Ebay China Gowns

[JanineM]

I have noticed all those sites in ebay from Chinese companies who make knock off dresses to one's own measurements. They will also make a dress that you design.

Some charge as little as $.99 for a dress but hit you with over $100 for the shipping and handling. Others charge about $40 for the dress and another $40 for the shipping and handeling. Most of the reviews are good on them, but some are better then others.

I have seen at least one picture posted on the Wedding Channel boards of a bride wearing one of those dresses and it looked nice. There are a coupld of others who have ordered them and are waiting for them to come in and will post pictures.

I was wondering if anyone here has purchased or even seen any of these dresses? Where was it odrered from (company name)? How was the service? Were you happy with the dress, the quality, and the fabric? Was it just as pictured? Was the quality compreable to something you would find at David's Bridal?

I did learn a couple of things about them already. They tend to close down for the Chinese New Year holiday for several days so comunication on those days is slow. (another bride ran into this) One company just got kicked off ebay for actually selling the real designer gowns with certificates dirt cheap. She found out about it (apparently it was her contracted factory) and she had them kicked off. They are still filling the orders already placed.

I do not have a ring yet so I will not really be shopping for a dress until I get one and that is a little bit away. Until then, I am educating myself on everything wedding. I am very short and apple shaped so nothing ever fits me right and it would nice to have one made to my size or at least close to it. So I would love to learn from everyone else who has tried this, especially if the company was good to work with and was able to communicate well. I feel that for about $100 it is worth the risk.

So please send some feedback and if you can post or send a picture even better!

Thanks!

[erikas]

Hello,

I also recntly ran across these places on ebay. One of the more popular ones is China-Ekt. He also has his own website apart from ebay, which is www.1koo.com. He is a power seller on ebay, and has many, many, many reviews. I did not read though the thousands that are there, but I read through at least several hundred of them. All except one or two about the wedding(and bridesmaids) dresses were VERY positive. Most said it came back beautiful, and fit wonderfully. Some needed a little additional tailoring, but considering the price, and the fact that you have to have most dresses altered anyways, I don't think that's a big deal. Some said it wasn't exactly like the picture, but still beautiful. The bad ones said just that it wasn't at all like the picture. He does have a return policy, which (after reading the reviews) seems to work well.

The only thing is that all of them come with zippers, and most wedding gowns have a button-up back, so that is also one reason the price is a little lower - just not as much detail. I am going to email and ask him if they're able to put buttons on the back instead for an extra charge, or even if they can leave it open, and I can then have a seamstress put the buttons on the back after I get it. The price would still be way under a regular gown.

I was pretty chicken about ordering a wedding dress online, but after reading all the reviews and looking over everything thoroughly, I have decided to try it. I will first go and try gowns on to see what style works. But, they're almost all made in China anyways, right? And, he has a good selection to choose from.

I would be interested in hearing if anyone else has already tried this! I will not be ordering for another two months or so, but I will let you know how they turn out!

Erika

[JanineM]

Thank you so much for replying. I did not notice until today!

Yes, I do know of the company you are talking about. I have been following their reviews for a while and I emailed them 20 questions the other day and they got right back to me with answers.

I too noticed the zipper issue with them and that was one of my questions to them. They told me that they are not using a better quality zipper then before.

I have two threads going on the wedding channel about them. One I started under dream gowns -ebay china thread. Another bride has one under creative ways to save about an issue she is having with the company she used, a different one then you mentioned that has been kicked off of ebay. Another girl got a dress from them that she loves without problem. This one ran into the Chinese New Year celibration back up. Apparently the last week of January and first week or so of Feburary causes back ups with ordering, production, comminication, and even getting products through Chinese customs. Best not to order around that time.

Yes, many of these companies are just stealing picture form the net or magazines of dresses and copying them. Some don't know for sure that the other side of the dress looks like so they just improvise. You are right the pic may not be exact. They seem to be very honest about it not being exact.

Some companies will make a dress from your own design. I have been communication with one person who did this. Her dress came in and was well made but it was too short and they did misinterpreted the tulle in the design and made it more of a ruffel. She was unhappy and contacted them again. They are working with her on it. They are not making her send it back and are only charging another $25 for shipping and are making her another dress the way she wants it. She has posted picture of her inspiration dress, her own sketch, and what came in the mail. I am also waiting for pics from a couple of others.
I noticed under the thread "post a pic of you in your dress" at the same site at least one or two dresses from ebay China.

The company you mentioned will make the button up back and the lace up back, in fact it was one of my questions to them. Several people on other sites have strongly recomended to me that a lace up back is a better choice for online dresses beacuse it permits slight room for adjustment without needing alterations. It does seem to make sense.

The mose specifie the directions with them seem to be the best thing possible. Don't assume they will just know, understand, or interpret a picture or general description the same way. Specifically ask them to email you any questions they have if they are unsure of something and to ask the people involeved in making it to ask and wait for an answer as well before they continue the work.

They also told me that there is no other holidays that interfer in the business other then Chinese New Year. I know what that holiday is like even here as I live in an Asian neighborhood here in the US.

I too have sat dwon and read 20 pages of reviews that company at a time as well as others. A different company that I was very interested in had made bad reviews and put horrible customer reviews back. I would not touch them with a ten foot poll now. Anyone company that has a bad ot neutral review that has follow up reports stating that they are working to resolve it it still worth dealing with, perhaps even more if there are not too many issues. Anyone can make a mistake, but how you handle it from there is what really counts!

I also think that before buying it would be a good idea to email or PM some of their past ebay customers to get a reference and maybe even pictures of what was ordered and what was actually recieved. Most brides love to show off their dress anyway and I know I would be willing to give it to others after I buy a dress.

Anyway my networking on this issue seems to be starting to take off now and I am very glad you are part of it. I found a nightmare theread from a bride on the WC who bought a bunch of expensive dresses at a shop in LA was charged $24 each for special delivary and the ones did come were cheaply packaged and only had $4 postage on it. Others seem to be missing in action and there have been numerour other issues she had had in the ten months since she ordered. So even thought there is always a risk buying over the internet, espceially from another counrty, but it is still not the same $$$ risk people take when shopping here at home. For me I know I will probably give it a shot, and maybe even buy a back up dress too from a second company at those cheap prices.

[melanie1973]

Hi all, I was looking at www.1koo.com. And some of those dresses are just beautiful!! I already found 3 I really like. I was just wondering
if anyone has bought one of these "china dresses" I also sent an email to find out the price of a dress I want made..I can't wait to see what the price would be...I'm just a little weary of the cheap prices and wonder if the work is cheap or the matreial is cheap as well. I guess for those prices it's a risk but I think it's woth it.
Any help would be great! Are there other companies like this??
Thanks,
Melanie

[JanineM]

There are many companies like this! That company you mentioned had some issues with the zippers. Most brides said that at the price to have it fixed here was not a big deal and the company also said that they have upgraded the zipper product they use. They will also do button or lace up backs if you want.

We have two threads going on these companies on the wedding channel message boards. One I started under dream gowns called Ebay China. The other someone else stared under Creative Ways to Save. We have been getting people to name the companies and post pics of the dresses when they come in and it is working out pretty well.

People seem to like the material and the quality so far. The issues that have come up have been delays due to the Chinese New Year, but the dress still came within two months of ordering. One dress have the ule done a little different then whet the bride designed (she designed the dress herself) She likes the qulity and fit. They are remaking her an another one for only $25 shipping because she was unhappy with the misinterpertaion of her design.

The companies will often tell you that the dress may be slightly different from the picture. I would ask for more information about how they are different. Communication seems to be key with these companies.

You may also be able to contact some of their past buyers on ebay, I am not sure because I don't have an actual ebay account yet.

Please let us know anything you learn about them back here too!

Thanks,
Janine

[JanineM]

Sorry for repeating myself so much. I didn't have a chance at the time to go back and read what I wrote before.

[JanineM]

At least one or two brides on the Wedding Channel boards have orders now in from there and are waiting for their dresses. I will let you know how it works out for them or you can cheak the board there yourself. I posted it under dream gowns and the thread is also called Ebay China. I would love for this thread here to take off like that one has too.

Did you end up ordering from them yet?

[erikas]

No, I haven't ordered yet. I am trying on dresses next week, and I'm going to see what's out there first. Then, I will make my final decision. I have also looked at the other boards on weddingchannel.com, and they have been very useful. Thanks for the tips! I will let you know what I decide, and how it all turns out!

[JanineM]

I go by Jan on the WC.

[Oopsie]

I was pretty skeptical about spending any money on ebay for a wedding gown, but being that I was on a budget I didnt have much choice. I probably could of gotten a dress for abvout $99 at David's Bridal, but not one that I just loved and actually fit. I'm puerto rican and as curvy as they come. Nothing I tried on fit right,anywhere.

A few of the stores on ebay had great prices like at $.99, but you're right they are like $100 bucks to ship. Then I ran into Bridal-Essentials, which I believe are also owners of yourbridalessentials.com and they offer to make me a dress to my measurements and I could pick any dress. After a few days of searching like a crazy woman for "the" dress I sent it to them and they quoted me $325, but with free shipping. It was totally worth spending since the actual certified gown would of cost me over $1,800.

Once I got it and saw the quality I ended up ordering all 8 of my bridesmaids dresses with them as well as my mother in law's dress. Oh! and the flower girl's dress too. I spent a bit more than I was hoping for but it was definitely worth it!

One thing though. They say normally takes about 20 days to make, but with holidays and weekends you can expect a good 30-35 days to get your dresses. They take their holidays seriously apparently.

[JanineM]

Thank you for the information. I didn't have any info on that company yet. What did the other dress you ordered run? Did you recieve them yet?

Did you require any additional alterations? Did you learn any tips about ordering that you would like to pass along?

I would love to see pictures if you have any. Could you post them here or email them to me at [email protected] .


Thank you!

[viajera20009]

Opsie (and others)

Do you have a photo of yourself in your gown??

Does the gown have boning and a lining? (I'm also as curvy as they come, so I need all that!

