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Wow. A 10 for a 4? Is it possible she made a mistake and ordered for someone else's specs? Wedding dresses commonly run small, but then she should have ordered a 6 or an 8. Did you agree to her ordering a 10? I would not agree to the alterations. She needs to suck it up and order the proper size. Trying to alter a 10 to a 4 is going to change the whole design of the dress and she should know that.
That's the thing - she got all defensive, and sort of blamed it on me for losing a little weight - even if I hadn't, it still would have been way too big. I never knew what size she was going to order - I just figured, she'd use the measurements. I understand being conservative, but this is beyond that. She's really talented at alterations and tried to tell me that she had a bride lose 35 lbs and the dress looked gorgeous, but I just don't know what to think.
My Mom and I are really upset - we love her, and like I said are really good customers (I get cocktail dresses there, my sister got her wedding dress there - and this did not happen to her, and my Mom shops there too.) The shop owner is Greek and gets a pretty defensive about things so you almost can't argue with her. She's like "it will be perfect", blah blah, but I want to say perfectly expensive! She told me that it will not affect the alterations price, but should I get her to quote a price. Do you know the policy of designers and returning a dress that's too big?
It seems to me that most brides lose some weight before their wedding and someone in this industry should know this. From what you said, it sounds like you only lost a little bit, but not enough to justify the difference in size. I agree that altering it that much may change the entire shape of the dress, I would push the issue with the store. Did you get a response from the designer?
Not yet - Mom just emailed them on Saturday. I may try to call their corporate number though. I know they don't mass produce dresses, but I'm sure they would have a 6 or 8. I just wanted to see what other people thought, and make sure I'm not overreacting.
DSC00215.JPG (4398.4 KB, 44 downloads) 1 year old 
I can definitely understand being upset that she ordered the wrong size (by bridal salon ordered the wrong bolero and refused to return it). But as someone who had to get a wedding gown that was three sizes too big (I am pretty small at 4'10"), I can also say that those who are good at alterations can make the dress look like it is supposed to even when they take it in that much.
MrsCPT - were your alterations costs really expensive? I guess that's my real issue - I trust that she can do the alterations - but the dress was more than I meant to spend, and I'm worried about the alterations costs on top of that.
Who is the designer of your dress? Which style is it?
If you only lost an inch or two here or there, a dress will not be huge on you and she shouldn't blame you for losing weight. Sounds like she knows she made a mistake (defensive) and doesn't want to correct it. Definitely keep trying with the designer, and don't back down on this. If you're good clients, she should be bending over backwards to help you!!
That's what I think she should be doing as well! We've honestly spent a lot in there over the last few years. This is a Judd Waddell dress - Style #13 online. We don't want to offend her or tell her how to do her job, but it just doesn't sit right with us. She said it's the desinger's policy not to return, but I'm going to get that info. straight from them. My wedding is in June, so I have 4 months.
I know that most planning books I've read say that designers won't accept dress returns, because (as the store owner said) they're cut to order each time.
That said, I think the best thing for this woman to do, especially if you and your family are loyal customers, is take the dress she ordered for you that's much too big (depending on the designer's measurement scale, a 10 for a street size 4 does seem much too big) and either use it as a sample or sell it online or keep it in stock for when someone larger than you orders that dress. Then, she should order you a new one.
Dramatic alterations can really lose the shape and details of a gown, and I'd definitely be wary of letting her do them without some sort of contract in place that states both your expectations for the cost and finished product. I'd also throw in something about how if the gown doens't meet X definite standards, you'll expect a new one ordered.
Good luck!
PS - on the bright side, if you do end up getting your gown altered, you should be left with a lot of leftover fabric & lace that you could use to wrap your bouquet, make a little coin purse for your flower girl, trim your veil, etc. :)
I too am barely a size 4 in everyday clothes and sometimes even get 2s. When I ordered my dress, they took measurements and the size chart for my dress said a 10! My mom, friend and I were shocked! I have also lost some weight since ordering my dress and plan on losing/toning more before my June wedding. I talked with them about this and they said it wouldn't be a problem. I'm saying this cause that may (or may not) be the case with the lady you are working with. I would like to think that because you and your family do a lot of business with you that she wouldn't try to pull the wool over your eyes, but to be honest, she may. She knows you trust her.
Get a quote on the alterations and keep looking into the designer's return policy. Also, my bridal salon has one price for all alterations, so it may be helpful to find a place like that as opposed to one who charges in other ways.
I'm sorry this is something you have to worry about and I really do hope it all works out for you! I'm sure you will be a beautiful bride!
I really hope everything works out for you!
