did you buy a sample gown?

[lulu66]

i just have a few questions for ladies who bought sample gowns:

1. did you know you were looking to buy a sample? or once you had the dress on did you ask if the sample was available for purchase?
2. in your opinions, what are the pros of going with a sample? what are the cons?
3. if you don''t mind sharing, how much did you save off the "ticket" price of the dress?
4. are there certain times (maybe certain months) that salons are selling more of their samples?
5. anything else you''d like to share about your experience?

THANKS!

 

[Winks_Elf]

I used to work in two different bridal shops, and can answer your questions.

1. I purchased a sample for my first wedding. Typically, the samples that are for sale are discontinued gowns. This means that they may be an older style (anywhere from two to five years old). They may have some loose beading, a little dirt from everyone trying them on, etc. However, they are typically sold at cost, and once fitted to you and refurbished, not one of your guests will know it''s a sample! Sometimes you can get them at below cost, especially the older ones. After all, the samples are what generate sales. They''ve already paid for themselves in profit!

2. Pros: deep discount, don''t have to wait for the order to come in. Cons: it may be an older style, be careful to choose one that is not a trendy style or it will look dated. You can''t change the color, length if it''s too short, and any defects are not arguable with the manager...as is, where is. If it is too tight for you, there may not be enough seam allowance to let the gown out, which means you better hope it''s too long so they can use the extra trimmings from the hem to create gussets on the sides.

3. I had purchased a sample from the shop I had worked at just a few years before getting married. I got a Demetrios which normally would have cost $1400 for about $600.

4. January - February is the best time to hunt for a sample sale...they''re getting their stock updated for spring brides!

5. Don''t be afraid to ask if the price is the "best they can do since it''s a sample."

Have fun looking!

 

[doodle]

Melissa pretty much covered everything! I saved $1000, but the dress was too big even after alterations. If you buy a sample, MAKE SURE IT FITS WELL OR CAN BE MADE TO DO SO! It''s not like a regular dress where if it isn''t fitting right, you can just order it in a different size. I fell in love with mine, but when I realized there was no way to make it small enough to fit correctly, I couldn''t get another of it because it was discontinued. As long as you get one that''s in good shape and already either fits really well or close enough, it''s a great deal. Just make sure you check it really well for tears, beading issues, makeup smears, etc. Good luck!

 

[Amanda.Rx]

I bought mine off the rack, but it wasn''t a designer sample or anything. To answer your questions:

1. No- it was the 6th dress I tried on- EVER and they were having a rack and sample sale, so I already knew
2. Pros- it was cheaper, and I know that no other bride will ever wear my dress b/c it''s discontinued. Cons- it has a lot of beading, so there are a few areas where some of the beads have popped off from repeated fitting room adventures, but you can hardly notice on mine.
3. I saved about $400, which was 30%, but I was determined not to go over my budget, and buying the rack dress allowed me to stay under!
4. I got mine in May- maybe b/c they are cleaning out all the spring/summer dressing for fall/winter ones? Check seasonally.
5. I love my dress. I never had a "dream" dress in mind, but when I tried it on, I loved it. Luckily, it was close enough to my size that I will only need a few minor alterations to take it in. No regrets here!

Good luck!

 

[sunnyd]

My dress was a sample. I didn''t expect to find a dress so quickly - my first shopping "trip" at a bridal expo and it was the 2nd dress I tried on. So I wasn''t necessarily looking for a sample, but I happened to fit perfectly into the dress I bought and it was almost exactly what I was looking for, so I went for it, and saved literally half in the process! The only thing that made it look like a sample was the lace was frayed in a couple of places, which the seamstress fixed.

 

[ChemGeek]

1. I didn''t know I''d be purchasing a sample at first. I tried on lots of dresses at stores, but couldn''t find what I wanted when it came to quality, look, design, feel, etc.. I knew I wanted a designer gown, but also knew high-end designers were WAY out of my budget. A friend of mine actually told me to look at sample gowns, so I started just doing basic internet searches and ended up finding THE perfect dress!

