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View Full Version : Any horror / success stories in Los Angeles area?



sasabrat
08-05-2003, 07:33 PM
I am just about to embark on a full-on dress shopping excursion in 2 weeks, when my mother come into town.

I am planning on visiting the following stores around LA:
The Montclair Collection
Bridal Images
Renee Strauss
Mary Linn's
Lili Bridals
Jenny Lee Bridal

I've just begun researching and am pretty ignorant still about who's terrible and who's good. Any advise or comments on the above stores?
Thank you so much!

edcinco
08-08-2003, 01:25 AM
I went to the Montclair Collection a few weeks ago. It is a very small, but upscale salon with gowns starting at $1500 with most well upwards of $2500. They carry a lot of Romona Keveza, Amy Michelson, and mostly European designers. They will not let you handle the gowns, but since they are all hanging in the showroom, you can eyeball them and ask to see one if it catches your eye. They provide you with a bustier and shoes.

My consultant, Charlene, was not the warmest person, but certainly knew what she was doing. I was not very specific with what I was looking for (It was still early on in my search.), and she picked out some dresses that I would have NEVER picked, but they all looked fabulous. She will add on all the details...veil, headpiece, jewlery to complete the whole look. It is very overwhelming...and fun! But she will keep you on task, and not let you linger too long in one gown. I tried on 5 dresses in one hour. If you get her as your consultant, ask her what her opinion is. She will have one, but she won't share it unless you ask. And I think her opinion would be a good one.

I should also say that I was about 10 minutes late for my appt., and they didn't have a problem pushing it back for me and still giving me a full hour.

Good Luck!

sasabrat
08-08-2003, 12:05 PM
thanks so much! It's good to know of a store that has people who have expert eyes. i'll be sure to visit.

redbone1
08-08-2003, 02:11 PM
Tamara's Bridal in Los Angeles (on Roberston)

I actually ended up renting my gown (and the bridesmaid's) from One Night Affair, also in Los Angeles. I rented a Scaasi for $400, which cost about $4000 to buy. The staff was great. They have a website, but it does not show what's in stock. However, there are discontinued dresses and veils available for sale at the site.

sxyjenn
09-10-2003, 08:33 PM
I went to MaryLinn's in Pasadena and not only did I not see anything in the store, but they were also very rude, barely said hello! I also work with another women who had gone in there and she had a similiar experience!
good luck to you!

luckylady
09-28-2003, 12:59 AM
I also visited Tamara's and they were a little bit curt (they were really busy) but still nice enough considering everything. I found their selection to be somewhat lacking if you're looking for anything more than the most basic styles. Over all, they have pretty nice salespeople and an ok selection of styles in stock.

ramblin
02-02-2004, 08:02 PM
I, too, have gotten Charlene's advice at the Montclair Collection, and she does indeed have excellent (though expensive) taste. I did get some misinformation from another attendant about the length of the train I was trying on, and mysteriously the quote for alterations rose $100 during the course of my visit, but overall the service was great.

I've also visited Tamara's, and yes, they are very busy, but it's understandable considering the deals you can get there. When you make an appointment, you can get really great service, although the gowns do tend to be middle-of-the-road.

Finally, I went to One Night Affair to see what was available in rental gowns, and it's true that their website doesn't include all their stock, so don't be deterred by the dated photos. Although I tried on some fabulous gowns that I could rent for a tenth of their purchase price, I felt a little bit like I'd been in a used car dealership by the time I left. I really liked one gown, which I was told had just gotten publicity, resulting in numerous inquiries for that particular gown, and that if I waited until after the weekend (when they have most of their appointments), it probably wouldn't be available anymore for my dates. Then I realized too late that the veil and headpiece which I hadn't yet committed to but that I had tried on with the dress were already added onto the rental agreement, boosting my bill 20%! I still love the outfit, but I felt a little bamboozled by the sales-tactics. Don't go in there alone!