pinkpantyhose
07-10-2007, 06:17 PM
Wow! How much fun today was! i was given the assigment to try on 8-10 wedding dresses, puffy ball gown style, with a minimum of half with lace-up corset backs so i would need help from salespeople.
i decided to do some homework before i went. i went online to davidsbridal.com and selected 12 ball gowns because i was expecting them to not have all in stock in my size, and printed out a "shopping list" making sure 6 were lace-up backs. See my list here: http://www.davidsbridal.com/favorites_public.jsp?id=IJLCACAEAB
i called David's Bridal today to ask if they had any appointments. Dixie answered the phone and said that they had times available at 11am, 1pm, 2pm, etc. i noticed she skipped 12pm and thought it would be busiest since no appointments were available as well as thinking people would be browsing during lunch breaks. Also, their website listed "evenings" as best time to come in due to fewer customers. I went ahead and made the appointment for 1pm though. "Great, see you soon!" Dixie said.
So, i got there about noon, wearing tight girl jeans over white floral bridal pantyhose, heels, and a seamless cami.
The receptionist welcomed me, asked me to have a seat. i did. i told her i was early because i wanted to browse a little first. She asked me basic questions about my wedding. i told her that my future bride and i thought it necessary for us to wear matching wedding gowns and showed her the list i had printed. She asked me to star 3 of my favorites. i did. She showed me where the dresses in my size were and told me to have a look and Dixie, my consultant, would be right with me. About 5 minutes later she greeted me. Cute, sweet, short girl with a great personality. Very friendly and bubbly. i told her what i wanted to do -- try on as many of the dresses on my list that they had and take pics of the front and back to show my bride-to-be so she could decide afterwards and we would have matching gowns. She said, "No problem. i can even take the pictures for you if you want. Some people are surprised we allow pictures, i guess other places don't, but no problem here."
She proceeded to use my list as a checklist grabbing gown after gown. "You really like the lace-ups, huh? i can see you have several here." :) Yep... They had all but 2 in stock. 10 dresses for me to try -- perfect, and 5 were lace-up backs. "Let's start with these first 3" she said and walked me to the dressing rooms. "Is this first one okay?" It was the first room closest to the front of the store and in plain view of the front door and most of the store. When i tried on wedding dresses last time they walked me to the back of the store. Not Dixie. "Perfect," i said, trying my best not to sound sarcastic. "I'm going to go get you a petticoat. Do you need a strapless bra?" "Yes, please" and i told her my size. Into the room i went to slip on the petticoat and corset -- it wasn't a bra -- it even had garters.
Out i went in full public view wearing a petticoat, white floral bridal pantyhose, and a corset with dangling garter straps. She was waiting right outside the room for me. i wouldn't return to the room for about 2 hours.
i tried on dress after dress after dress. We forgot heels at first -- the receptionist was with us periodically and she asked what my shoe size was and what type of heel i wanted. "10, and probably medium." She and Dixie looked at each other and said some style name that i can't remember. They got them for me. They were thong-type heeled sandles and i was wearing pantyhose still. Guess they didn't notice, LOL. "Oh, you have pretty stockings on...these won't work. Let me find another pair." Off Dixie went to fetch a higher heeled shoe that was really pretty and surprisingly comfortable. She helped me slip them on. We also forgot about veils for a minute, then tried on various ones with the different dresses. Dixie was more than helpful with recommending veil length, style, etc. and of course taking pics. But perhaps her best talent was lacing the dresses. "i'm sorry, i didn't realize that it would be so much work for you to lace all of these," i said. "Oh, no problem at all. i love doing this! They call me the 'corset queen.' I even tell bides that i will lace them up if they invite me to their weddings. If you get lace-up dresses, be sure to have someone really patient in your bridal room."
What an awesome feeling to be laced tightly in a corseted wedding dress...5 times!
"Oh, that was the last lace-up dress." Dixie said as she checked our list. she and the receptionist kept asking what i liked about each dress, how they felt, etc. i eliminated dresses as i tried them and was told to try to narrow down to about 3-4 that i really liked. Most of the customers in the store were in the bridal party half of the store, but a couple did wander my way. One stared at me with a look of shock for a minute. Then she said "Oh, beautiful gown..." "Thank-you, do you like the beading?" She nodded and left.