Toni

[viajera20009]

Opsie (and others)

Do you have a photo of yourself in your gown??

Does the gown have boning and a lining? (I'm also as curvy as they come, so I need all that!

Toni

[JanineM]

Just a note. Ebay China companies are now knocking off each others gowns in addition to the big guys. I have seen pictures snagged from Julius Bridal and 1Koo that are not being made but eith company even though both companies make dresses that are availible on ebay. JB will stand by any dress they make but not copies from a company that is not associated with them so be careful if ordering. You still may be able to get the same looking dress from one of the other companies but I have not had any reviews on the new copie cats on the other sites I have posted.

Janine

[ktaylor718]

I purchased and received my wedding gown from a Chinese ebay shop - (Cinderella's Bridal Shop). I can't begin to tell you how absolutely TERRIFIED I was!! The dress is absolutely FABULOUS and I could not have made a better decision had I gone to a local bridal salon.

The dress is a knock off of Maggie Sottero's Dion. Believe me, I compared pictures as closely as I could and could not find any difference. Cinderella's offers to make the dress in any size 2-30, they will custom make the dress to your measurements (which I chose to do). They will also make any other modifications upon request. I requested the dress be made without the train (our wedding is on a large sailboat but not enough room to drag a train and the back is too pretty to bustle).

The dress is a heavy silk, boned, fully lined, and has exquisite beading. I was very impressed with the hemline - it's re-inforced and falls beautifully. It also has the corset lace up back just like the Maggie - and does wonders for those of us with a few extra curves...it hides the bad and shows off the good!

I ordered my dress on 6/20 and received it on 7/10. I got the shipment notification on 7/7 a full 14 days earlier than estimated. I paid $199 + $55 shipping. This ebay shop has many other styles, I assume other Maggie knock-offs and they're all beautiful.

It's about 3 inches too long - but that's my fault. I was measured with heels and have since decided to wear flats - I'm already pretty tall! My seamstress is in awe of the price and fabulous quality and that I don't need any other alterations.

My reasoning...which I haven't seen anyone write about - but I'm not afraid to say it nor do I lack for words on this. This is one day - not even that, it's a few hours and then it goes in a box. I can't comprehend why anyone would spend thousands on a wedding dress to wear for a few hours. I get that we want to look the best ever on "our day". But I can't wrap my head around spending so much money...or insisting on a genuine designer dress with a certificate. What does that do? Whom does it impress? Are you supposed to frame the certificate? I'd rather put more money into making sure my guests have great food, fun, and have a wonderful unique experience. If it falls apart at the end of my day (which I'm confident it won't) it has still done its job and been worth every penny.

[JanineM]

Thanks for all the info. I will share it with the others I am communicating with on other boards. Do you have any pictures of the dress you recieved that you would not mind sharing? My email is [email protected]

Thanks!

[ktaylor718]

I don't have pictures of myself in the gown yet...My mother and matron of honor are both 600 miles away and I locked my fiance out of the house when I tried it on by myself...that was an event! I'll try to remember to send pictures when I have some.

The website for the shop I went through is linked here...I can't sing their praises enough!!! All of their dresses are beautiful and my dress (Dion) is exactly as they pictured.

http://stores.ebay.com/Cinderellas-Bridal-Shop

[JanineM]

I understand how hard it is to take pics with everyone so far away.

I have heard a couple of other good reports about them. I think another bride on the WC bought the same dress awhile back and was thrilled with it. She had them do the embroidery in light blue.

There has been a lot of talk on the WC in the past from brides who agree with you about how it is just crazy to spend thousands for a dress for less then one day. Some people spend more on their dress then I did on my car!

[Soon2bMrs]

I went to the website after reading your message. The dresses are beautiful. I would love to order my dress from them also but I am afraid to order such an important purchase online. Does the beading on your dress look good? I'm afraid it might look cheap. Do you have a picture of yourself in the dress yet? I would love to see it.:D

[ladyaurora]

I have a knock off of an older Lazaro dress from one of these Chinese ebay sellers (lisayipoi123). It is beautiful... the only problem I had was that the stays in the bodice are not really that strong. I also personally replaced all the beads and rhinestones with swarovskis.

The dress did have a zipper in the picture but I simply asked for them to put in a corset back... I had to provide a picture of what one looked like and what a privacy panel was, but there was no extra charge at all. It is done to my exact measurements due to the corset back. Total cost to me was around $250 Canadian after shipping.

I found her to be very responsive to emails and very helpful.

[Soon2bMrs]

Why did you replace the beads and rhinestones? Also where did you get your swarovskis? Thanks.

[cyanosis]

They had a picture of a justin alexander dress. I bought it for $69 plus $99 shipping plus $10 insurance. I got it more than a month later. It had very little in common with the original, was not made to the correct size, and was made of cheap silk rather than the taffeta I had made sure to ask that it was made of. He promised a full refund if I sent it back. It cost me $37 plus insurance to send it back to China. Then, He only refunded me $71. I complained and told him he had promised me ALL of the money back. He refunded me an aditional $80. So he still didn't refund my full purchase price, but it's better than nothing. All of this took 2 and 1/2 months.

[ketgilbert]

O ordered my dress from Ekt on Ebay. I paid 51.50 for the dress, 49.00 for air shipping, this was in Euros, it translated to $128.57 USD. I also paid a bank fee of $50 to wire the money to him so that it would be done more quickly. i sent the wired on 09/01/2006. I received an email from him stating he received my payment on 09/05/2006. I then received an email stating my dress was finished and ready to ship on 09/11/2006. I haven't received it yet, and I expect to need slight alterations since my fiance and I did my measurements to the best of our ability, but I have high hopes. I will post the results when I receive it. :D

[ladyaurora]

I replaced the beads and rhinestones with swarovskis because I liked the look of the swarovskis better. I got the swarovskis off of ebay for fairly cheap actually as I only ordered around 100 of them (small 4 - 6 mm bicone crystals). The beads and rhinestones weren't as good a quality as the swarovskis and the amount of time that it took was just an afternoon.

[ketgilbert]

I got my dress on the 26th, it took less than a month to get the gown. The picture did not do it justice. It's ven prettier than I thought it would be, and somehow we managed to do my measurements correctly, I don't have to get it altered at all. I am definitely ordereing the flower girl's dress from China-ekt this February. :-D

[JanineM]

I would love to see a picture of that dress!

[jinjguo]

Hi all, I was looking at www.kanacca.com. And some of those dresses are just beautiful!! I already found 3 I really like. I was just wondering if anyone has bought one of these "china dresses" I also sent an email to find out the price of a dress I want made. I can't wait to see what the price would be...I'm just a little weary of the cheap prices and wonder if the work is cheap or the material is cheap as well. I guess for those prices it's a risk but I think it's worth it.
Any help would be great! Are there other companies like this??
Thanks,
Jinjguo

[JanineM]

Yes, there are others. My favorite so far Is www.JuliusBridal.com, but Cinderella Bridal is also another good one and may be slightly cheaper.

The company you mentioned had had very incinsistant feedback over the past year. For a while anyone who complained about them in their feedback got nasty comments back calling them a bad ebayer. They did have some good comments, but many troubled ones. We have not yet come across an actually buyer on any or my threads yet.

BBB also had a few companies listed in their new edition of the book.

Janine

[uclachexican]

Janine,

Upon recommendation from a friend, I purchased the Bridal Bargains book. I finished it in about 1 week and scoured it for information. Most interesting was the information about ordering dresses from China. I came here and found your thread as well as the one at the WC site. I just really wanted to thank you for starting these threads and spreading all this great information! I haven't read through all of the WC thread yet. I have to do a few pages a day, but so far it has been very helpful and very interesting. This information has been (will be) really useful or brides.

So I see that you really like JB the best so far. Is that just because of the feedback you have gotten about them? Especially on the WC web site? I have noticed that their prices have gone up and am tempted to use one of the other sites. But there isn't a whole lot of feedback from brides who used those companies. At least, none that I have seen.

And, correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that if you email these companies pictures of dresses you like, that they can custom make you a dress. You don't neccesarily have to pick one off their web site. Is this right? There are some on their sites that I like, but nothing that really jumps out at me. I have my heart set on a designer gown, but could never afford to pay $5,000 for a wedding dress. I was hoping that if I emailed them a picture, asked them to make a few changes to the neckline and stuff, that they could pull it off for me.

Anyhow, thanks again. I wanted to respond here since the WC thread is getting so big! I look forward to continuing reading all these great posts. My wedding isn't until October 2007 so I have lots of time.

[JanineM]

Hi,

Thank you so much. I had been putting in long hours at work lately and have been sick the past week so I have not checked on the WC posts for a few days and am a bit behind in responding there.

Yes, JB did go up on their prices. We were not thrilled with that, we never like price increases. We found out that the reason they did it was because they have a few stores carrying their line now and they were pressuring them to go up on their prices as they could not compete with them online. We had suggested to them to come up with a retail only line and a internet only line and it is under consideration but I don't know if the idea went anyplace yet.

Their dresses seem to be running about $300-$500 now. We like them so much because of the return policy and their willingness to make things right. On first time created dresses it seems to a bit harder to make at first and may need a couple of tries. JB is also located in NYC and the cost of living is higher there and it costs them more for having such a good return policy.

If their prices are too high for you try Cinderella's Bridal on Ebay we have had a good report or two on them! Their prices are still a bit lower. Just make sure to get good pictures of the gown you want and from different angles. Give very specific instruction even on things you see in the picture as they may interpret what they see differently. Use a numbered line by line format and don't overwhelm them with long paragraphs. Use small simple words when communicating as translation can be a problem. The WC thread it time consuming to read but it worth it.

Janine

[saraoost]

I was checking out the 1koo.com website - any idea if there is any advantage to buying direct versus buying through ebay? I was wondering if it is safer to buy through ebay.

i found a few dresses that i am interested in. Was also wondering what most people do who buy online dresses - do they try on at bridal shops first and then shop online for similar styles - or just take a chance on a dress that looks good online?

I would appreciate any help in this area.