2. Pros: PRICE! The gown came on time, had been cleaned already (still needs altered and pressed!), and in my case the dress came with a return policy, which was important to me just in case.
Cons: In my case, nothing. But in other cases maybe the gown wouldn''t be in as good of shape? I''m wondering if maybe the one I recieved just wasn''t tried on very much since it looked like it had never been worn at all, but each case is probaly a bit different. And of course like Melissa stated, sizing (too short, can''t be taken out etc...) could be an issue.

3. I saved about 65%!! It was originally around $4900 (I think) and I got it for $1750.

4. I recentkly watched an episode of "Say Yes to the Dress" and they said they have their huge sample blow-out sales FOUR times a year! Other than that, you''d probably just have to call around and ask when or if they have sales and if you are able to purchase off the rack. And, of course, there''s always the internet!

5. In my personal experience, there was a great return policy since I bought it online. When it arrived, I had 24 hours to decide if I liked it or not. If I didn''t like it, it didn''t fit, it wasn''t up to my expectations, ANYTHING at all I didn''t like about it, all I had to do was send an e-mail within that 24 hour time period to let her know I''d be returning the dress. I kept mine, but if I were to have returned it, I would have also had to pay return shipping, which is to be expected when returning almost anything nowdays.

Whew, sorry that was really long-winded! Hopefully this will help you in your search!

 

[Rachie]

1. did you know you were looking to buy a sample? or once you had the dress on did you ask if the sample was available for purchase? I never thought that I would be able to purchase a sample b/c they were all way too big to be taken in to my size. I just happened to luck out with a sample that was made for a model for a photo shoot so it was a smaller size, still two sizes too big but smaller and able to be taken in. It had also only been worn once so there was minimal dirt along the hem and one small spot from makeup.
2. in your opinions, what are the pros of going with a sample? what are the cons? pros - cheaper, if it already fits then minimal alterations cons - may not be in the best condition, may not be able to be taken in or out enough and still look right
3. if you don''t mind sharing, how much did you save off the "ticket" price of the dress? I saved 50% off the original price of the dress!
4. are there certain times (maybe certain months) that salons are selling more of their samples?I am not sure about this, I was visiting my sister in NYC and she made the appt for me. I believe she found out about it on Top Button?
5. anything else you''d like to share about your experience? I really enjoyed my experience at the salon we went to. It was the designer''s "house" and they were the ones helping us out so they knew what could and could not be done with the dresses. I know this is not always the case, especially with sample sales but it really made the experience a little more special! I also think that if it was just a normal bridal salon, there would not have been smaller sample sizes to choose from.

 

[violet3]

Date: 12/1/2009 11:11:45 PM
Author:lulu66
i just have a few questions for ladies who bought sample gowns:

1. did you know you were looking to buy a sample? or once you had the dress on did you ask if the sample was available for purchase?
2. in your opinions, what are the pros of going with a sample? what are the cons?
3. if you don''t mind sharing, how much did you save off the ''ticket'' price of the dress?
4. are there certain times (maybe certain months) that salons are selling more of their samples?
5. anything else you''d like to share about your experience?

THANKS!

Hi Lulu! I bought a sample gown, and i am glad i did! Truthfully, i found that the gowns that actually fit me in the stores (ie - my size) i ended up liking much more than others just because you could actually see what they looked like on, rather than being clipped in.

I knew my dress was a sample b/c it was in the discontinued section, where all the older samples were being sold at a discount. I did have a moment of panick when i thought they might not be able to let it out a little so i could breathe, but they fixed it right up at the final fitting. Like the others said, pros - price, no waiting, etc. I happened to have loved the color of my dress, but the cons are clearly that you take it like it is with no flexibility. I wouldn''t have purchased mine, had it been white white, and lots of the samples were white.

My dress was REALLY inexpensive - $179. I don''t know the original price, but i think it was $500 or more (Mori Lee). Not quite sure why it had been marked down so much, but i was very happy!

I''ve enjoyed watching your dress shopping - are you going again soon????