Other salespeople wandered my way too. "That is my favorite dress" one said. i asked for suggestions on veils, on color (some were available in champagne or white). "You're one of those rare brides who can wear both champagne and white with your skin tone. I'm jealous," said one. Another said "That dress is so perfect for you. I wish I could wear that as well as you." i was so flattered, loving the attention.
At some point Dixie got a phone call and excused herself suggesting that i look through the designer dress rack to see if one caught my eye. One did. we tried it on...
When we got to dress #10, Dixie said "I'm curious what your reaction will be to this dress." The front and back looked like entirely different dresses. i told her that. She agreed. "We picture it on the website and catalog from the back so when people see the front, they are surprised. i didn't really like the front but loved the back. we eliminated it.
About this time the receptionist got a phone call from her husband i believe. i overheard her told him she had to go because they had 4 brides (a lie, LOL) but that she had "some very funny stuff" to share with him...hmmm...she was soon back asking me questions. "If your wedding were tomorrow, which dress would you choose right now?" At that point it was #3.
Dress #11, the last one...was my favorite. i had a genuine emotional reaction wearing it, feeling it, walking in it. i LOVED that dress. i wanted to buy it right then and there and everyone agreed that the fit, hem, look, etc. were perfect. Dixie said i could wear it in the store as long as i wanted to and that the record was 2 hours. After selecting the perfect veil, i walked up and down the aisles in it asking the 2 customers that were there what they thought. "Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous" a middle-aged Caucasian woman said. "It's very pretty" an African-American in her late 20s said.
Dixie wrote down my favorite dress on her card, i changed back to my jeans and cami. i thanked her profusely and drove home a very happy sissy.
See all 36 (including 11 from their website, 12 dress fronts (1 dress we took 2x once without a sash and once with), 12 dress backs, and 1 business card/website printout proof) photos here -- i also posted screenshots of the dresses and descriptions from their website: http://picasaweb.google.com/pinkpantyhose/WeddingDressAssignment?authkey=WiZSD3wvY0g
(Note that i made a new folder in my Picasa album for this assignment because the other one was getting too full.)
i decided to do some homework before i went. i went online to davidsbridal.com and selected 12 ball gowns because i was expecting them to not have all in stock in my size, and printed out a "shopping list" making sure 6 were lace-up backs. See my list here: http://www.davidsbridal.com/favorites_public.jsp?id=IJLCACAEAB
i called David's Bridal today to ask if they had any appointments. Dixie answered the phone and said that they had times available at 11am, 1pm, 2pm, etc. i noticed she skipped 12pm and thought it would be busiest since no appointments were available as well as thinking people would be browsing during lunch breaks. Also, their website listed "evenings" as best time to come in due to fewer customers. I went ahead and made the appointment for 1pm though. "Great, see you soon!" Dixie said.
So, i got there about noon, wearing tight girl jeans over white floral bridal pantyhose, heels, and a seamless cami.
The receptionist welcomed me, asked me to have a seat. i did. i told her i was early because i wanted to browse a little first. She asked me basic questions about my wedding. i told her that my future bride and i thought it necessary for us to wear matching wedding gowns and showed her the list i had printed. She asked me to star 3 of my favorites. i did. She showed me where the dresses in my size were and told me to have a look and Dixie, my consultant, would be right with me. About 5 minutes later she greeted me. Cute, sweet, short girl with a great personality. Very friendly and bubbly. i told her what i wanted to do -- try on as many of the dresses on my list that they had and take pics of the front and back to show my bride-to-be so she could decide afterwards and we would have matching gowns. She said, "No problem. i can even take the pictures for you if you want. Some people are surprised we allow pictures, i guess other places don't, but no problem here."
She proceeded to use my list as a checklist grabbing gown after gown. "You really like the lace-ups, huh? i can see you have several here." :) Yep... They had all but 2 in stock. 10 dresses for me to try -- perfect, and 5 were lace-up backs. "Let's start with these first 3" she said and walked me to the dressing rooms. "Is this first one okay?" It was the first room closest to the front of the store and in plain view of the front door and most of the store. When i tried on wedding dresses last time they walked me to the back of the store. Not Dixie. "Perfect," i said, trying my best not to sound sarcastic. "I'm going to go get you a petticoat. Do you need a strapless bra?" "Yes, please" and i told her my size. Into the room i went to slip on the petticoat and corset -- it wasn't a bra -- it even had garters.