[JanineM]

A lot of people feel better about buying on ebay because there is some protection there. You will also be able to give feedback and they know it will effect their rating. You can do it however it is an advantage to you.

You need to go to dress stores and try dresses on and see what looks good on you. Brides often find that what looks good on them is much different then what they picked out online. Even if it is not the same dress but you know the style looks good on you will feel safer.

You need to find two people to measure you who know how to measure and take the measurements in both the English and metric systems and clearly label both when sending.

That company is known for zipper issues and their zippers sometimes have to be replaced which is not a big deal but lace up backs can save you from the problem and provide some room for adjustment possibly without any alterations at home.

There are many good tips on the Ebay China Thread on the Wedding Channel. I have not been on the past week or so as I just had so much going on lately.

[ms6arcia]

Hi Everyone,

I'm interested in purchasing a wedding gown online as well. I'm a little bit worried though in regards to sending my measurements because I was measured for a bridesmaid's dress earlier this year - should I use those same exact measurements? The dress was a little big around the waist and I had to get it altered. Will I have trouble getting alterations to a wedding dress bought online from China?

Or do you recommend that I get new measurements elsewhere?


Thank you ladies!

[ms6arcia]

How long does it take to receive your gown from JB? I tried searching for more info on their site before purchasing and couldn't find an answer.

[pepelu]

I have some experience with www.littlecoral.com, actually you can't believe that the 1koo.com or the kanacca.com are making the dress at the factory of littlecoral.

Littlecoral also has the ebay store and I found that the reputation is good and now they looks like only focusing on the wedding dress but some new items are adding everyday. I bought 2 from them and the Shipping is even faster than some sellers in USA. And the quality is good enough, we all love it and I have also recommended my friends to shop with them because the best services of littlecoral.

[pepelu]

Yes, these chinese website including the www.littlecoral.com are accepting the custom made wedding dress. Simply provide the details of the dress you need with the detailed pictures/ materials or even anything, then you just wait at your home for less than 30 days. I believe it's worth.
Good Luck.

[JanineM]

No! You need to have them redone for several reasons. Your measurments could have changed. Someone could have made an error. You need to go by the measurement chart that the company you want to buy from uses, etc.

I still think people should have two different people do the measurements to make sure there are no mistakes. If the measurements are not the same then someone did make a mistake and it could be an expensive one!

You still may need alterations here even if it is made to order. It may need some tweeking. Sometimes they are perfect and sometimes they even need to be remade. Some companies are better then others.

It is about risk. What can you afford to risk. If you go with the lowest cost companies the money is a low risk, but what it a lot of money is different to different people. The other risk is the time factor if something does not turn out right. I always suggest to people to have a plan B. Even if it is just knowing David's inventory so well that you can buy off the rack from on of their locations if it comes down to worst case. Now I have not yet really found a worst case situation. I have seen some come very close to deadlines due to things like customs delays, hurricanes, Chinese New Year, etc. (God forbid if there is ever a national security issue that effects US ports!)

[JanineM]

On the Wedding Channel there are two great threads. One is the ebay China thread and the other is the Julius Bridal threads. If you take the time to read them you will see all the ups and downs and worrying and great dresses that come in the end.

For a while JB was saying they could do an order in 30 days, but that is NOT enough time! Now they say the min. is 60 days. They perfer six months. The reason for it is that if the dress has a problem then it can be sent back and remade. I saw one dress that had a new one made three times! It did take a while. The finaly product was amazing! The other two were not really bad, just not the image invisioned as I recall.

The six month rule is one of comfort. The dress may be in with the 60 days and be perfect, but if it isn't then you have that slush room and don't need to panick. (Yes the same thing can happen when buying at a local store, they don't always have a dress on time and perfect either, risk is everywhere not just on ebay!)

Now I am still unsure of the Chinese New Year date. That could be an issue for some ordering from any company depending on their deadline. Some factories in China won't refuse an order and over promise (a Brides Worst Nightmare!) They are still learning from the American and International comsumers. Remember China is currently undergoing their own industrial revolution right in the middle of the communication revolution. They litterally have young girls leaving the farms and moving away to cities and living in company owned boarding houses to work. New companies are poping up every day in China and other nations as well.

I say if you are looking for at a company and are unsure about them to try to contact their past buyers and talk with directly (and if you can have them leave a review here with us too!)

Another note on prices. The same dress may have different prices, especially at JB depending on the materials you choose. If you want a poly then it is cheaper, if you want a silk or a hand woven silk the price jumps! Add in thouhsands of Australian crystals and it jumps again. JB will send you small fabric samples apon request.

FYI- A while back Julius bought up a bunch of the new edition of BBB and gave them away to WC brides (they are all gone now. He sent me one! He even covered the postage himself! Before that he gave away some free wedding fashion show DVDs!

[JanineM]

That does not surprise me at all. 1Koo sell many different types of items at such a variety it was unliely, but not impossible that they would buy from other manufacturers. Now they may or may not be their only wedding gown producer. If they are I would still have concerns about the zipper quality and arm hole size.

Do you have any dresses from them yourself? Do you have any pictures? If so can you please post them here or email them to me at [email protected] We would like to even see pictures of inside seems if possible!

Perhaps your friends could also come here and post pictures and reviews!

Thanks,

Janine

[bwmurphy99]

I recently ordered a gown from 1koo.com, highlighted in the book as a reputible site, and was horribly dissapointed when it arrived. The service was fine, they responded to e-mails in a timely manner etc. However, the fabric was nothing like the picture, it was cheap polyster and was poorly sewn. I would not recommend buying any gowns from this site regardless of how cheap it is.

[JanineM]

Thank you for the information. Would you mind posting some pictures or emailing some to me at [email protected] ?

Thanks,
Janine

[mustangtiff21]

Hello. I ordered a gown from 1koo.com earlier this month. I know it takes time to get the dress and all but I have received NO response from them and I even tried contacting them thru Ebay, and there store is closed. I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing a problem from them? Thanks!

Tiffany

[JanineM]

Yes, as of recently their account with ebay is either closed or suspended and I am not sure why. Contact them through their website. You will probably get an answer. Other people have been able to contact them there. Remember to expect a time difference for responses. We are also getting in some reports if inconsistant quality on their dresses and I am not sure if that is part of the issue or not.

[wedding07]

Hi, would you mind letting me know how it works out with 1koo.com? It's because I'm interested in purchasing a couple bridesmaid dresses off the same website, and I'm a little apprehensive!! Their feedback on ebay is pretty good, but they don't work on ebay anymore at all it seems. I've been able to contact people who bought stuff from them off ebay, and they were all satisfied. But I'd really appreciate your advice as a buyer from their website directly. Thanks so much! Catherine

[mustangtiff21]

Thanks for the replies ladies. To update you on this, I went and filed a dispute with paypal because I bought thru there website paying with paypal. I have emailed them thru their website at 2 different addresses, messaged them on their msg board on their site emailed them thru their ebay account and paypal has yet to receive any corresponence from them. If I remember correctly, I have sent them 4 emails. I;m not sure if its their chinese holiday going on or something but I cant afford the risk. I dont have alot to spend on a dress as it is, let alone do I want to but still. Let me know if theirs anything else you want to know. Thanks again!

[mustangtiff21]

Thanks for the replies ladies. To update you on this, I went and filed a dispute with paypal because I bought thru there website paying with paypal. I have emailed them thru their website at 2 different addresses, messaged them on their msg board on their site emailed them thru their ebay account and paypal has yet to receive any corresponence from them. If I remember correctly, I have sent them 4 emails. I;m not sure if its their chinese holiday going on or something but I cant afford the risk. I dont have alot to spend on a dress as it is, let alone do I want to but still. Let me know if theirs anything else you want to know. Thanks again!

[mustangtiff21]

Thanks for the replies ladies. To update you on this, I went and filed a dispute with paypal because I bought thru there website paying with paypal. I have emailed them thru their website at 2 different addresses, messaged them on their msg board on their site emailed them thru their ebay account and paypal has yet to receive any corresponence from them. If I remember correctly, I have sent them 4 emails. I;m not sure if its their chinese holiday going on or something but I cant afford the risk. I dont have alot to spend on a dress as it is, let alone do I want to but still. Let me know if theirs anything else you want to know. Thanks again!

[JanineM]

I am also hearing that they have stopped responding to others as well. I believe that the Chinese Holiday starts in Feburary around Presidents' Day.

I know that in the past that there have been some issues with some of the companies/factories and things like hurricanes, etc. I have not heard if this type of disaster related thing has been an issue for any company at this time.

They have not yet responded back to my email either. I will let you all know if they do or if I hear anything else.

I think people have been wise in the steps they have taken so far.

I may have said it before here but I do have very inconsistent reports regarding the quality of dresses from them. Even following them on ebay myself for more then a year now I have seen many great feedback reports and others that are of concern. Their prices were so low it was not a huge risk issue compared to others, but for many the time issue was more of a concern. Still, when it comes to money we like to keep the risk as low as possible.

I am just guessing here but this could be some sort of tech issue in what ever area they are in as well. Even if they are in a more industrialized area.

[marla3]

I am new to this board and have been following this 1koo "vanishing act" problem and was wondering if any of you had heard back from them. I ask b/c I am also interested in ordering a gown from them, but I am reluctant to do so b/c some of you are experiencing problems. Does anyone know of any other good china gown retailer?

[JanineM]

I would not order from them right now and am not sure if it is even possible to order from them right now.

I would go with www.Juliusbridal.com , but they are on the pricer end or the ebay china companies, but work out of NYC and place the orders with factories in China. Also try and see if Cinderella's Bridal is active on ebay right now. They do disapear off ebay from time to time when they are at their limit of orders they can fill (much better then taking orders one can't fill!). Also go the the ebay China thread on the wedding Channel. There are a coupl of other companies mentioned on the last couple of pages.

Please keep in mind that the Chinese New year is coming up in Feburary. Many factories will close down for two weeks or so and communication may be limites or slow during that time. In China many workers travel back home to the contryside villages to there families and only see them one a year during this time period, this sometimes includes husbands and wives seeing each other and their children. (PBS had been showing specials in the current transformation of China nad the effects on the people).

