I'm not really plus size. I don't shop for regular clothes at plus-size stores. I wear a size 12 or large at regular size stores.
I just think that if the dresses they sell are offered by the manufacturer in sizes up to 22 or 24 (which they do), they should have larger samples in the store. If I was in charge of Watters or Pronovias, I'd want our authorized retailers to be able to sell to as many women as possible. It's just good business.
@Aug8bride - Wow, okay. I gave you the benefit of the doubt with your first comment, but I'm starting to be really offended. If the manufacturers make them in larger sizes, the stores should sell them in larger sizes.
If you have a problem with women who are not stick skinny, this is the wrong community for you.
well, you could have called before hand to make sure they carry your size. you can't just go into a store and expect them to carry all the dresses that you want to try on in your size.
I understand what you are saying. I am a street size 8 and most of the samples were hard to get on or snug. I feel that they should carry samples that would fit the average woman or carry 2 sizes one in a misses size and one in a plus size.
Not that I need to keep explaining myself to you, but I did call ahead and asked what size samples they had, and the woman on the phone said that they had all samples in size 6, 8 and 12. But when I got there, that was totally not the case.
maybe this would be your motivation to lose weight. maybe if it were harder for big people to find clothes, they would do something about their health.
@aug8bride: way to be supportive...she didn't say she expected them to carry all the dresses, all in the right size. But even one in the right size or something close to the right size would have been nice!
In my experience, the samples were usually at least a bridal size 10, if not larger--I didn't try on a single dress that was a size 6 or smaller. Sorry you had a bad experience, danadelphia :( It's definitely frustrating getting all excited to try on dresses and then to not be able to see how they would look on you, or even what the dresses look like in person (since they only had 2 of the dresses you printed out)--that's really disapointing.
Wow. A size 12 is in way no "big". I'm almost 6 ft tall and wear a 10 or 12 and definitely don't consider myself to be a "big person". But I also had issues when it came to trying on gowns. Are you insinuating that since she's a size 12 she's not healthy?
Umm, a size 12 isn't even plus sized Aug8bride, I feel you are being very rude and not helpful in this discussion. Please consider others feelings before you type.
Wow. Just... wow.
How DARE you come on here and judge me about my clothing size? You know absolutely NOTHING about me or my life. Maybe I'm 6'4". Maybe I used to be a size 20 and have lost 60 pounds. Maybe neither of those things is true and it's none of your damned business what I look like or how healthy I am.
This is supposed to be a friendly, supportive community. If you're going to continue to be rude and judgmental, maybe you should find someplace else.
@Aug8Bride - SERIOUSLY!!!!! She is a size 12!!!!! She is not necessarily OVERWEIGHT and she may not want to lose weight even if she is! She never even mentioned wanting to lose weight! I am appalled! And size 12 is not plus size either!
To the OP -I am sorry the store didn't carry bigger samples. Most of the stores I went to had samples of 8, 10, and 12. Maybe try another store that carries those designers!
@Aug8bride: I think your comments are border lining rude. Please remember that personal attacks and snarkiness are not allowed on this website.
@aug8bride: seriously! There is no need to get on a board like this and be rude. Maybe you should visit the knot, they have a board for snarky brides. You would fit right in.
I think her comments are beyond borderline rude. I also think it's intentional. Read some of her other posts. She seems like a pretty miserable person. Size 12 is NOT overweight, not even close. Plus wedding dress sizes are crazy. I'm a 0, and my dress is a 4. I think it's ridiculous to judge anyone for any reason, and I wish we could flag users. Grrr...
@Lindsay - you can Flag users - there is a flag underneath the post!
I flagged her too!
She also said on another post that she is meaner on WB than in real life because she thinks posters deserve to hear the truth and the truth hurts. However, her comments here are not even truthful they are just downright disrespectful and sizest (if that is even a word)!
I flagged her as well but the more the better
Thanks, everyone! :)
I'd rather be fat and happy than someone who enjoys starting vitriolic flamewars on the internet.
@danadelphia: I am a size 12 as well. I had a hard the first time I went shopping as well. The ball gowns were ok to try on but anything more fitted just wasn't happening. I suggest checking out the stores website to see if any of them say they have sample sizes in anything bigger than an 8. As we all have found out, bridal runs super small so I would need at least a 16 in a bridal, which would by "plus size" in bridal standards.
I hope you are able to find somewhere with better choices. I have a second day of trying on scheduled for Friday and just as you did, have confirmed with the stores that they do carry larger sample sized, but I hope they are in the styles I like. Good luck!!!
please stop answering to Aug8Bride!!! I think she is here to stir the pot. just let it go!!!
@danadelphia-they should def carry your size! Do you know of anyone who has tried on dresses in your size? They may know of a good place to go to that has more options :)
Could you if you found something you loved, and I mean loved, bring it to a seamstress?
I think my dress is a size 16 bridal...I had a hard time at certain places but I found a lot of local stores that were approved to sell certain designers and had better luck there...maybe you could do that? I ended up getting an "older line" Alfred Angelo through one of these stores and love it! Also got a GREAT deal on it! They had about 20-30 dresses in each size (2-24) and had different designers mixed together. Good luck and you are so not a fatty/plus size...bridal dresses fit weird.
