Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Prom Dress Disaster

311 replies

Promdisaster · 08/07/2022 09:27

Sorry, this might be long as to not drip feed. Apologies but could really do with some advice.

Ordered a prom dress for my daughter. Paid around one third deposit. Dress arrived in the shop the week before prom date. Went to try on and collect, but dress was too big. Seamstress made some alterations and said it would be done in time, they were working through alterations in order of prom date and to keep an eye out for an email.

Around lunchtime the day before prom, I got a text from the prom shop saying they were delivering the dresses and asking what was the latest time they could deliver that night or from what time the next morning, so I said up to 10.30pm and from 6.30am next morning.

Got a text early the next morning saying the seamstress had collapsed overnight and gone into hospital and they were trying to find another seamstress but not to worry, the dress would be there ASAP.

I told them I needed the dress by 4pm latest as daughter was having friends round to get ready/photos, then being picked up by another mum to go to a pre prom party/photos before leaving at 6pm to go to the prom.

Eventually, after a couple of messages and a phone call, the prom lady turns up with dress at 5pm. She asked my daughter to try the dress on to make sure it fitted. I was more worried that the dress would be too small now that it had been altered, so when she got it on and it wasn't too small I said it was fine and I could tighten it in with the corset . We were so relieved she had a dress. At that moment the other mum turned up to take them to the preprom party so the prom lady left.

The mum at the preprom party messaged and said the dress was too big and she had tried to pin it in but the dress was still gaping round the chest area and too big round the waist. My daughter spent the whole night miserable in a dress that was too big and is sad when she sees all the photos of the girls looking beautiful in their lovely prom dresses. My daughter is not a promzilla is is the sweetest laid back girl.

I have now had a phone message and an email asking for the balance. I really feel that I dont want to pay for a dress that doesn't fit and ruined my daughter's evening. I want to give the dress back so they can resell it.

IABU - yes the dress was worn
IANBU - it wasn't my fault, the dress didn't fit.

OP posts:
AnnesBrokenSlate · 08/07/2022 14:40

It's a bit odd that OP didn't notice it didn't fit but the other mum did.

LIZS · 08/07/2022 14:39

And I would guess it was tried on over underwear and possibly tshirt which were subsequently not part of the outfit. Was it even altered according to the fitting?

sunglassesonthetable · 08/07/2022 14:28

l

My daughter tried it on in the downstairs loo with the prom lady waiting outside. She had already said she had another dress to deliver to another town half an hour away, I knew she was in a hurry. The corset takes ages to do so I made a start and thought I could pull it in tighter. They were already an hour late and the other mum had just turned up to take them to the preprom party.

@Johnnysgirl 👆just read the thread. 🤷‍♀️ The shop owner ( not even the seamstress) couldn't hang around

LookItsMeAgain · 08/07/2022 14:26

toomuchlaundry · 08/07/2022 13:38

What would you have done if it had not arrived?

I'd like to know the answer to this before I give my opinion on whether the OP has to pay/has paid enough/needs to get the dress altered to fit at no additional cost....

What would you have done had the dress not been delivered?

Johnnysgirl · 08/07/2022 14:25

So now you have to rugby tackle the Prom lady and stop her going. 😆
Eh? She asked was it ok, op said Yes, it's fine, then she left.
Unless you know differently, of course.

LIZS · 08/07/2022 14:22

Owning a shop is not the same as having the skill to make alterations on the spot.

sunglassesonthetable · 08/07/2022 14:21

If it was bad enough that she'd spend the whole night "miserable"; as it appears she did, then she must have noticed on trying it on?

No. Not really.

OP explained why.

Did you see the dress?

sunglassesonthetable · 08/07/2022 14:20

Why let the prom lady leave, she might have been able to do some on the spot alterations.

Sooooo easier said than done!

There's other teenagers around town waiting for their dresses. The clock is ticking.

So now you have to rugby tackle the Prom lady and stop her going. 😆

Perfect!

Johnnysgirl · 08/07/2022 14:14

dianthus101 · 08/07/2022 14:06

She accepted it as the lateness meant it was that or not go to the prom. That doesn't mean she was happy with the fit or would have accepted it under any other circumstance.

Show quote history

If it was bad enough that she'd spend the whole night "miserable"; as it appears she did, then she must have noticed on trying it on?
Why let the prom lady leave, she might have been able to do some on the spot alterations.

kateandme · 08/07/2022 14:11

Promdisaster · 08/07/2022 12:57

@misteek
I don't understand what you mean? We went into the prom shop, tried on some dresses and ordered the one she liked in her size. When we went to collect, DD tried it on and it was too big, so seamstress put pins in where alterations were to be made.

I don't know about where you live, but in our local town there are only 3 clothes shops, none of which sell anything remotely suitable for a prom, so I would have had to order online anyway! It's not as simple as buying one off the shelf!