[Chelee33]

Yes, please keep us up to date on 1koo. I am very interested in them. I don't need to order a dress for another 6 months now. Just getting started early! I'll check out the other China dress pages for now!

[pupdog]

Glad to hear it here about 1koo. It's the only place I've seen SEVERAL gowns that I like (I HATE TRAINS!!!) via their 'beach wedding' category. I'll check out Cinderella's.

So, can someone explain to me how it all works? I haven't seen squat about sizing on any of the sites. Custom doodads?

[pupdog]

OOP, never mind. I just checked out Cinderella's ebay store, and it's VERY clear! Thanks, I didn't know about Cinderella until I came here. Great stuff! I asked if they could do one without the train.

[Steelie232]

Any recent info on the 1koo website? I just bought the book and was ten seconds from odering when i decided to check the forum. They're website still appears to be functional. Also I was wondering which of the online shops had the fastest shipping, I have a 1month old and need as much time as possible to lose the baby weight, wedding date is Sept. 8th 2007.
Thanks so much!

[JanineM]

I would email them first and see if you get a response before trying to place an order. I believe that the Chinese New Year is starting right about now and this will be a problem with ordering for many companies.

This is their biggest holiday. Many factory workers come from rural farm areas or other cities and come to work and live in company dormatories. They often only are able to travel home to see their families, sometimes including sposes and children being raised by grandparents at this time. They tend to stay for two weeks to a month. PBS did a good program on this way of life.

On our end it means that a lot of the factories temeprarly either close down or are on a skelition crew right about now (the date changes each year) Responses may be slow. They are not ignoring you it is just the timing. If the wedding is a logn time away it should not be too much of a problem.

On measuring... email me for some tips on it @ [email protected] . This is a key area. If you mess it up, you will not be happy and it will not really be their fault.

[qwickone]

I bought my dress from ebay seller jeffliu8000. I was really happy with the dress I got. It does NOT look like the picture, but like it was based on the picture, which i was expecting and so I was happy with what I got. The dress that was pictured was an Eve of Milady $5000 dress, what I got was a knock off for $300. I did do extensive shopping in dress shops before I checked it out online. If i had to guess how much the dress I got had I bought it in a shop, I would guess 1200 - 1500, so it's avery good value. Also, it's tailored so I need minor alterations (my fault for not measuring well), so I'm sure I saved there too. Communication was great and she is very eager to help if there are any disputes. And the dress comes with zipper only. I asked her to add buttons, which she did, but they are fake buttons (only for show, zipper still there). This is better in my opinion because it's easier to put on. Just my 2 cents!

[JanineM]

Glad to hear it worked out well for you.

Would you mind emailing me pics to me at [email protected]

[qwickone]

I actually havent taken any pics in the dress and it's at my mom's house two hours away, so I dont have easy access to it.

Another thing I forgot to mention is there's no crinoline (sp?) inside the dress, so mine looked a little weird until I got some (my dress was a full ballgown, so it NEEDS crinoline). That can run upwards of $300 some places, but I'm sure it can be found for less elsewhere (I got my petticoat from someone that was recently married).

[JanineM]

Well, when you do I would still love to see them!

I see a lot od the crinolines on ebay and craigslist. Many ebay China companies will include one for an extra fee if it is not already included. It is best to inquire before one orders to avoid extra shipping and handeling charges.

[Sisioge]

Hello,
I'm new to this site and I was interested in your review on Cinderlla Bridals. They're also known as millybridals.com. I've sent sveral emails to them asking questions before ordering but I haven't been able to get a response. Maybe it's because I contacted them via their website.

I am happy you were satisfied with your dress. Did your dress come bustled? Or did you have to request for that? Did you dress come in a protective covering? I'm asking because my wedding is miles away and I need to knw the kind of package they use.

Thanks in advance.

[Sisioge]

>O ordered my dress from Ekt on Ebay. I paid 51.50 for the
>dress, 49.00 for air shipping, this was in Euros, it
>translated to $128.57 USD. I also paid a bank fee of $50 to
>wire the money to him so that it would be done more quickly.
>i sent the wired on 09/01/2006. I received an email from him
>stating he received my payment on 09/05/2006. I then received
>an email stating my dress was finished and ready to ship on
>09/11/2006. I haven't received it yet, and I expect to need
>slight alterations since my fiance and I did my measurements
>to the best of our ability, but I have high hopes. I will
>post the results when I receive it. :D

Is EKt the ebay seller id?

Does anyone know of a good site to get bride's maids dresses from China.

[Sisioge]

Hello Ladies,
The Bridal bargains book is a life saver and I'm definitley looking to purchase my gown from China.


I have a few questions..

Did anyone order her bride's maids dresses from China? If so, can you provide the website info


Is it better to order via ebay or is it better to order through their website, for example cinderella bridal on ebay is the same as www.millybridal.com


How often do they return customer emails?
My wedding is in December in Africa and I am so running out of time.

[JanineM]

Before placing your order you need to ask the company all these questions. Do it in a line by line number from skipping lines inbetween questions. Most dresses do not come with bustles and bustles can be done in different ways. Some companies will do them for you if requested. Crinolines and protective gown bags may or may not be included. You need to ask if it is or it it is an available add on and the price for it. Every company does things differently. The thing is to be clear with your questions and instructions. Don't expect just because you asked for something in a question before you ordered that it will be included in the order unless you again specifically state it in the order again.

We sometimes see brides ask a question about a dress or for an extra then forget to include that same thing in the order. They have too many customers and screennames to deal with to remember everyone and everything. It it like discussing the details of any agreement then getting it in the bill of sale or contract. You want it all in writing in the order.

[pupdog]

I'm now feeling a little guilty for saying anything negative about Cinderella's! 'Sarah' did get back to me and explained that they've simply had a boom in orders and are much busier/more sucessful than they imagined, and future time extimates will reflect this! My dress arrived on Friday and I'll post a picture if I ever figure out how to. It's amazing! I think it fits perfectly...it's a corset back & nobody's had a chance to come help me into it. But being a corset back, it's self-adjusting anyway. On the skirt I wanted no train, but a little higher in the front, and just barely touching the ground in the back. It's bang-on lengh-wise! I also wanted the fullness to be somewhere between a sheath & A-line. Again, perfect. The fabric is cozy & soft, the beads are all stiched on by hand, and the construction is that the Bridal Bargains book describes when it discusses a high-quality gown. Not a single loose thread, all that good stuff! The feedback I posted on ebay said "buy here for forever wonder 'what if?'"
By the way, it's a WIERD sensation when you're at work, busy as can be, and suddenly the DHL van pulls in with a package for you direct from China...and all that work chaos is going on & you're suddenly signing for your wedding dress! My focus was officially gone after that! I run a winery, and I was, haahaa, getting someone's private event set up at the time!

[JanineM]

I am so glad to hear that this worked out for you! I can't wait to see the pictures! If you can't figure out how to post them hear could you please email them to me at [email protected] .

I think a lot of the companies have some growing pains as they get to be known on the boards. We need to keep that in mind when ordering and always have extra time figured in to the process.

[Sisioge]

I haven't really had any luck communicating with Cinderella Bridal. They don't return emails. I sent a picture so I could get a price quote as was advised by a prior Cinderlla email. I am yet to hear anyhting from them 2 weeks on.
>

[JanineM]

Is this for a new order? I just heard another good report on them someplace else. They maybe not taking any orders right now if they have all they can keep up with as I have heard that they do that from time to time. Other then that I don't know why they are not responding.

[Sisioge]

>Is this for a new order? I just heard another good report on
>them someplace else. They maybe not taking any orders right
>now if they have all they can keep up with as I have heard
>that they do that from time to time. Other then that I don't
>know why they are not responding.


Yes it's for a new order.

[pupdog]

[email protected] is their email address in case the web feedback form isn't working.

[bu9949]

Hi,

I'm interested in an Amalia Carrara dress (which is a collection of Eve of Milday) and received a quote from Jeffliu8800 today for $259. It's really tempting to order it from them, but when I read your review that the dress didn't turn out exactly like the picture, that was kind of disappointing. What kind of questions did you ask them? I sent a picture from their website, but it didn't show the back of the dress. What did you do about that for your dress? Any help would be great! Thanks!

[JanineM]

Try to find a picture of the back of the dress someplace else on the internet, perhaps the designer's site.

[Sisioge]

>[email protected] is their email address in case the web
>feedback form isn't working.



I got so frustrated with them not returning my emails that I gave up on them. I ended of ordering from http://www.johnsbridal.com/. The customer service is superb and their prices are excellent. I was able to find a cheaper price of the same dress and he matched the price. Way to Go!!

And I don't have to worry about an English translator.:)



I paid 50% up front and the remaining 50% will be later. My payment was made through paypal....the only secure thing out there.

He's also sending me fabric swatches....Hey I am all good to go.

John also has some dresses on sale. I am so happy that I was able to find his site.

All the dress still come from China but I don't have to worry about John's bridals going MIA or not responding to emails.


Later girls.

[sunsethj]

I ordered a dress from Kanacca(which has changed their name to sheshopping.com) and was not happy with the results. They did not make the dress exactly to my measurements. It did not fit very well AT ALL. I sent them pictures of how the dress did not cover my breasts completely. They said that I had 'beautiful breasts' and should show them off! After much emailing, trying to break the language barrier, they agreed to make another dress. They were supposed fix three things: 1. Bodice should cover breasts. 2. It should have a drop waist(the first one did not) and 3. They should include the embroidery below the waist(which they left off completely the first time).

After receiving the second dress, these were the results:
1. Bodice covered 90% of the breasts.
2. STILL did not have a drop waist.
3. They added embroidery below the waist, but it was done with beads and the rest of the dress was done with thread embroidery.

I can't fix either of the dresses to wear to my wedding. The waist is too high. If I pull it down to the correct positioning, you can see more of my breasts.

Overall dissatisfied. I paid $179 for the first dress and then $70 to ship the second dress. They were reluctant to make the second one at all.

