Leanna Tomlinson Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 My eldest dd became engaged in February and the wedding is set for July.:) Our goal for spring break was to find a wedding dress. I thought we would have lots of fun. She's tall and slender and I wasn't worried about finding something that would look good on her. We just wanted to find something classic and beautiful for her big day. To my surprise......95% of the dresses are strapless. Those that aren't strapless are backless halters. She tried on many of them, but in the end she did not feel comfortable showing that much skin in public. I asked the salespeople if we are the only ones who want sleeves? backs? shoulders? on our dresses? In every store they said people complain every.single.day. They claimed they could put sleeves on any dress, but what they were really talking about was snapping strips of lace over the shoulders. The back was still bare and the sleeves didn't do any work of holding the dress up. Their seamstresses were not allowed to add any more fabric because of contracts with the designers. The other thing that was so annoying to me is how many brides were trying on these strapless dresses, and getting all kinds of encouragement from their friends and salespeople, when they REALLY REALLY needed more coverage. KWIM? I've been to a wedding where the bride's main job of the evening was pulling her dress up .... not fun for anyone. :tongue_smilie: I must say I'm surprised at the lack of selection. I thought Kate Middleton's dress would cause a flurry of modesty in bridal gowns. Or at least sleeves.... We finally headed to a bridal district with several consignment shops. Dd couldn't wear many of the dresses because she's 5'10" and most dresses had been altered to fit shorter women. Thankfully, she found a classic dress with 3/4 length sheer sleeves, an actual back, and shoulders. :) She looks like Jackie O. in it. Very classy. She'll have to wear flats but she's thrilled. And the best part? She got it for $225!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS in LA Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 WooHoo! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Wonderful!~ I got mine from a thrift store! They had it on the shelf and I loved it but it had a huge stain (maybe coffee?) on the train. I talked them down to $50, took it home, soaked it in some ALL detergent and it came out! I paid another $60 for alterations and changed it from an off the shoulder long sleeve dress to a capped sleeve 3/4 length with bows on the shoulders. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 great find! Another place to try is thrift shops - I know the one near us gets LOVELY vintage bridal gowns and sells them for $25-$100 - sometimes less if you find one that is on sale that week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Yay!!! Congrats on the great dress find! and Nice to see you here! :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 We need pictures!! Yes, definitely....pictures!! :) Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlylocks Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 :party: My oldest is getting married next month and we had the same issues you mentioned....and shopping for modest bridesmaid dresses was even worse. Those are pretty much impossible to find at thrift/consignment stores especially when you need 3 or 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Another venue is estate sales. That is where I purchased my wedding gown. I hate the strapless trend. Truth be told, not everyone looks good in it. For me, I do not find it fun to spend an evening pulling up my dress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristangrace Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Yep! I got my wedding gown at a consignment store and loved it. I don't even attend that many weddings, and I'm bored to death of strapless wedding/bridesmaids gowns. I can understand that "trendy" usually trumps "modest", but I CAN'T understand why "trendy" also seems to trump "original" and (especially) "flattering" currently. The strapless gown at the last wedding I attended was particularly distracting: the bride was in her early 50s and usually a stylish dresser, so it was a shock to be distracted by jiggling flesh--breasts, back, shoulder, arms--every time she took a step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetBean Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 My sister is wedding gown shopping with my niece today. I asked her if she were going to look for a strapless gown, she said, "No." I told her I am so sick of seeing strapless bridal gowns. Even if they did stay up, it is getting very boring. It seems there is only half a dress to have any variety with. What kind of skirt would you like? It is time for more creativity, more coverage, and carefree dresses that don't require tugging all day. Glad you found a nice dress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 :party: My oldest is getting married next month and we had the same issues you mentioned....and shopping for modest bridesmaid dresses was even worse. Those are pretty much impossible to find at thrift/consignment stores especially when you need 3 or 4. So did you find any bridesmaids dresses you are happy with? The search for those begins next week, and I know I didn't see any that weren't strapless in the bridal stores. We only need two, and then a Jr. bridesmaid and a flower girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leanna Tomlinson Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 It is time for more creativity, more coverage, and carefree dresses that don't require tugging all day. :iagree: I wanted to stage a revolt in the bridal shop, but my dd wouldn't let me. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Such a shame. Buying women's clothing can be so difficult at times. My husband just doesn't get why it takes so long for me to find stuff. Very frustrating. But! Glad you found that great dress for such a low cost! That's great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparkle Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm so glad you found a dress you're happy with. That's a great bargain, too. I'm with you, I hate the whole strapless bridal thing :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Just FYI for those looking for dresses yet - I've also seen jackets made to go over a sleeveless dress or the dress worn with a thin turtleneck underneath. Just some ideas :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 That's great! I bought my wedding dress from a consignment store as well. Paid $150 for it. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redheadmom Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 So did you find any bridesmaids dresses you are happy with? The search for those begins next week, and I know I didn't see any that weren't strapless in the bridal stores. We only need two, and then a Jr. bridesmaid and a flower girl. Check online at Target, JC Penney, etc...They usually have nice cocktail/bridesmaid dresses in a range of styles under $75. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.