 

[lulu66]

THANKS for your replies winks, doodle, amanda, sunny, chemgeek, rachie, & violet! i was curious about samples; i hear of ladies finding great deals but didn''t know if they knew something i didn''t!


violet3, thanks for following along on my dress search. i''m actually going again in a few weeks. i''m pretty sure to buy "the one": pronovias "harlem." i was curios about samples b/c the dress is no longer listed on the pronovias website & i believe i read somewhere that the company quickly discontinues styles, so i thought maybe i would ask the sales associate (or would she volunteer the info?) if it is getting discontinued and if they will be selling the sample. i''ve tried the dress on in another shop (that sample was not in good condition) but haven''t seen the one here but it is in my size! i don''t have any photos yet b/c of the dreaded no camera policy

 

[Lynnie]

Date: 12/1/2009 11:11:45 PM
Author:lulu66
i just have a few questions for ladies who bought sample gowns:

1. did you know you were looking to buy a sample? or once you had the dress on did you ask if the sample was available for purchase? I went to a consignment shop on a whim. They advertise samples and pre-owned wedding gowns. Once I got to trying stuff on, it was kinda easy to tell which were samples and which were pre-owned. Samples were a little cleaner, and pre-owned had been altered
2. in your opinions, what are the pros of going with a sample? what are the cons? Ditto Mellissa, that about sums it up
3. if you don''t mind sharing, how much did you save off the ''ticket'' price of the dress? My dress retailed for $1800, I think. I paid $925 (plus $125 for alterations at my own seamstress)
4. are there certain times (maybe certain months) that salons are selling more of their samples? Don''t know
5. anything else you''d like to share about your experience? I knew I didn''t want to really spend more than 1K for my dress. Definitely check your area for consignment shops (if you''re in the Philly area check out www.sabrinaann.com) And ditto everyone else who said about it fitting you enough.

THANKS!

Gorgeous dress

!!! Mine was a Pronovias, too! (La Sposa Margarita)
Good luck!!

 

[canada_ham]

1. did you know you were looking to buy a sample? or once you had the dress on did you ask if the sample was available for purchase?

i went to a sample sale since i thought it would be a great way to try on a ton of dresses and found one that i fell in love with.

2. in your opinions, what are the pros of going with a sample?

price!

what are the cons?

my dress required a lot of work. it needed to be taken in quite a bit and shortened quite a bit. the dress was also not in the best condition, there were a lot of loose beads that my seamstress needed to fix

3. if you don''t mind sharing, how much did you save off the "ticket" price of the dress?

i think i saved about 50%

4. are there certain times (maybe certain months) that salons are selling more of their samples?

i bought mine in January, at a huge yearly clearance sale that a local bridal shop holds at a nearby convention center

good luck with your hunt!

 

[lulu66]

thank you lynnie & canadaham!

so, does anyone know how quickly pronovias discontinues their dresses? the one i''m leaning toward is from 2009 but is no longer on the website & i''ve read that they discontinue dresses in dec/jan every year except for the best sellers. if that''s the case, should i ask the sales associate if the sample is available for purchase or will be in the near future? opinions, suggestions??

 

[joelly]

Hi lulu,

Yes, you would want to call the stores and ask if they have the dress you want and if they are willing to sell their samples.

I am not very proud of what I have done but I bought two sample dresses. The first one is Alfred Angelo for $250 during their sample sales which starts Nov 1. The second one is a Maggie Sottero for $1K. For the Maggie Sottero, I bargained with the store to get them down to $1K.

I also heard that this time of year is the time to buy wedding dress at a discount because it is a slow season for bridal industry.

 

[cocolaw]

yes!!! but mine was a new sample. still in the bag if i remember correctly! i happened to see it hanging up before they had even moved it into the room with all of the dresses and i asked to try it on. i was the only person to try on my dress, so no stains, and no issues with it being a dated looking style.

 

[cocolaw]

i saved maybe 20%

 

[lulu66]

thanks joelly & cocolaw for sharing your experiences! i have an appt this weekend to go try on the dressing i''m dying for. it''s a little out of my price point (just a tad & i can get the $$ from other places in the budget). i''m going to ask the SA if they are willing to sell the sample (if it''s in good shape, of course!) or if she thinks it is going to be discontinued soon & they''d be parting with it then. i have time to wait & can wait till after the new year if necessary. so, we''ll see how it goes. everyone cross your fingers that A) i still love the dress and B) i can get a *bit* of a discount on it.