The seamstresses didn't seem to have a grasp on how to fit a large busted woman. Maybe you'll have better luck if you are smaller. But, do you really want to take that chance?

>Hi all, I was looking at www.kanacca.com. And some of those
>dresses are just beautiful!! I already found 3 I really like.
>I was just wondering if anyone has bought one of these "china
>dresses" I also sent an email to find out the price of a dress
>I want made. I can't wait to see what the price would be...I'm
>just a little weary of the cheap prices and wonder if the work
>is cheap or the material is cheap as well. I guess for those
>prices it's a risk but I think it's worth it.
>Any help would be great! Are there other companies like
>this??
>Thanks,
>Jinjguo
>

[bu9949]

The original picture that I got was from the designer's website, however, I have looked all over the internet for the back of the dress and can't seem to find it anywhere.

Has anyone worn dress this Amalia Carrara dress, style A1 on the website?

Does anyone have pictures of the back of the dress? If so, please let me know. Thanks!

[bu9949]

Did your dress come with any boning or a built in corset?

Did you have to tell them what material to make the dress out of?

Just curious since I'm seriously considering ordering my Amalia Carrara dress from her.

[shopping]

Sheshopping is specialty wedding dresses company,is different Kanacca.They are two different company.

Sheshopping have top-quality,but lower price dresses.

All products,including wedding dresses ,Wedding Accessories,fashion apparel ,all are FREE SHIPPING.

For more information,please visit http://www.sheshopping.com

Thanks

[lightningbug]

Looks like this may be the reason they changed to Sheshopping--they got busted:
http://secondcitystyle.typepad.com/second_city_style/2007/08/exposed-an-expo.html
An interesting debate on designer dresses vs Chinese knockoffs.

[LaurenSCS]

Hi! I wrote the post to which you refer. The Expose on Kanacca. They changed their name again? Wow. Does anyone know any other aliases they use? Pretty slimy.

Looks like I have my next article on this matter. Thanks!

Lauren from Second City Style

[scoffman]

I wasn't brave enough to order my wedding gown from China, but due to some fairly complicated requirements for my bridesmaids (one will be 8.5 months pregnant, and all are fairly modest and want sleeves) I decided to order their dresses online. After getting quotes and reading message boards, I decided to go with ebridal-21cn from ebay. I ordered my flowergirl dresses from them as well so I could get the colors to match exactly. Nothing turned out as planned!
The color of the dresses looks nothing like the picture they sent. The dress is quite a bit different from the picture, and the bow is not only hideous but they did not make it detachable as I very specifically requested (I was able to cut them off). The maternity dress is just made for a very large person and will need to be taken in on top, in spite of the measurements we sent. The sleeves are not adequate to cover my maids' modesty requirements. Because this is crucial, and I anticipated the problem, I ordered an extra yard of both the chiffon from the main dress and the satin used for trim so I could decide how to fix it later, if I needed to. When I received the dresses, my concerns about the sleeves were accurate. I'm fairly laid back, and can work with all of that. But the biggest mistake of all is that the satin on the bridesmaid dresses does not match the flowergirl dresses as it was supposed to, and the extra fabric they sent matched the flowergirl dresses. I have asked for the correct satin, or an extra yard of the flowergirl satin, so I can fix the dresses, and after repeated emails they have refused to do anything about it. They keep suggesting I use the chiffon or stretch the 1 yard of satin to cover all the trim (impossible). I haven't yet decided if I will try to fix the dresses or consider them a sunk cost and start from scratch. I am so disappointed in my experience, and even more so that ebridal is refusing to do anything to fix their mistake. All I have asked for is 1 yard of fabric. I am so glad I did not choose to have my wedding dress custom made!

[lightningbug]

Hoping to save some money, I ordered wedding dresses from two Chinese sites I'd learned about here and in the Bridal Bargains book, and one on ebay. None of them turned out right. Part of the problem is that I'm plus-sized, and maybe in China there aren't many people who look like me, so perhaps it was a challenge for them to envision a big hourglass shape. The dress from ebay was the worst--it was like they took a size 8 bodice and made it longer to go around me. It would only have worked if I had little boobs placed right under my chin. In addition, they were sloppy with the lace, and it looked like it had been hot-glued on. They are supposedly making me another dress with better proportions. It took them 1 month to make the first one, and it's been another month since they'd said they would make a replacement--still no dress, but I am giving them a chance to respond. I am going to sell the two that are not quite so bad on consignment. These were from Weddingo and Kanacca/Sheshopping.

On the up side, the dresses did have a lot of work in them, as far as linings, embroidery, beading, etc. Unfortunately, the fabric was kind of cheap, and as I said, they just didn't fit right. They were not made so that they could be easily altered, either.

Based on my experience, I don't recommend going through the Chinese manufacturers unless you have no other options at all (though you might have a better chance if you are not plus-sized). Find a local shop or seamstress if you can. Fortunately, I did find someone local who could make me a dress on short notice.

[JanineM]

Yes, I have not been pleased with reports on Kanacca. I do not recommend that company. They seem to need to overhaul the way they do things. Bad reports to inconsistent reports and feedback on them has been coming in for a long time. They also do not show pictures of their own work.

Do you have any picture of those dresses that you can post or send to me?? ( [email protected] ) Especially the parts that you were not happy about.

Were you professionally measured? Did you happen to send in the measurements in both the metric and English conversions?


Which company is remaking a dress a dress for you???

Thank you for taking your time to post!

Janine

[JanineM]

I can tell you why not. You are doing it all wrong!!! You have been all over bridal message boards on the net on threads you have no business being on and have really ticked off a lot of brides. You are going about advertising your product the wrong way. I have seen people on other boards ask you to go away and you don't!!! You have ticked a lot of people off!!!

Go sell your stuff on ebay or some selling website. If you must go to a board to sell dresses go to one what welcomes companies who are looking to sell products and post your own thread, but stay off of other people's thread!!! If you get good reviews eventually people will probably find us and send up pictures and a review. Don't try to put any fake reviews yourself, we can always see right through them!!! Then you will really be bad mouthed on the net. We can and have made and broken reputations on these threads. Brides listen to each other more then any company.

I think I need to make things clear this thread is for women/brides looking to find out information about ebay china companies from other brides (and perhaps their friends or family members). IT IS NOT FOR EBAY CHINA COMPANIES TO ADVERTIZE HERE ON THEIR OWN (or put any fake ads in case you were thinking of doing that).

IT IS ALSO NOT FOR INDUSTY BIAS WRITERS TO COME LOOKING FOR INFORMATION FOR THEIR NEXT BIASED ARTICLES!!!! Nor is it for the owners of brick and mortar stores to put in their two cents. These are all problems I have run into on my threads here and other places. SO IF YOU ARE NOT HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASON PLEASE GO AWAY!!!!

[JanineM]

I have some new feedback from another thread on Kanacca. I would assume that many ebay sellers of all types of things are using the service mentioned...

from Angie74

Beware of Kanacca

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ordered my dress from Kanacca and what a horrible experience it was. The dress was made very poorly in the way it was sewn. It looks nothing like picture that was posted. The fabric was of very poor quality as well as the lace. Their communication was very poor and made it difficult to explain things to them. In addition, it took almost 2 months for them to make the gown (their auction said 15 to 20 days).

They didn't refund my money as advertised, in fact they failed to reply to any of my emails regarding a refund. Then to top it off, they use a company called SquareTrade (which I was unfamiliar with at the time) to actually remove my negative feedback on them (if you don't respond to SquarTrade, eBay actually gives them the right to remove your feedback).

I was fooled into ordering from them because they have little negative feedback. That was before I knew about SquareTrade. When looking through their feedback, you will see many that say "Rating mutually withdrawn". That's what mine states and I didn't make any sort of agreement with them. So you can rest assured that most of the feedback labeled as that is yet another unsatisfied customer. In essence, they pay SquareTrade to deal with any negative feedback they recieve, if the customer doesn't respond the negative feedback is removed. Which in turn makes the feedback system on eBay worthless.

As far as the BBB, they are located in China (as mentioned above). If anyone decides to do business with them after reading my experience with them, I strongly suggest you BEWARE and expect a very poor dress or gown.

[Chrissy20]

Recently, I ordered two dresses from a tailor in Shanghai, China on ebay. The name of the site is called April Bridal under the name of Jeffliu8000. If you check the reviews & ratings, Jeff is rated as a top seller for ebay. I think for the most part, customers are happy with his work.

One of the gowns I ordered is an actual duplicate of Milady bridal gown featured on Bridals by Roma bridal shop in NJ for over $3,000. I was very impressed with the detailing and the work done. I had another v-neck gown tailored for $49.99. I was glad that I had gone with ebay instead of paying over $3,000 for the gown. Both of my gowns, including shipping came out to less than $400.00. I do have to warn you that the shipping isn't cheap. However, it is worth the investment considering the money you will be saving.

I do have to admit, I was hesitate at first because of other sites I had browsed before choosing April Bridal. A lot of the reviews complained about cheap quality, material, fitting, expensive shipping, and the dress not resembling to anything shown on the website. However, after ordering the two gowns, I can tell you, if it's any website you can trust, it's definitely Jeff. Unlike other websites where they just process your order through, Jeff actually sends forms and instructions to make sure you get a customized fit. I continually received updates & emails from him while he was working on the tailoring with the two gowns. Most of the pictures on his site shows the detailing and exactly what you will be getting. My gowns came out gorgeous and the fit was perfect, except for the gown length which came out a little longer. I do recommend to get your measurements done by a tailor or seamstress in your local area to get the perfect fit. Overall, I think you will save a lot even if additional tailoring needs to be done on the dresses.

