Is it Really a Good Store? Key Points for Choosing a Dress Shop*

2019.12.09 published

Which dress shops can be trusted?

Choosing a dress is one of the most enjoyable and dreamy moments in wedding planning. Whether you make the first dress you tried on, the one that gave you a spark, your destined dress, or whether you try on many dresses to find the one meant for you, both experiences are wonderful.

But.

It's still uncertain whether you can experience the "fun of dress shopping" that everyone talks about.

Whether you can enjoy dress shopping or not depends on which dress shop you visit!

There are also voices saying, "I felt down every time I went dress shopping."

Here are the situations when you couldn't enjoy dress shopping:

☑ There wasn't a single dress I liked at the affiliated dress shops.

☑ I couldn't wear the dress I wanted.

I felt that "the person in charge was doing their best but everything they suggested was completely not to my taste, and I didn't even want to try them on."

Such candid opinions exist...

What are the points for choosing a dress shop?

Generally, wedding venues have multiple "affiliated dress shops."

"Affiliated" means "Please choose from one of these dress shops. If you do, it will be eligible for the venue's plan."

It is sometimes possible to purchase or rent a dress from non-affiliated dress shops, but in that case, often a "bring-in fee" for using items that are outside the plan applies.

Additionally, discounts such as "discounts for wedding dresses" or "discounts for color dresses for re-styling" at the time of venue contract may most likely not apply.

Therefore, whether the affiliated dress shop has dresses that make your heart flutter is a huge issue.

(There are even people who calculate backward from the affiliated dress shop to decide to have their wedding at that venue!)

Now, how should we choose a "good dress shop"?

Setting aside personal taste and type, here are the basic criteria.

1. Do they handle new dresses?

☑ "Are they constantly acquiring new dresses?"

☑ "Are they creating new dresses?"

This is a significant criterion to gauge the stance of the dress shop!

Because, if "the store's lineup consists entirely of outdated dresses sourced 10 or 15 years ago, with no new arrivals at all...", you won't find a dress you want to wear.

A store that actively procures the latest dresses from popular brands or cute dresses seen on Instagram is likely to have many "dresses you want to try on."

From a business perspective, in dress shops, "renting the same dress multiple times yields more profit," so buying new dresses may be a loss.

If a bride has already decided to choose and rent from the store's dresses, it would be more beneficial to avoid buying new dresses and have them wear dresses that were trendy 10 years ago.

However, a shop that still acquires new and popular dresses is a sign that they care about brides.

"I want the brides who come to my shop to wear cute dresses."

"I want the brides who come to my shop to wear trendy dresses."

"I want the brides who come to my shop to get excited about choosing their dresses."

These sentiments show that dress shops that actively incorporate new dresses, even at a cost, are kind to brides.

2. What is the condition of the popular dresses?

Even if you find a dress you want to wear, you shouldn't decide solely based on the design. You should also consider the quality of that dress—its condition!

Is it properly cleaned and maintained? After being in stock for a while, does it still maintain its original quality? This is often a blind spot.

When it comes to popular dresses, they are often used every weekend at receptions.

Such highly used dresses undergo repeated cleaning and maintenance, but since wedding dresses are consumables, the more they are used, the more they wear out.

"Wear" occurs regardless of how good the material is or how great the maintenance techniques—the more it's used, the more it happens.

The shape of the skirt's flare may change, the fabric may lose its firmness, satin may fray, and ribbons may lose their shape.

The volume of the skirt, which should originally have a fluffy silhouette, may droop down.

After being worn by multiple brides, they may smell like gym mats. (Weddings often involve bright lights and plenty of sweating...)

Dress shops that prioritize quality sometimes have rules like, "We only lend the same dress a limited number of times. After that, we will procure the same new dress to maintain quality."

Renting the same dress multiple times over many years to profit is common in rental shops, but it would be nice if they also put effort into maintaining quality.

After all, touching a new and fluffy texture or a crisp fabric is heart-fluttering. I hope you choose dresses that are aware of fabric quality and silhouette, maintaining their charm!

3. Can they special order it for you?

As a system of dress shops, there are two patterns of dresses that can be rented at the store.

① Dresses owned by the store

② Dresses not owned by the store but temporarily lent from a brand

These are the two patterns.

There is a limit to the number of dresses the store can own, but if a dress shop can "special order dresses from various brands and manufacturers," the variety of options available to choose from greatly increases.

(For example, in the case of the sparkling space dress from marry, if the shop can accommodate "special orders from the manufacturer," it is possible to rent even if it is not part of their inventory.)

Of course, if you find a dress you want to wear, it's much more pleasing to hear "It’s not in stock at the moment, but we can order it!" than "It's not available for this rental."

Ultimately, a shop with a larger selection of dresses makes for a more exciting experience!

I want to enjoy dress shopping!

I’ve shared points to discern whether a shop is considerate of brides when choosing a dress shop.

Of course, dress shops are businesses and should pursue profit, but if that goes too far and quality is neglected or they are indifferent to trends or lack love for their dresses, that would be a bit disappointing.

I hope all brides can get excited about dress shopping!

*Shops handling marry dresses can be said to carry trendy and new dresses, so they are recommended!*

➡ Here is the list of nationwide shops handling marry dresses