Here are some thoughts I had as I compare your experience with my own:
When you picked your dress, did the dress shop person go over your measurements with you and talk about what size she recommended be ordered? My dress shop went over my measurements with me, showed me the dress designer's chart (my largest measurements put me in between sizes), talked to me about the fit of my dress (a-line) and made her recommendation to me (she told me to order the smaller size since my dress wasn't a mermaid or fit and flair style). I was also given a copy of my measurements with my receipt (confirming the color, length, and size of my dress). Do you have any of this information?
It may be that your largest measurement (mine was my butt/thigh area) put you in a certain size range based on the designer's ordering instructions...and going off of your largest measurement, it could be all the other areas of the dress are way too big.
Even though we ordered a size down, my dress was still HUGE! The straps were way too long, the chest was HUGE (and I'm not super flat-chested or anything...I wear a 34C) and the waist was huge...and my dress had a lot of ruching on top...and there was boning in the chest area...I was expecting a disaster, but the alterations person kept telling me this was common and it would fit great after she was done. Like you, inches had to be taken in everywhere. I was not excited about my dress at all and felt like I would end up with an ill-fitting dress. Well, it turned out great and they did an amazing job fixing my dress...it fit great.
When I think about it, it kind of makes sense that there is a lot of extra material even if the dress is ordered in the correct size...that way things can be altered to fit you like a glove...if there was not enough material you couldn't alter the dress to fit perfectly in those areas that may be more curvy than the average person and it may make the dress looked strained in those areas.
So I guess I wanted to share my story to let you know that it's possible for your dress to be saved and I'm sure YOU WILL LOOK ABSOLUTELY GREAT in your dress after the alterations are done. But to give you some peace of mind, I would suggest asking the dress owner for your measurements (and to go over the manufacturer's ordering instructions) so you can confirm she didn't scam you...is there someone else you can talk to at the store who would not be so defensive?
dress.jpg (55.6 KB, 31 downloads) 1 year old
Its definitely not uncommon to have a larger dress size than street size, but you actually tried the dress on right?
This just seems bizarre to me. When I was fitted for my custom made gown I was at the top of the size chart for the size I chose. The woman at the shop said to me "if you were to tell me this is the skinniest you'll ever be, then I would order up" and I interruped and said, "no I plan to lose about 10 pounds before the wedding" so she said "okay then we will go with this size, but you are signing that you chose to go 'down' a size." I remember being like "yikes, now I really have to do it, I signed for it" ... and I have the document still that I signed for that size. Hmm ... sorry I'm not helping but that just doesnt seem right.
I would start, as others have said, by comparing the measurements she took when you ordered with the designers size chart. If there is no reasonable justification for ordering a 10 (and reasonable would mean that your largest measurement matched a 10 on the chart, there is no other reason to do this), then I would say defensive or not she needs to take the dress back. It doesn't feel good to have to be threatening with wedding vendors, but let her know that you will reveal the name or her shop and her behavior if she doesn't. It really doesn't matter whether she can do the alterations, it's making you uncomfortable and that's not fair. You are spending a lot of money and it's your wedding!! The second best would be if she did your alterations for free or at a discount. But really, it sounds like she's getting you to pay for her mistake.
I bought an Indian outfit for my shower, and the woman assured me alterations would be no problem and that she'd include them for free from the best tailor in the area. Well the alterations are turning out to be more involved and expensive, and she's tried at different stages to get me to 1) not take the bust in (which would make it look v. unflattering), 2) split the cost with her, or 3) go to a cheaper tailor. I said that none of these things were part of our original agreement. And either she can refund my money or pay for the alterations...which is what she is now doing. She tried to get some sympathy from me, but I was like c'mon, it's my wedding and we had an explicit agreement, and it was already pretty expensive.
I'm sharing this story to let you know these things happen, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your sanity or your appearance. I really didn't like having to be so demanding with the woman either, but I realized that she was not really being professional or treating me with respect, so it made it easier. I was very polite and said I understood her situation, but nonetheless I had paid for a certain thing and I wasn't getting it. I was not okay with that...a lot of her business is by word of mouth, so I know her reputation is very imortant to her.
First, I really appreciate all of your comments!
The saga continues...I called Judd Waddell corporate to try to talk to them. The guy was pretty rude, and after some explaining he said that a) they only talk to stores and b) if that was the dress size ordered, then that was the one they made. Basically, I'm not getting any help from them...humph! is all I have to say about that!
I talk to my Mom and she is planning on going into the shop to look at her dress that she bought for the wedding and compare shoes. She is going to try to sit the shop owner down and leverage with her. I hate to send her on the mission, but I'm hoping she might be able to get through to her a little better. I totally agree that we should have to pay limited alterations or none at all. We're looking at the cost of my sister's alterations for her wedding gown, and we'll probably bring up that price.