Out i went in full public view wearing a petticoat, white floral bridal pantyhose, and a corset with dangling garter straps. She was waiting right outside the room for me. i wouldn't return to the room for about 2 hours.
i tried on dress after dress after dress. We forgot heels at first -- the receptionist was with us periodically and she asked what my shoe size was and what type of heel i wanted. "10, and probably medium." She and Dixie looked at each other and said some style name that i can't remember. They got them for me. They were thong-type heeled sandles and i was wearing pantyhose still. Guess they didn't notice, LOL. "Oh, you have pretty stockings on...these won't work. Let me find another pair." Off Dixie went to fetch a higher heeled shoe that was really pretty and surprisingly comfortable. She helped me slip them on. We also forgot about veils for a minute, then tried on various ones with the different dresses. Dixie was more than helpful with recommending veil length, style, etc. and of course taking pics. But perhaps her best talent was lacing the dresses. "i'm sorry, i didn't realize that it would be so much work for you to lace all of these," i said. "Oh, no problem at all. i love doing this! They call me the 'corset queen.' I even tell bides that i will lace them up if they invite me to their weddings. If you get lace-up dresses, be sure to have someone really patient in your bridal room."
What an awesome feeling to be laced tightly in a corseted wedding dress...5 times!
"Oh, that was the last lace-up dress." Dixie said as she checked our list. she and the receptionist kept asking what i liked about each dress, how they felt, etc. i eliminated dresses as i tried them and was told to try to narrow down to about 3-4 that i really liked. Most of the customers in the store were in the bridal party half of the store, but a couple did wander my way. One stared at me with a look of shock for a minute. Then she said "Oh, beautiful gown..." "Thank-you, do you like the beading?" She nodded and left.
Other salespeople wandered my way too. "That is my favorite dress" one said. i asked for suggestions on veils, on color (some were available in champagne or white). "You're one of those rare brides who can wear both champagne and white with your skin tone. I'm jealous," said one. Another said "That dress is so perfect for you. I wish I could wear that as well as you." i was so flattered, loving the attention.
At some point Dixie got a phone call and excused herself suggesting that i look through the designer dress rack to see if one caught my eye. One did. we tried it on...
When we got to dress #10, Dixie said "I'm curious what your reaction will be to this dress." The front and back looked like entirely different dresses. i told her that. She agreed. "We picture it on the website and catalog from the back so when people see the front, they are surprised. i didn't really like the front but loved the back. we eliminated it.
About this time the receptionist got a phone call from her husband i believe. i overheard her told him she had to go because they had 4 brides (a lie, LOL) but that she had "some very funny stuff" to share with him...hmmm...she was soon back asking me questions. "If your wedding were tomorrow, which dress would you choose right now?" At that point it was #3.
Dress #11, the last one...was my favorite. i had a genuine emotional reaction wearing it, feeling it, walking in it. i LOVED that dress. i wanted to buy it right then and there and everyone agreed that the fit, hem, look, etc. were perfect. Dixie said i could wear it in the store as long as i wanted to and that the record was 2 hours. After selecting the perfect veil, i walked up and down the aisles in it asking the 2 customers that were there what they thought. "Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous" a middle-aged Caucasian woman said. "It's very pretty" an African-American in her late 20s said.
Dixie wrote down my favorite dress on her card, i changed back to my jeans and cami. i thanked her profusely and drove home a very happy sissy.
See all 36 (including 11 from their website, 12 dress fronts (1 dress we took 2x once without a sash and once with), 12 dress backs, and 1 business card/website printout proof) photos here -- i also posted screenshots of the dresses and descriptions from their website: http://picasaweb.google.com/pinkpantyhose/WeddingDressAssignment?authkey=WiZSD3wvY0g
(Note that i made a new folder in my Picasa album for this assignment because the other one was getting too full.)