The Odyssey to get my dream gown (3)

The trip to that expensive bridal salon was not a complete waste of my time. That unique keyhole back on the Monique Lhuillier gown left a lasting image in my mind. We visited three more bridal salons that same day. I remember trying on so many dresses that finally all of them looked the same to me. However, I kept coming back to those gowns with a keyhole back. Finally, I found a dress by Maggie Sottero that looked almost like a knock-off of that Monique Lhuillier gown I tried on earlier on. I knew this one was the one. The gown was much more affordable than that that expensive designer’s work. I thought I got a deal.

You bet!

Knowing how easily apparel, especially a wedding gown, can go wrong, I asked for the designer’s size chart and matched it myself with the measurements they took from me. Both the assistant and I agreed that I fit perfectly in a Size 0 petite. I then meticulously went through all the details of the order. I made sure that they spelled out the name of the designer, put a brief deion of the dress and included the number for this design. I asked for an estimated delivery time and read the refund policy. Finally I ordered a pair of shoes that matched the color of the gown. As I watched them swipe the America Express card, I felt so relieved that I had finished the biggest shopping project for the wedding.

Five months later, I was standing in front of the mirror by the fitting room at the same bridal salon……burning with anger. Not only had the dress come a month late, it didn’t even fit. The assistant couldn’t even zip the zipper up because it was way too small for my hips. The owner quickly switched to an accusing tone and asked if I had put on some weight. “NO” I remarked furiously, trying everything to pull the dress up and hope that the zips would finally come together. The owner clearly wouldn’t want to take the blame for messing up the order, so she measured me again. Same measurements! The dress was clearly made too small even for a size 0 petite under the designer’s chart. Feeling pretty frustrated by the news that I was actually NOT at fault, the owner tried to get me reorder the dress, which hopefully would take ONLY another 14 weeks. “Your wedding is four months away, you still have plenty of time.” Alternatively, as she blissfully announced, I could get one off-the-rack from her, but this gown would be size 6 petite instead of a size 0 petite. “It is really rare that this designer has a size 6 ready and it is actually a petite,” she said, as if I just hit the lottery. “How perfect! With a little alteration that, of course, I’ll let you have a discount, it will fit you beautifully at the wedding.”

That didn’t sound kosher to me. Size 6 Petite is way too big to be altered into a size 0. This mistake ruined my bridal portrait session with my photographer the next day. I had already done my nails that morning for the photo session. Now, the appointment I had with my hair dresser and my florist must all be cancelled at the last minutes. And there’s no telling when and where I can get a dress that fits me. According to the bridal shop, it would take a while to fix the problem because……IT IS MADE IN CHINA, which is a kingdom far, far away.