To answer some of your questions, no, she never went over the size of the dress with me. I've been to her so many times (and she knows the size that I normally wear) that I depended on her "expert" judgment. I don't want this to get ugly at all (especially since my dress is in her hands) but I do hope we'll be able to compromise on this. My Mom has all these conspiracy theories now that my dress is actually the sample dress, so she's even going to (slyly) ask to see it to. I would really hope she's being fair to us. I'm going to try and look on the bright side that it's going to look even better now that it can be altered right to me (thanks indecisivebride!) and use the extra fabric in a neat way (thanks driftslikesmoke!).
Y'all are great, and I'll keep you updated on what happens. Maybe I'll just start eating a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts everyday :)
Picture_1.png (52.3 KB, 34 downloads) 1 year old 
Ugh, I'm so sorry you're in this situation! It must be so frustrating!
I was wondering the same thing as some of the other ladies about if they had gone over your sizing when you ordered the dress. I was between sizes when I ordered mine and had a long discussion with the sales consultant before I made my decision. I ended up going with the larger size to alter down, mostly because the bust was where I was worried about fit and I never lose weight in my chest.
Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if your mom was right and the dress you got was the sample not the one ordered for you. This happened to my coworker's sister and they had to fight to prove it. I'd at least check to see the sample, so you can confirm that this dress isn't it.
I think at least you're right--look on the bright side, the dress will be fitted exactly to you and look amazing. And great tip on using the extra fabric for a clutch or other accessories.
Good luck to you!
I hope your mom is able to get some good information for you! You have a good plan with looking up your sister's alterations cost, but I'd still recommend that you get something in writing this time around re: the costs and what you expect it to look like at the end. You can trust her all you want, but this is business, not personal, and if she's a professional, she should understand that you need some reassurances that your gown will be right for you on the big day.
Good luck, and keep us posted!
PS - Do you have any pics of the infamous gown? I'd love to see what we're working with! :)
Pintuck_120inch_Round_Tablecloth-_Cham.jpg (42.4 KB, 30 downloads) 1 year old
Hey everyone! Great ideas - and yes, I will most definitely make sure anything we discuss and agree on is in writing!! I am attaching a picture of the dress haha, on a model, but if you can't get it to upload, go to www.juddwaddell.com and it's dress #13 in the collection. There's some lace at the bodice - so that's another worry is how she's getting that back on there (again, breathe, and don't freak out)! I'll let y'all know what happens, but thanks again!!
Dress.jpg (46.5 KB, 143 downloads) 3 years old
Pretty dress!
To reassure you, I think that the alterations can be done by a good seamstress. Since it's lace and not beading, there isn't a fixed size of the embellishment (if that makes sense). It's not like they'd use a tighter lace pattern in a smaller size, you'll just have less of it across the bodice. Taking the lace off and sewing it back on again should not be an issue (especially since you are going down in size, even if there is some damage at the seams it'll just be cut off). My biggest concern would be the hem b/c it's scalloped, and it looks like there is no seam at the waist (can't tell b/c of the sash). Nonetheless, since there's so much extra material I think the lace can be taken up from the top, taken in at the waist, and it can all still work out perfectly.
All that said, I think you need to verify that she did not make a mistake in ordering you a 10 before you agree to altering it...you shouldn't get taken advantage of by this woman, least of all b/c you are a loyal customer!
This makes me a bit nervous! I ordered my dress last month, and I am a street size 2-4, and they ordered a 10 for me as well. I am on the taller size (5'9") but it still doesn't sit quite right with me.
I mentioned something about never thinking I'd be ordering a size 10, and they said 'oh, well a French 10 is actually more like a 6'. Okay, better, but I've never even bought anything in a 6...
The only thing that makes me feel a little better is that the sample dress fit me almost perfectly, and it was a 10. They (and I) double checked it too. I would hope that if anything, the sample would be bigger than normal from being stretched out.
One more thing to stress out about!
@walkunafraid- I wouldn't be too concerned if I were you. What designer is your dress by? I'm a 0 or 2 in American sizes, and my Amsale dress is an 8 or 10 (I can't remember) and is running tight. The American size scale (4, 6, 8 etc.), is relatively new, and a lot of wedding gown and couture designers use older sizing scales. To give you some perspective on varying dress sizes, I've also lived in Ireland, where I was a UK size 8, Italy where I'm an Italian 40 or 42, and in the rest of Europe I'm a 36. So as long as you feel confident the store took good measurements I wouldn't be overly concerned.