I live in the Manhattan borough of NYC. I can tell you that the dresses here are ridiculous! I visited a few bridal stores where $3,000 and above is considered a bargain. Occasionally, there are a few sample sales here and there for $100 and less. I wouldn't waste time getting on line with thousands of brides pushing back and forth to grab dresses off the rack. I don't know about you but I think there are better ways to find a real bargain without losing your sanity to fight over dresses with other brides. I would definitely go with April Bridal and check out which dress suits you. You never know, your dream dress might just be on sale. Also, there is the discount/clearance section, make sure you check that out before ordering the selections on the front page. Another great thing is you get up to 30 days if you decide you don't like the gown or you're displeased with the service, Jeff gives you a full refund. I hope this helps with your search.

I wish all the brides or bride to be lots of luck with the planning & a very special wedding day!

[ColleenM]

I've been reading ALLL of your messages and I thank you. I fell in love with a Jim Hjelm gown, a Judd Waddell and a Vera Wang. I went to netbride.com, but they don't carry these lines. I then started looking at bridecouture and they have the Jim Hjelm only, but was hoping to spend less than $1000 on my dress. I have started in on the 14,215 entires on eBay - most of which seem to be the China companies. It seems like most of them can get a gown made in my short time frame (by May) and promise excellent quality. I'm even contemplating sending a couple of them pics. of my dream dress to see if they can make it and how much, however I'm thinking I might be best off to go with what pics. I see. Thanks for alerting me to 1koo.com. I'm going to check them out. My fiance buys from ebay all the time and if we pay through our pay pal account, he says we shouldn't have a problem settling any dispute because eBay is very customer oriented in ensuring we get what we ordered. I will let you know. Meanwhile, if you have any additional advice, please let me know. i have to order a dress or buy a dress within the next couple of weeks to ensure I get it on time.

[rhinehartca]

has anyone purchased from lifeshop2008 on ebay? They have the exact dress that I have been spying and I wanted to know if anyone has feedback,

Thanks!

[DC Bride]

I ordered 2 dresses recently online from Jeff Liu/April Bridal after reading the Bridal Bargains Book and blogs on this site and reviewing his eBay Seller ratings. I was very satisfied with this decision. Communication was prompt and Jeff always replied within a few hours when I emailed questions about the status of the dresses. The dresses arrived in 7 weeks (ordered Feb 1, arrived Mar 21). I ordered 2 different styles since I couldn't choose which one I liked better and didn't know what to expect. I spent ~$350 for the 2 (including shipping, which isn't cheap) and was very pleased with both dresses. He/April Bridal did a great job replicating the pictures I sent. The quality is not quite what you get when you pay $$$, but even so, the quality is pretty good and you can't tell that they were purchased at a deep discount. I cannot wait to wear one of the dresses (still can't decide which one I like more!) for my wedding in August. I am also thrilled to have not spent over $1,000 on a dress I will wear for just a few hours, but the dress.

[Tsnicker4]

I ordered 2 dresses recently online from Jeff Liu/April Bridal after reading the Bridal Bargains Book and blogs on this site and reviewing his eBay Seller ratings. I was very satisfied with this decision. Communication was prompt and Jeff always replied within a few hours when I emailed questions about the status of the dresses. The dresses arrived in 7 weeks (ordered Feb 1, arrived Mar 21). I ordered 2 different styles since I couldn't choose which one I liked better and didn't know what to expect. I spent ~$350 for the 2 (including shipping, which isn't cheap) and was very pleased with both dresses. He/April Bridal did a great job replicating the pictures I sent. The quality is not quite what you get when you pay $$$, but even so, the quality is pretty good and you can't tell that they were purchased at a deep discount. I cannot wait to wear one of the dresses (still can't decide which one I like more!) for my wedding in August. I am also thrilled to have not spent over $1,000 on a dress I will wear for just a few hours, but the dress.
I have been looking at Jeff Liu/April Bridal as well, but am hesitant to order. I probably will since they are so inexpensive comparibly! Which dresses did you order? Would it be possible to post pictures of your dresses?

[schneck]

Does anyone know about love_mengniu on ebay? They don't have very many feedbacks, and I wondered if they changed their name from something else? They don't seem to have any feedback on actually selling gowns. The problem is they have the exact dress I've been wanting!!

Thanks!

[shoesize36]

I have been looking at Jeff Liu/April Bridal as well, but am hesitant to order. I probably will since they are so inexpensive comparibly! Which dresses did you order? Would it be possible to post pictures of your dresses?

lol. looks like you've already made up your mind on it. all you need to do is to take the first step -- place an order! :)

[Mrs.Roo]

I just wanted to share my experience with China direct buys. I went with sheshopping.com. I wanted a Provonias Oleje but could not afford an original. Not even a used original! lol I emailed back and forth sheshopping told them what I wanted, sent SEVERAL photos of the dress, and they quoted me $265 total including shipping. The dress arrived 3-4 weeks later... and I loved it. I get married on November 1, 2008 and cannot wait to wear this dress!

Please ignore the ugly black dot on my face. I did have to alter the dress some because I flubbed on the measurements but it fits me perfectly now.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2737446972_60de220838.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2737447508_b699d0f707.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/2736611959_ddb23e3406.jpg

[kiki45]

I like some of the dresses on 1koo and read about them in the book, but I think they have changed since the book was written. Does anyone know anything about this company?

[katgreen]

After reading all comments ( not just from this website ) I'm very confused , most of the reviews for "april bridal china" are good ,but my concern is the fabric quality , i don't want the dress to look cheap . No matter how many reviews i read i need to see some "real pictures". I'm in love with this dress but the issue mentioned above is what is stopping me from ordering the dress
If anybody ordered from "april bridal china" and if you don't mind please email me pictures to [email protected]

below is the link of the dress I'm in love with

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fabulous-Lacework-Mermaid-BRIDAL-Wedding-Dresses-Gowns_W0QQitemZ350111810376QQihZ022QQcategoryZ6385 1QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Thanks

[girlreptil]

I just ordered my wedding dress from Little Coral, a China manufacturer. http://www.littlecoral.com/ I did about a month of on-line research and asked their sales rep a ton of questions by email. I special ordered a copy of the Alfred Angelo Sapphire #729 gown, which the original designer is discontinuing. They charged me only $390 including shipping and handling. From what I read, their quality and workmanship is really good. I found out that on "cheaper" sites, you have to pay a lot extra for S & H. So for the quality, it wasn't going to be any cheaper somewhere else. If you are going to order your dress on-line from one of these sites, it is best to have your measurements taken by a professional seamstress/tailor. Little Coral told me that they make the dresses so that they can be altered two sizes up or down, but I still don't want to take any chances.

[girlreptil]

Has anyone else bought their dress from Little Coral recently? Were you happy with their quality? They also have an ebay store under the seller name of littlecoralbridal, but I decided to order straight from their www.littlecoral.com website. I probably paid a little more than if I would have ordered a dress from their ebay store, but since it is a custom order I didn't want to take any chances.

[girlreptil]

I just got my dress and it is beautiful! It's a copy of an Alfred Angelo Sapphire Collection dress that was discontinued. Mine isn't exactly like the original, but it is very close and just as nice for the price. Quality material, very detailed embroidery, hand sewn sequins & beadwork - the gown just sparkles in the light. It also came in a month after I ordered it, which surprised me considering that I asked for a custom order. I've attached a photo if anyone ould like to see.

[sugarchick]

I'd like to see a picture picnture please! Do you mind posting a URL to the picture?

Thanks!

[girlreptil]

I was finally able to compress and attach the pictures of my dress. I guess that it didn't take the first time because the files were too large, sorry. Here they are.
Girlreptil

[woochan101]

I just got the dress that I ordered off www.1koo.com and I'm pretty happy with the results. I found the same dress on theknot.com in the $3000-5000 price range, but I only paid $200 (including express shipping & custom tailoring). They were quick, professional, and even let me know when I measured incorrectly!

The quality is great; much better than I was anticipating. The fabric has some weight, there are no flaws in the seams, and the beads are sewn on tightly.

As for the downfalls, they did use a cheap zipper. The fitting around the bust is awful, but that could be due to a measuring error on my part. (I think this can be altered to fit better) The beading around the bust also looks a little tacky, but you'd have to look at it really closely to notice.

All in all, I'm happy with my dress. It more of less looks like the picture. If you're not that picky, I wold recommend using these guys. I would really recommend them if you want a simple gown.

:cheerleader1:

[MN June Bride]

I want to have my dress custom designed. I'm so picky I can't find "the one" :( The bodice is covered with lots of fine beading, like Mori Lee style #2820. I'm looking for a place that can do quality beadwork, where the beads are sewn on securely & are of decent quality.

Any recommendations? Has anyone ordered a dress like this? Were you happy with the results? Which site is best for this?

Any replies will be greatly appreciated!

[Trisha]

Has anyone done business with littlecoral.com? There are several dresses there that I like but would like some input before I buy.

[bride09]

Don't waste your time with Honey Bridal Store on ebay. I bought a dress from them thinking I could save a ton of money, but instead I've lost money.

I went to a bridal shop and tried on dresses, found the one I liked and from reading Bridal Bargains, decided to check out ebay to save money. All of them, as far as the people from China, seem to do the same thing - custom dress and custom sizing. So I contacted Honey Bridal Store and sent them pictures of the dress and asked them if they could make that dress for me. They said that they couldn't make it exactly the same, but 90% the same. So I figured that 90% the same will be good enough if it was going to save me hundreds of dollars. So they set up an ebay listing, with the picture from the manufacturer's website of the original dress I wanted, and I bought the dress. Paid for it, then they sent me chart measurements, asked me if I wanted the back of the dress to be corset or zipper, I filled in the chart and what I wanted. Then the "dress" arrived.

I couldn't believe I wasted my time. The dress looked NOTHING like what I wanted. Not only did the dress not look like what I wanted, it wasn't even made properly. They some how managed to make a wedding dress that looked like it had two pockets on the front of it! (I guess for tissues). Then the corset or zipper backing that they asked me what I wanted, I told them corset. So what did they send? A dress that had corset and a zipper. Why did they bother asking what I wanted? The dress looked TERRIBLE! I can send you a picture of the "dress" so you can see for yourself. Oh, and the dress didn't fit either.