I can't beleive the comments coming from Aug8bride. Whoever you are, you don't know what you are talking about. Please be supportive or don't comment.
@dana: I am so sorry you are having these problems. I am a street size 12 on top and I didn't think I would find anything either, but lucky for me, I found "the dress" at the first place I went to. It is a sample gown and it is a size 6 on the tag. It is a Justin Alexander. I am going to have it altered to put in a corset back, but I was able to get it on and the girl just used some clippy things on the back, I think they were called bra extenders, to help me see what it would look like once it is altered.
I suggest that you look online and call all the bridal shops in your area before going in to see if they can accommodate you. I can't say that it is typical for you to be having these issues. Maybe it is just because of where you are located.
Hey dana (I always recognize you because I love your avatar).. I know how you feel. I went dress shopping as a size 10 and 4/4 bridal shops did not have gowns that fit me- all samples sizes were in 6-8's. I recently noticed J Crew has stopped carrying some clothing in a size 12 (I've gained some weight :) I think it's a little ridiculous too, I'm not sure what the average size in the US is... but I would guess it's larger than a six. Ignore August Bride.. she reminds me of a girl I used to work with that couldn't stand people above a size 6, :)
In general, this whole experience has poisoned me against dress shopping. And not just the size thing.
I went to this store today because they are considered a "premier" retailer of both Pronovias and Watters. But they carried nothing I wanted to try on. They had one rack of dresses for all of their designers and each rack had 10-15 dresses. Most of the dress designers have dozens of designs, so why wouldn't stores carry them? It's not like this place didn't have room - it was very sparely decorated and there would be plenty of space.
I don't know. I'm not a bridal gown expert. But I know that if I owned a store, I'd want to carry as many dresses as possible. The more samples you carry, the more people you can please.
@danaphiladelphia--I'm sorry that Aug8Bride said those things to you. I'm a size 12 too and I couldn't help but gasp outloud when I read her comments! Some people can be so cruel.
It's a major bummer that they didn't have your size or the dresses you liked!! I only went to one regular bridal shop and then DB, and the other regular shop I went to had many dresses that fit me, so it's definitely the fault of the store you went to.
If they don't carry sizes for us, then that's their financial loss--I definitely wouldn't go back to that shop or recommend them to my friends!
I posted on one of your other links before, but please don't be discouraged ~ I too, looked at Watters dresses and I too, couldn't find anything I liked - Maybe it would be good to look at other traditional bridal shops with additional designers. I ended up with a Maggie Sottero that I LOVE ~ And Maggie Samples seem to be either 8/10/12 with corset backs so you can usually try on many of the styles -
Every bride has her own style - One of my best friends wore Watters (beautiful), another Pronovias - but for me it was a Maggie!
Good luck!
yes! lets ignore Aug8Bride. I am not going to say anything rude about augbride; i am only going to say positive things about you and your experience. I think a size 12 is beautiful! when i was a size 12 i looked amazing. heck i still look great as a size 16 :D
danadelphia you are beautiful and a size 12 is NOT fat. :D that sucks that you had such an awful experience at that shop. it is weird for a place to only have size 6 available. i went somewhere they only had size up to size 12 available to try on...still ridiculous but more realistic. and plus you called ahead so they def should have been prepared to offer a size 12. i would not go back and continue looking for other wonderful shops.
good luck and i am sure tha tyou will find an amazing dress for your amazing figure :D
Take care and keep us posted. please share your dress findings when you find some good contenders or even the one :D
Dana- I'm sorry you had problems at that store. That certainly doesn't seem very accommodating. I've been to David's and two more traditional bridal salons. At one of the salons, they seems to have samples in only one size. I'm not sure what sizes they were, but they were definitely larger than a 6! The other salon I went to had samples of many dresses in a smaller size (usually 6 or 8) and a larger size (usually 14 or more). If you are in a large city like Philadelphia, I'm sure you can find a place with varied sample sizes. As annoying as it is, I guess I would just call around. Best of luck to you!
The first few little boutiques I went shopping in didn't end up having any of the dress styles that I had written down before going, even though they carried tons of other dresses by the same designer. That and I was trying on dresses that were about 6 sizes too big and were very hard to "see" myself in as well. They would have to say well, if it were in your size, it would be more form fitting here or the skirt of the gown wouldn't be so poofy etc. I felt like I was wearing tents in most of them.
I definitely learned after my first few trips to call ahead about styles and sizes.
In your case, I find it so rude on the part of the stores for telling you they had certain sizes and/or styles when that really was not the case.
I hope you have much better experiences in your future trips!
I will private message Aug8bride about our comments policy... thanks for the flags.
@dana - sorry you had such a bad experience with that store - I found my dress in a small boutique 3 hours away from home and only found one other sample of that dress (also in a small boutique 3 hours away from home).
I would call all of your local retailers to find out where they carry the dresses you want to try on and what size their samples are and you can go on a wedding dress tour LOL!
I hope the rest of your dress shopping can be fun!
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