Can you really buy a dress without having tried it on? Bridal shops don't have the dress in stock for months!

Question

I've tried dresses similar to this one but somehow this looks more elegant than anything else in the same styles I tried on. It's still not out in the stores yet and I really love it. I love the color, I love the style, I love the cut!

http://www.bestbridalprices.com/images/maggie/fall08/Emme.jpg

The dress won't be in the stores till next month and if if I wait till I try it on then I'll be ordering a rush delivery which may still be late for the wedding.

I tried this one on in the store and looked very pretty on and is similar: http://www.romanticbridals.com/images/L-9211-A.jpg

I just worry if the top part is lower than the one I've tried on? Or is it the same length? Ie. Does it show more stomach/hips or are the both the same?

I just love that one so much much more!

What do I do?

Answer 1

I actually didn't try on a single dress.  I found the one I loved online and I ordered it.  It fit perfectly so I know it was the one for me!  No alterations needed.  If you love the dress, go for it!

Answer 2

Keep looking

Answer 3

Trying on a dress that's not in your size isn't that useful anyhow. It's not going to look the same when it actually fits. I'd say that as long as you've tried on similar styles (they look very similar to me, but I can't tell anything about the construction from a fashion picture) you should be ok.

The store has a size chart for each style, so the fit won't be any worse than if they had the dress in stock. Details like the cut at the front, etc you aren't going to know, but like I said, in a dress that doesn't fit you aren't going to be able to tell either. With the similarity between those two dresses, the person wearing the dress is likely to make as much of a difference in how the dress looks as anything else is.

Answer 4

It was a smart idea to try on similar dresses. That will give you a pretty good idea of how this gown will look on you.

Still, you never know what could happen. Some brides LOVE a photo they see of a dress on a website or magazine, only to hate it when they try it on in real life.

Did you ask the salon if they could get a sample for you to try on? Or is the dress designer having a trunk show anywhere near you? Call the designer and explain that you love this dress, but want to try it on before you order, and see if they could accommodate you.

If you have your heart set on this new dress, though, and there's no way around it ... you can order it, but I would absolutely have some kind of backup plan in case things don't work out. If you need a quick dress, you could order one from jcrew.com or nordstrom.com, or buy a used dress off eBay or preownedweddingdresses.com. And definitely reserve an appointment with an awesome and skilled seamstress for when the dress arrives, so she can quickly adjust anything that doesn't flatter you properly.

Answer 5

It's a bad idea.Keep looking.

Answer 6

I think it's a bad idea.  If you are sold on it though, try on a similar dress by the same manufacturer.  Obviously the bottom part will be fine.  That can't be too tight or not fit right.  So you don't need to worry about that but find a dress with a similar bodice and a similar neckline.  That way you'll at least know if that neckline works (it is rather low and I'd hate to find out it was too low).  And if you've tried on a similarly tight bodice, you'll know exactly what size to order.

I mean it seems to me there are too many other possibilities.  I mean you order it now, and they still can't get it until a month away.  That might still be late for the wedding.  It could come in and be the wrong size--mistakes happen.  Mine did.  It was a size smaller than the one I tried on in the store--though the tag said it was the same.  I could wear the store's dress but not mine.  Then you are without dress!  Or if it comes in and your dress happened to be the one on the top and gets cut.  You are without dress!  It needs alterations and it doesn't seem like you have time for them.  I just think there is way too much that could go wrong ordering a dress blind without any time to fix an error that could occur.

I would take a picture of that dress and go bridal store to bridal store to see if they have a similar dress to that one.  You love the features of that one so you may love a very similar dress that the store already has in stock.

Answer 7

If you love it, get it!  Make sure to order it in the right size.  It's much easier to take in a dress than to let one out, so it may be wise to order a size larger than you think.  Then have it altered.