So of course, they said before I ordered the dress that if there was problems I would be able to send it back and get my money back. Yeah right. I paid to have the dress shipped back and they are still trying to claim they haven't received it yet. I sent the dress back on November 19, 2008! And don't think by paying with Paypal that they will save you. Because I tried to bring a claim up with paypal and they closed my claim. So I'm out $139.99 plus another $21 to send the "dress" back.

So don't waste your time or money with ebay china seller's ---any of them! Best bet if buying on ebay, is buying from an actual person. Someone who is only selling one dress.

[karilynn6]

I was wondering if anyone has heard of or had any experiance with Kelly Bridal out of China, www.kellybridal.com. They offered me the Jim Hjelm dress I've been looking for at $250 with shipping included. They sent me the actual pictures from Jim Hjelm's website, so I don't know if that means their factory actually produces his dresses or not. Any advice?

[bazik]

After reading, I want to order my dress online too! Im frustrated with these bridal stores trying to taking advantage of me.

Im getting married in October. I'm still shopping for the "DRESS"

Would I have enough time to order one online? If i dont like it, i want to be able to buy one from the stores in time for my wedding.
any help would be appreciated.:wink2:

[rizworm]

Hey Ladies, I bought a dress from Julius Bridal back on the first week of Feb. The promised the dress by First week of April. Let's see what happens!! here is the link!

IF you do decide to go with Julius, the Ebay listing was cheaper.. btw.. I think if you select a dress from the China's designer website than giving them a picture to copy, I think you may be in better shape. I think when they try to copy off of a picture, there is too much that can go wrong.

http://www.juliusbridal.com/product.asp?DressName=Eliz2

[Michellew925]

Ordered on 1/11, received on 2/21 from ebay seller gnut6211. Paid $150 (free shipping). Dress only; no crinoline or accessories. Came in small box so I was scared to open! Looked drabby and wrinkled upon opening box. I took it to a local bridal shop to try it on with 3-hoop crinoline and have the seamstress help me tie it up (corset back). It looks so much better when you add the crinoline (which I bought there for $39. The train is medium length; local seamstress is going to add a bustle for $30. So far I've spent $220. Now all I need is shoes and accessories which I also plan to buy on ebay. It also needs to be steamed because it is so wrinkled.

Here's both pictures. Mine looks slightly different because I asked them to make it all white; no tan. The top look different because of my tire belly! I have 7 more months to work on that! lol

<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/?action=view&current=dress.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/dress.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/?action=view&current=dress.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/dress.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/?action=view&current=dress.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/dress.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[Michellew925]

I posted my pictures with my ebay dress but it looks like it didn't work. Let me try again:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/Picture001.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/dress.jpg

Once I get it back from the seamstress, I will take closer pictures of the beading and threadwork.

[tiffi]

anybody ever buy from katherine's couture bridal store on ebay? she is based out of washington state.her dresses are pricier than china (400-600) her dresses are pretty (if you like princess look) she claims she will even make a custom dress. the pictures are quite detailed. she even has a return policy but i am nervous to buy online. know anyone that bought from her? her feedback on ebay is positive. but i still haven't gotten up the nerve to click on the buy now button......
thanks!
ps if i posted this incorrectly please forgive me i'm new to this messageboard or thread (?)stuff!

[christymac]

I've found a couple of beautiful dresses from their store on Ebay and they have tons of positive feedback (99.3%). I just wanted to get anyone's personal experiences with them. I also see from the message board that 1koo.com is well-regarded too, so I'm going to check them out and see what I can find.

[girlreptil]

Please see myb reply to another bride on Little Coral topic under Cyberbride.

[tarahbelle]

Has anyone dealt with kellybridal or landybridal? Kelly has promised me a 95% to 100% exact replica of my gown. I am so nervous though. This is a very ocmplicated Maggie Sottero gown. Basically I can get it from Kelly for $450. Their photos do not look exact, but very close. I also have land for about $350, but they have no provided me with information on how close to the original the gown will be. I also found a brand new Maggie Sottero original from an authorized dealer for $1100. Everyone else charges at least $1500. Can anyone offer some suggestions?

http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?keywordText=sabelle&keywordType=any&page=0&pageSize=12&style=A3227

This is the gown I want. I am so afraid though. I don't know if I should blow so much of my budget on the gown or if I should try the Chinese copy. Only problem is if the cop comes in bad, I can't get the original at that point, my wedding is September and the delivery time for a Maggie is the very end of July right now and I will need alterations. I just don't know what to do. And I have to decide tomorrow.

[buggygirlsmommy]

I posted my pictures with my ebay dress but it looks like it didn't work. Let me try again:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/Picture001.jpg

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/michellew925/dress.jpg

Once I get it back from the seamstress, I will take closer pictures of the beading and threadwork.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was looking at this dress on eBay in the red color and was scared to death to order it. It looks gorgeous on you! Are you still very happy with it?

[octoberbride09]

Has anyone done business with littlecoral.com? There are several dresses there that I like but would like some input before I buy.

trisha,
i just received my dress from little coral. It only took about 30 days for it to arrive. I was very impressed it is almost exactly like the pic. Also its a strapless & they added boning to the bodice which the original designer did not. They also wrote gift on the customs paperwork so that I would not have to pay taxes on my gown. I searched the entire gown & only found one defect just a loose string. For the money I saved I am extremely happy. Also great customer service. ~renee

[bobcat]

So, after reading the Bridal Bargains book and all these threads I decided that I would risk it and order a dress from Jeff Lui at April Bridal. I had a picture of the Maggie Sottero Rasharna and I sent it to him. He told me he could make the dress for $228 total. I figured if I hated it, oh well it wasn't that much money, but the real Rasharna dress was $1100.

So, long story short, he told me he could make the dress and if I didn't like it, he would give me 100% refund. I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe it. What risk did I have if he was going to refund the money if I hated it? So I ordered it. Now if you google this dress (rasharna) you will see it has polka dots on it. I had asked other China dress makers for a quote and they all said they couldn't make the polka dots the same way Maggie did instead they would be bigger dots, like twice the size of a silver dollar. YUCK! I guess they don't have that kind of material. So I said, no thanks, then Jeff told me he COULD make the dress, so I was excited. I figured nobody would say they would make the polka dots if they couldn't. I ordered it.

I sent my measurements, he told me I would have it in about 6 weeks.
Well, I didn't get it until about 12 weeks later after many emails inquiring and sort of rushing him. I mean if I didn't like it, I still needed time to order the real dress.

So the day he shipped it, he sent me a picture and right away I knew I didn't want it. It had ZERO polka dots on it. Instead he had sewn some sort of Snowflake looking applique on the dress. I immediately told him I didn't like that, but it was to late, he had shipped it. He told me to wait and see it because it was beautiful. Well, I did as he asked even though the WHOLE REASON I bought the dress was because I wanted a fun whimsical dress with polka dots. My wedding is in October and Snowflakes weren't gonna work for me.

I got the dress, it was to small on the top, to large in the waist and even though it had a corset, with the smallest part of the corset cinched shut the dress was still to large in the waist. It was also to long and the other thing I requested, A flower to place at the base of the corset wasn't included like it is in the maggie dress.

I immediately wrote Jeff back and told him that I wanted a refund, I would send the dress back to him, but what ensued was 2 weeks of back and forth with him refusing to take the dress. He said he would make me another one (different design) and I would just have to pay for shipping, so I chose another dress but it was apparently to expensive, so he said, it would cost me another $100. I just got annoyed because it was like the cultural barrier made him not understand this was my wedding and that I didn't want just any dress.

At the end of the day, I now have a dress I will never wear and he refused to give me a refund. I told him I would give him a bad revue and dispute with paypal, however, you can't dispute anything with paypal after 45 days so my only outlet was this. He did eventually refund me $50 and told me to sell the dress in America, but I have wasted so much time and agony trying to deal with this that at the end of the day it wasn't worth it. I have had the dress up for sale and haven't even had a nibble.

Take away advice about Jeff Liu ~
He is good about emailing and getting back to you quickly but he writes in broken english so sometimes you don't understand his emails.
He forgets who you are so you have to keep replying to the same emails. Keep the thread going so he can go back and re-read what he wrote before.
He will NOT give you a refund regardless of what he says, so if he says he will, save the email. I didn't do that, not sure it would have mattered though.
Make sure he sends pictures BEFORE he ships it!! If he doesn't, don't accept the shipment. Problem is, you have already paid via paypal and there is NOWAY to get your money back!!!
Your dress will NOT look exactly like the dress you send pictures of unless it is a very plain simple dress.
You better not have your heart set on any specific detail of a dress or you will be let down. If you just want the basic style you might be ok, but be prepared to have alterations once you get the dress which will cost more money!
Also, I tried on the REAL maggie sottero dress and the one made for me by Jeff, the quality of fabric was definitely different, cheaper from China, and not as full, but at the same time the China dress was made pretty well.

I would just say to wrap it up. Be Careful. Be ready to just throw away $200 and know yourself well enough to know you will not get emotionally wrapped up in it, or don't do it.
IF you luck out and love the dress then you will be happy. If you have an experience like I had, you won't be! I ended up buying a used dress for $400. (an official Maggie) But now I am out a total of $600 because JEFF LIU didn't give me the refund he said he was going to.

[Northstar1808]

Hi has anyone ordered from these two ebay sellers? hanzhou_608 and/or peach_funjun1a2b? They have pretty good reviews but I'm still nervous. Also has anyone seen or knows who makes this dress? I cannot find the information anywhere! HELP!

Here's the link to one of the ebay seller's page:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-charming-White-Bride-Wedding-Evening-Dress_W0QQitemZ180352681918QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWedd ing_Dresses?hash=item29fddb87be&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1495|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A13 18|301%3A1|293%3A4|294%3A50#ebayphotohosting

[Mutinator]

Has anyone heard of this dressmaker from China on Ebay - "908eecn" or the company Flyrichcat?

Thought about ordering a dress for $150 including shipping from them but there isn't much feedback. Out of the 178 sales about 2/3 or 3/4 are for jewelry.

Please give any info you may have good or bad.

Thanks!