Oh your poor daughter.this is a really big thing at her age and sensitivity.that age,the prom,a dress,looks,body image,boys ugh what a minefield.and just a day you need to be ok for them isn't it. Jeez especially with your daughter weigh fluctuations that must have hit her harder in the body image sense. she's still bloody gorgeous though,remind her of that eh op.
I agree you got a faulty product.which wasn't initially obvious due to rush job,collapse seamstress,different delivery time...vasically sooo many things wrong here with service every step if the way! The problem only but quickly became clear when said product was "used".

How is she now? This could really hit her.could you give her some pampering this evening or help her feel cosied up if she still upset?keep reassuring her this is totally not on her.they fks up
I no a previous poster mentioned getting a few nice photos redone.would she be into this or think that" like totally lame mum"😉

dianthus101 · 08/07/2022 14:06

Johnnysgirl · 08/07/2022 13:55

She tried it in and said it was fine?!

She accepted it as the lateness meant it was that or not go to the prom. That doesn't mean she was happy with the fit or would have accepted it under any other circumstance.

sunglassesonthetable · 08/07/2022 14:06

She tried it in and said it was fine?!

An hour before Prom, with the shop keeper trying to leave and no alternative dress OP had been put in an extremely difficult situation.

In law, the shop keeper was not keeping to the contract of the sale, that is to deliver the dress altered correctly and in a timely manner.

The law is on your side in this situation people. Saying "it's fine" doesn't let the shop keeper off the hook. They have clearly fucked up.

If you read back it is explained in case you find yourself in this situation with truly shoddy service.

Johnnysgirl · 08/07/2022 13:55

She tried it in and said it was fine?!

User0610134049 · 08/07/2022 13:53

I think even if it had fitted I wouldn’t have been very happy about the last minute-ness of the whole thing. How stressful!

sunglassesonthetable · 08/07/2022 13:51

am sure your daughter will survive…. I hope the seamstress who ended up on hospital is ok

if you believe that story.

Of course OP's DD will survive. But that is hardly the point.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 08/07/2022 13:49

Viviennemary · 08/07/2022 10:28

In hindsight you should have got your DD to try on the dress there and then. Its really disappointing though. You should get a refund fof the whole cost never mind not pay the outstanding amount.

She did try the dress on there and then and they told the woman it was fine!

diddl · 08/07/2022 13:48

I don't know why you couldn't have seen that it would be too big if she had to hold it up all eve to stop it falling down, though...

Which also suggests that the shop were way out with measurements or didn't even do any alterations!

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 08/07/2022 13:47

dianthus101 · 08/07/2022 13:20

I think you probably have to pay something but certainly not the full price. The fact that it arrived last minute meant it was too late to alter the dress and also too late to buy another one.

Agree with this.

I do think the shop had too many orders and I don't believe the last minute ill seamstress excuse.

But you didn't return/not want the dress and it was worn. I can see both your DD and your points of view though being rushed, DD being unhappy at prom and not wanting to make a scene.

So I think partial refund would be fair.

Lifeisforlovingandliving · 08/07/2022 13:45

I am sure your daughter will survive…. I hope the seamstress who ended up on hospital is ok 🤔

dianthus101 · 08/07/2022 13:41

Mamapep · 08/07/2022 13:26

Even if it was received the day before she would have struggled to get it professionally altered again before the prom. Alterations sometimes require another fit session to get right.

Show quote history

Yes, but the shops would have been open the day before so there would have been an opportunity to buy a dress off the peg.

toomuchlaundry · 08/07/2022 13:38

What would you have done if it had not arrived?

DuckBilledPlattyJoobs · 08/07/2022 13:28

midairchallenger · 08/07/2022 09:38

I don't understand why she was "miserable" because of a slightly too big dress.

oh give over 🙄

Mamapep · 08/07/2022 13:26

dianthus101 · 08/07/2022 13:20

I think you probably have to pay something but certainly not the full price. The fact that it arrived last minute meant it was too late to alter the dress and also too late to buy another one.

Even if it was received the day before she would have struggled to get it professionally altered again before the prom. Alterations sometimes require another fit session to get right.

bloodyunicorns · 08/07/2022 13:22

In future, there are plenty of online shops that sell prom dresses. Dd tried on some in a wedding shop but felt they were all too extra and she wanted something more slinky and like an evening dress, not bouffant and typically prom, so she shopped online. Try Club L London.

Mamapep · 08/07/2022 13:22

I feel for your daughter OP but;

  • You accepted the dress, when it turned up, needed to say something then and negotiate the price.
  • You didn’t leave yourself enough time to alter it either. I get stuff altered a lot for myself and others, and when it’s for big occasion, I would consider receiving an altered garment 2 weeks before as ‘cutting it fine’.. cos alterations sometimes need refining. Receiving it the day before (or an hour before in your case) means there’s absolutely no time left to make changes.
Sorry but in my opinion it’s your poor organisation/inexperience at having clothes made that’s at fault. The seamstress should have been clear about this and you can try taking a photo to explain the problem and they could offer you a discount, but I don’t think they’d be unreasonable to decline.