If the shop ordered the wrong size because of lack of attention or incompetence (even temporary, as I know you've done successful business with them before), they should be responsible for the costs of fixing it, whether that's ordering a new dress in the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold">right size for you, based on your <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold">measurements, (even though the designer won't take it back--that shouldn't be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic">your problem, and the shop can sell it on the sales floor as a sample...) or not charge you for the extra alterations. I would definitely get an estimate for the alterations ASAP--in writing!!!! And not let them add a single penny! Looking forward to your progress!
mirka_urodziny,_komunia_014.JPG (4132.9 KB, 26 downloads) 1 year old
@carrieitly--Mine's a Cymbeline. I haven't seen many brides with this designer, so I don't know how they typically run. The bridal shop I went to has impeccable reviews, so hopefully they know that they're doing!
It's definitely comforting to hear from other size 0-4 brides who had dresses ordered in much larger sizes! Especially considering that most of the more popular dress brands seem to run only a size or two small...
@walkunafraid-- Cymbeline makes gorgeous dresses! They're so decadant! Which style is yours?
Here is a size chart for Cymbeline gowns:
http://www.scarlettscloset.com/store/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=124
Besides the hips (which I wouldn't worry about as the most important fit areas of a wedding gown are bust/waist, the hips can be brought in more easily as long as there's fabric) Cymbeline seems to run within an inch or so of Amsale ( http://www.scarlettscloset.com/store/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=124 ), and like I said, while I'm a 0 or 2 street size in America my Amsale is a 8 or 10.
Looking at these size charts, I'm fairly certain they're British sizing, and a British 10 is an American 2/4.
Most important is that the shop you went to has such a good reputation, I'm sure they know what they're doing and perhaps the peculiarities of altering your particular dress.
@carrieitly--Thanks for that link--it's very informative! My measurements were 34-27-37, which I guess puts me at a 10 for bust, 8 for waist, and 6 for hips. Interesting considering I'm hardly busty! That chart definitely makes me feel better though.
My dress is the Agadir. I love it so much! I haven't seen anything else like it, and I know my fiance will be quite *excited* to see me coming down the aisle in it :)
agadir2yn8.jpg (134.6 KB, 80 downloads) 2 years old
@walkunafraid-- he's going to be giddy seeing you walk down the aisle- that dress is stunning!
Glad the chart helped- there you go... the store ordered the outside measument for your bust knowing that they can take in the waist and hips if need be!
oHH!! this is a horrifying situation -- I'm so sorry! Please keep us up to date on what happens! I would definetly get something IN WRITING about the alterations the next time you go.
kenneth_pool_top.jpg (18.1 KB, 32 downloads) 1 year old 
Oh no! I hope you can get it figured out.
According to the measurement chart for my gown I should've ordered a 22! I'm on the bigger side but nowhere near a 22 the sample I tried was 18 and it fit great so I ordered an 18. From 4 to 10 is a huge jump. This might def. sour your relationship with the owner.
Good luck!
MonCheri_16202_(close).jpg (22.6 KB, 40 downloads) 1 year old
Ugh...I know the feeling. Although mine probably quite so exaggerated. I bought a Casablanca 1900. I tried on a a size 4 in the bridal shop ( I am normally a street size 00-0) the dress shop owner didn't even take my measurements, she just insisted I need a two because she had been 'doing this for ages' etc. So, we ordered a two, when it came in, it was big, not a little big, like I pretty much had to hold it up big. I was visibly distraught and her simply remedy was 'oh thats what alterations are for' and then quoted me 300$ to get it altered. I was sooo upset I really didn't have words to express my anger so I simply took my dress off and left. Fortunately we have a family seamstress who is brilliant and when I took it to her she was able to do the alterations perfectly and charged me a whopping 35$. I know coture dresses do run smaller, I checked my own measurements for Jim Hjelm because at one point I was consdering ordering one, and according to their measurments I would need to order a 4, but I was just appauled my measurements were never taken to compare to the size chart- looking back I was partly at fault for never saying anyting. I am just glad it turned out okay. I am sorry you had such a poor experience as well, it does make me wonder if *some* bridal shops look to increase profit by ordering the 'wrong' size for brides and then they are pretty much obligated to pay for alterations at an outrageous price.
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So, I went in for my first fitting for my wedding dress. I was thinking it might be a little big, and we'd alter it. But it is HUGE. I might have lost and inch everywhere since we first ordered the dress, but this is ridiculous.
We do a lot of business with the owner of the shop - who also does the alterations - and she said that she can't return the dress to get a smaller size because it is made as ordered. I'm a little concerned about how many alterations she has to make, and I would also hate to think she ordered it big so that she could make money on the alterations. I am continuing to do my regular workout schedule, and there's a great chance I'll lose a few more lbs. before the wedding (who doesn't want to). I brought this to her attention - that I was concerned about the alterations price.
My Mom emailed the dress designer to see what they would say. I trust that she'll do a good job in altering it - but I don't see why you would order a size 10 for someone who is a size 4. Anyone else have this issue or have any advice?
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