[cjdonova]

I just wanted to post my experience buying a gown on eBay through Cinderella Bridal. In short: don't be fooled by the rave reviews and promises of a full refund on eBay! In the end I thoroughly regret following this piece of advice in Bridal Bargains.

Here's my story: I wanted a Jim Hjlem 8800 but didn't want to pay the $4500 that my local bridal salon was charging. I found a beautiful looking knock-off on eBay at Cinderella Bridal (aka Milly Bridal). I read the review that was written in the book, checked out the blog and went through the user reviews on eBay and took a chance (their stock sizing was almost exactly my measurements so I did not order the gown made to measurements). They promised full money back if the dress I received did not match the pictures so I thought "what's to lose"?

I ordered the dress the beginining of April and they said I would have it mid-May. It was delayed being made and then got held up in customs (for which I got stuck with the bill from DHL). When I received it, everything seemed ok. It was pretty but when I tried it on I realized the pictures on the web hid the seams through the bottom of the dress along the sides and under the hips and did a poor job at portraying the fact that the material in bottom of the dress was entirely different from that in the top. In short, it was poorly made and looked terrible on (not the mention the sizing and color were way off). A seamstress told me that to fix it would cost WAY more than I paid to start with.

So, I could still get that refund that they promised on the website right? Nope. Mr Feng Yu denied that I qualified for the refund. His correspondence was so slow coming that by the time I realized that he was not going to uphold the promises made on the website, the 45 day period had elapsed to be able to contest the purchase through Paypal or through eBay. Even worse, then I needed to buy another dress however I was too late to order the alternate dress that I wanted because it wouldn't be ready in time for the wedding. I really regret making this purchase. My advice is think very hard about buying through this company, especially if you have tried on your designer dress. What you get will NOT be the same.

(and to the Fields: I love your book and it has in general saved me a TON. However I do have one complaint about the way to book is worded with respect to the China dresses: it somewhat implies that these factories in China are one in the same as the ones that make the designer dress. It really put thoughts in my head and gave me false hope. I definitely did not receive a designer dress, minus the tags. I hope the next version is more tempered in this claim to save other people the frustration and additional expenses that I have had)

[miss_moppet]

Has anyone purchased a gown from "flyhorse8869"? I saw this dress:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Sexy-Wedding-dress-gown-bridesmaid-Size-10-26_W0QQitemZ120445914831QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWedding _Dresses?hash=item1c0b22cecf&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A4|39%3A1|72%3A1240|293%3A1| 294%3A200

And fell in love. They have only had 23 sales in the last year but they've all been "positive". I read some of the older reviews and back in 2005 and 2006 they had some really bad ones, but all the recent ones sound good. Anybody ordered from them? The dress is simple enough that I would think it would be hard to screw up. There's no beads and very little embellishment, but now I'm not sure.

I got all excited because when I went to Kanacca website and found that they sell the replica of my Claire Pettibone dream dress but after reading the terrible reviews on the board, I don't want to order from them. This dress from ebay would be my second choice.

Any opinions?

[ihmurria]

Has anyone dealt with happy_88888 from ebay? Their rating seems decent but I was hoping some (awesome) person from here had dealt with them and could share their experience

[Katzepatra]

My friend Jess was married last year and she used 1koo.com for her dress, her bridesmaids, and her mother's dress. She also had a second ceremony in Hawaii and ordered another dress from them as she was happy the first time. I'm posting all the info I have on her wedding to help anyone out. Also posting some recommendations as I was bridesmaid so I know all that went into buying, fitting and whatnot. I might use 1koo.com as I know she was happy with them but I found a lot I liked on edressit.com - has anyone used them? If so how was the experience?

Jess had sent in pictures of dresses she liked with big bold circles around each part she liked and then sketched whatever she couldn't find a picture of. They said they could do it and I believe with shipping her dress was $190. The bridesmaids dresses she just picked from what they had on the site and picked her color (the color was correct). I think she did the same for her mom's dress.

Now the only problems Jess had were annoying but not life threatening. She knew all her bridesmaids sizes so she just ordered the standard sizes and we would alter them here. The dress's weren't sized for extra curves - I'm a size 8 with a D cup and it felt like I was being strangled. Her sister is a 4 but has a bit extra in her butt and with the dress being so tight to about mid-thigh, she had a hard time with sitting and actually at the wedding, she busted the seem below the zipper. The other bridesmaid had just had a baby and was in a 14 at the time but by the time of the wedding, she was almost my size and there wasn't time for second alterations so the dress was swimming on her (first fitting took the dress to in between a 10-12).

Another thing with the bridesmaids dresses. Our dresses were all beaded with a design and drastic alterations are costly as they have to adjust beading. The new mommy's alterations were about half the original cost of the dress and had she gotten it altered again, it would have cost the same as the dress. Jess didn't measure herself right and when she sent in her measurements for a custom dress, it came in WAY too small. Jess knows that was her fault so PLEASE measure yourself right. With everything we went through, go a little bigger and remember you can have them altered and the costs are still less then paying a bridal house...as long as the dress is what you wanted.

Back to Jess, she had to have her dress let out all the way. Jess is a size 2/4 and ended up in spanks and a corset under her dress to make it fit comfortably. Jess is also short (5'3") and wore 4 inch heels (her husband is over 6') so she found her shoes first and measured herself for length with the shoes on. She wanted her shoes to show a little bit so the length was right where she wanted it.

The biggest issue there was would have been the mother of the brides dress. The design was what Jess had picked but the color was wrong (its a bolder and darker then she wanted, she wanted a softer almost lavender shade) and made it look like a prom dress. The other problem with the dress was the neck had a halt wrap on it that didn't detach for easier on and off and made it very difficult to get her into the dress after her hair was done. Because Jess had did what they called a "custom order" she couldn't return the dress and decided to use it anyway.

Below I am posting a few pictures from the wedding. If anyone wants, I can try to find some closer details and post those.

http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae237/Katzepatra/Jess_Wedding214-1.jpg

http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae237/Katzepatra/Jess_Wedding351-1.jpg

http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae237/Katzepatra/Jess_Wedding346-1.jpg

http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae237/Katzepatra/Jess_Wedding346-2-1.jpg

http://i975.photobucket.com/albums/ae237/Katzepatra/Jess_Wedding189-1.jpg

[ihmurria]

Has anyone dealt with happy_88888 from ebay? Their rating seems decent but I was hoping some (awesome) person from here had dealt with them and could share their experience

So in other news, I ended up ordering my dress online from this seller and I'm *VERY* happy with how it turned out. Some of the beading on the top is a bit different than the name-brand version of it but they also put in a laceup back instead of a zipper for me (zipper being standard for that dress) free of charge. Took just under a month from ordering it to receiving it, for a whopping $225 Canadian, including shipping & handling (the dress retails for $1000 plus taxes in local shops)

Now I'm toying with the idea of changing my bridesmaid's dresses style to one that this seller carries (was originally going to have corset-style tops made by my future sister-in-law), I just need to make up my mind heh...

[smiley_at_slu]

Hi There! Congrats on you purchase! I was wondering, do you have any pictures, or closeups of the bodice or detailing? I am looking at ordering a dress from Little Coral, 1K00, or your seller. Trying to look at the quality details... Thanks so much! :) Sarah


So in other news, I ended up ordering my dress online from this seller and I'm *VERY* happy with how it turned out. Some of the beading on the top is a bit different than the name-brand version of it but they also put in a laceup back instead of a zipper for me (zipper being standard for that dress) free of charge. Took just under a month from ordering it to receiving it, for a whopping $225 Canadian, including shipping & handling (the dress retails for $1000 plus taxes in local shops)

Now I'm toying with the idea of changing my bridesmaid's dresses style to one that this seller carries (was originally going to have corset-style tops made by my future sister-in-law), I just need to make up my mind heh...

[ihmurria]

Hi There! Congrats on you purchase! I was wondering, do you have any pictures, or closeups of the bodice or detailing? I am looking at ordering a dress from Little Coral, 1K00, or your seller. Trying to look at the quality details... Thanks so much! :) Sarah

Unfortunately I don't, my digital camera busted shortly before I got the dress so I have a few very low-quality cell phone pictures but that's about it. The bodice is a touch different than in the picture (mostly the applique has more white than pictured) and the beading in some spots (mostly just the sleeves) is a bit lower-quality work than with the brandname dress. I wasn't too concerned over that though, I figured most people wouldn't be staring at my sleeves on my wedding day, heehee...

I was really quite impressed with this ebay seller (what with possibly getting bridesmaid dresses from them now), especially with how fast it arrived here - but it is of course up to you who you choose to order from. I happened to have a very good and satisfying experience with this person is all

[brookany]

Has anyone used quickgowns.com? They appear to be an american company with great prices. What's the deal?

[Americandream124]

Has anyone used the dress company XYCOUTURE in China? They seem reputable but I have not read any reviews. They also accept moneybookers.com for payment- is that the same as paypal? I'm a bit confused lol. This is for my 4 bridesmaids dresses- I have my gown already. They are charging $57 + $35 shipping for a strapless floor-length black gown. Very Reasonable! Any ideas/ input?

[lilchanti]

I was really quite impressed with this ebay seller (what with possibly getting bridesmaid dresses from them now), especially with how fast it arrived here - but it is of course up to you who you choose to order from. I happened to have a very good and satisfying experience with this person is all

I was wondering if you ended up ordering the bridesmaid dresses from them as well? If so, were you happy with them?

[ittyb00]

I also purchased from ebay.com a seller named victory-yuyang

I couldn't be more thrilled at my dress, everything went off without a hitch. I purchased the dress and paid $10 to get my measurements done professionally. I even changed the back from zipper to lace up, the neckline from sweetheart to straight and the sash a color to match our colors. These changes were all done at no charge.
The dress cost me $99.00 with free shipping.
I got it today and tried it on--no alterations need to be made it is absolutely 100% perfection to the letter of what I wanted I have no complaints!!!!!

:heartbeat: I cried the moment I saw it and tried it on- now it feels like I am really getting married :heartbeat: