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The best way to get a deal is to do your research. If you can find the dress you want online or in other stores for a certain price, bring that information with you when you're ready to buy. Most places will price match, even for online shops (just make sure the online shop is a reputable one and a licensed dealer of whatever you're buying! If you'd consider buying a sample, try going right after the new season's dresses come out.. that's probably when they're more likely to sell them at a decent price.
I agree with Spaniel...also, don't try on dresses outside of your budget! If you fall in love with one you are more likely to over spend and have to cut the budget in other places!
What if there's not a certain dress that I want? I mean, there are some I like, but I have no clue if they're going to look good on *me* or not. (We've all had that experience where we found that to-die-for outfit and tried it on only to be really disappointed, right?) Or do you mean find the one I want by trying it on and THEN research how much it is elsewhere? I can do that. I'm just having trouble finding places that advertise their prices. (Probably for that reason!)
When do the new season dresses come out??
How many shopping trips does this take? My mom's driving 2+ hours and my best friend is driving an hour and a half to shop with me....
Considering you want a fairly simple dress, you might consider looking at bridesmaid's dresses that come in white or ivory. They won't cost as much, and will still look amazing! Check some out online - like Watters: http://watters.com/catalog_list_all.php?showid=605&coll=watters
or Lazaro: http://www.jlmcouture.com/Lazaro/Bridesmaid
and then look for salons near you which carry those lines.
the latter, Find the one you want, and then do your research. Or you can find several contendors that you like equally and try them on to decide.
I'm not sure about the new season dresses. I think the spring ones are out, so in a couple months the summer ones should appear.
Shopping trips depend. I found mine in one, other girls 3 or 4, some found it in one day but went to 5 different stores. It really just depends on the person.
The way I did it was to go to a store and try on the dresses I was interested in. Then I wrote down the ones I liked and looked online for them second-hand. I actually got a brand new dress off ebay for half the price. It worked great for me.
I second the trying them on in a store then looking to buy them online- but only if your careful and buy them from a reputable source. Also its almost time for highschool prom season so depending on what you're looking for a white prom dress might work?
I purchased a "bridal alternative" bridesmaid dress by LulaKate from Bella Bridesmaids (there are many locations all over the country). I had a very attentive appointment and ended up with a dress I love (you might have to use your imagination for the color, but you can try on a bunch of styles). It cost well under 500 dollars even with extra length and a sash.
Those are some great ideas!! Some of the bridesmaid dresses look a lot like the styles of wedding dresses I've been looking at. I didn't realize they came in white, too. Keep your fingers crossed for me to find a bargain! :)
I agree with everyone else... don't let the sales people bring you a dress outside of your budget!! I had the issue when I was trying on dresses in store. I had a low budget (kills me that a 1300 budget is small in the wedding world), but I refused to try dresses on outside of my range. That won't always make a sales person happy of course because they want a big sale, so a couple of times they got an attitude with me. The whole point was they wanted me to try something higher on and fall in love with it and be willing to stretch. In the end I found the perfect one within my budget, but it just took a lot of looking around to find it :) I think you can have that "AHA! This is my dress!" moment with any budget, you just have to be willing to stay motivated and not get bummed out if it takes awhile..
Good luck!
I bought a dress from JCrew, tried it on & loved it. Then I found the same exact dress (brand new) on ebay for $400 less, bought that one, and returned the JCrew one. There is no difference at all between the two dresses, and I saved a little over $400! That's my 2 cents, good luck!
Maybe you can go to a store and try on a dress, see if it looks good on you, and then search for it online. I bought my dress at ebridalsuperstore.com for $350 (almost half of what they were charging in the stores for it). And it is still brand new and perfect.
JCrew and Jessica McClintocl also havesome nice, inexpensive wedding dresses
The advice about looking for a bridesmaid dress (or other white dress) is good also. I think some of the nicest dresses I've seen were not specifically designed as wedding dresses.
JCrew is a good option if you want to stay in the $500, which is my budget too. My problem was that I want GOOD fabric, which costs $$.
If you don't want something super bridal, check out Neiman Marcus formal gowns. Most of them are under $500 some very bridal in creams, golds, and pale pastels. Saks Fifth Ave is the same thing. They both have great websites and have outlets if you are luck enough to live close to one! You could still end up with a DG or a Vera Wang...or the holy grail of a oscar de la renta.
The thing I was most impressed with about my jcrew dress was the material -- that was my top priority, and I was really happy with the quality of the silk
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I want a nice, pretty dress, but I'm not particularly concerned with "who" I'm wearing. I'm trying to be practical and still have a dress that I feel absolutely stunning in. I want a simple dress (the kind most places call a destination or informal dress) so hopefully that will help.
Any tips on how to get a good deal??? I don't want to do any mail order (I want to be able to try it on first!) or second-hand. Is there a time of year when dresses are more likely to be on sale/clearance? I don't even buy my regular clothes at regular price if I can help it. If I can get a dress in the $500 range, that would be awesome, but I don't know how realistic I'm being. (Never done this before! :) )