Wedding Dresses

[cazgowns]

Hi
I hope you'll all forgive me but I need your advice.
I own a Bridal gown shop and have frequently sold wedding and bridesmaid gowns to men.
The men that have bought gowns from me tell me how difficult it is to get hold of nice dresses and to buy from someone they feel comfortable with.
What I want to ask is do you think it's a good idea to launch an internet site that sells gowns to men? Is it already being done?
I would appreciate your feedback.
If I have caused any offence then I apologise but I didn't know where else to ask!

thank you so much

Carol

ps can you pls bounce this thread for me so others can see it?

[Ashley in Virginia]

Depends on how much time and money you are willing to throw at it. I firmly believe there is a market for everything. You could probably sell Poo if you found the right market. Being able to target the market effectively is the problem.

[Tristen Cox]

Don't 'sell' yourself short, a line of dresses for men AND women would generate good revenue IMHO :)

[DonnaT]

I think such an Internet site may be worth it.

Of course, a lot of men know that dresses fit them different that GGs, so will look for assurances on fit. It may be necessary to detail the sizes to mens measurements (shoulders, neck, chest, waist, torso length, arm length, etc.)

[Julie]

My sister makes custom Playboy Bunny suits and sells them to men and women and seems to be doing all right. Since you already have a store, then it shouldn't be that big a step to set up an Internet store. If you didn't want to create your own site you could always look into an E-Bay store.

I know creating your own site from scratch could get costly when you consider you have to have a secure program for credit cards. I tried to do that on the cheap and it was a nightmare.

[gender_blender]

I know creating your own site from scratch could get costly when you consider you have to have a secure program for credit cards. I tried to do that on the cheap and it was a nightmare.

I use paypal for the shopping cart system on my website and it works beautifully and it's free for anyone with a paypal account (which are easy to set up) to use.


Charlie

[Julie]

I use paypal for the shopping cart system on my website and it works beautifully and it's free for anyone with a paypal account (which are easy to set up) to use.


Charlie

That's what I ended up doing but I still had some people who refused to sign up for a PayPal account saying they would never give their checking account info to anyone.

[rachael j.]

Forgive me if I wade into this discussion. I would suggest starting your internet site as an offshoot of your present store as it is, then advertise (with contact #'s, separate times, personalized fittings) your services in locations such as this for the extra buisness. I'm fairly certain that individuals like myself would travel a reasonable (perhaps even an unreasonable) distance to try on and purchase these items in a comfortable environment. Would you consider adding to your sales stock evening wear or cocktail dresses? At any rate, by expanding onto the internet with your original store you still get your regular customers and those of us looking for those specialty dresses with internet sales and instore sales. Anyway, thats my 10 cents worth! Best wishes on your decision. P.S., where is your store located?

[DanaJ]

That's what I ended up doing but I still had some people who refused to sign up for a PayPal account saying they would never give their checking account info to anyone.Julie, I have a PayPal store account set up, and no one has ever had to give their checking info, just use a credit card like you do anywhere else....

DanaJ

[cazgowns]

Thank you so much all of you.
I think it may just be worth a go!

(Oh and you all look stunning on your photos btw!)

Carol X

[emmicd]

I think you may find an audience. I went to one femme transformation dressing service and the woman who runs it says some of the guys requests are to be photographed in a wedding gown. I'm not sure the arrangement made with regard to the gowns as to whether rented or purchased. I think a real femme cross dresser has contemplated what it would be like to wear one though.

Me personally, I love to wear dresses. The gown for me might be over the top though. I think there are some things that should be sacred for women to wear. That is just my personal opinion though.

Good Luck, I hope you find those really femme cross dressers!

Emmi

[ChristineRenee]

Absolutely...why not? I think that is something that would be very marketable!;)

Love,
Chrissie:)

[Ashley in Virginia]

I saw one site a while back that sold dresses sized for men, but they were some of the ugliest and out of style things I have ever seen.

It would be nice to have not only dresses but other items of clothing that were designed with a mans body in mind. I personally like cute t-shirts, but I am too broad in the shoulders and they come off looking like tanktops and I look like the HULK busting loose.

I think pricing it would be a big issue. I dont have a huge budget to dress on and I would have a tough time dropping a large sum of money on a wedding dress.

[LindaC]

Where is your Shop at?

[BethCD]

Cazgowns, Sounds as if you're going to do it. Please report back to us here with the website address or eBay store name or whatever route you go. I will definitely go shopping there! :drool: :clap:
Thanks, BethCD