To think this major high street retailer is wrong and the store manager was out of order

[Notalone]

I have been looking for a dress for ages and finally found one on Friday that makes me feel amazing. It is pretty much a bog standard dress really but with clever folds and a belt that sets it off perfectly. Except when I wore it at the weekend I realised the belt is stupidly small and squashed me that much I had to take it off. It didn't look the same without the belt though.

I went down to the shop to ask them to exchange the belt for a bigger one and the cashier said that a lot of people had said the same thing but she would have to check with her manager. The manager comes out and refuses saying that if she gives me a different belt then it would make another dress faulty so no she won't exchange the belt. She can't order another belt from the manufacturer either but would give 20% off the dress. I explained that no, I just wanted a belt that actually fit me because the dress is just not the same without it and I want to keep the dress. She looked me up and down and sneeringly said that SHE had tried the belt on, was the same size as the dress and it wasn't big on her at all. I retorted that my friend who is a size 8-10 struggled to fasten the belt too so therefore it wasn't me buying a too small dress. She then said it was only me with the problem and no-one else had complained. I said that is not what her cashier had said so she glared at the cashier and said she should have fed that back to her.

The end result I that she refused to swap the belt and I now have a dress that just isn't the same. I am sorely tempted to go to another tore, try a bigger dress on and just switch the bloody thing over myelf even though I know this isn't right really.

I know there are bigger issues than this but I feel really peeved because the dress cost more than I would usually spend and I really love it with that frigging belt

[Rooners]

Don't swap the belts. You might well find yourself hauled up by security people, they usually have CCTV in changing rooms.

[PuppyMonkey]

Popper fastening belts?

What is the world coming to?

[SubliminalMassaging]

Not all size 8s, 10s, 12s etc. are created equal. Some things are cut for hourglass shapes, some are cut for less defined figures with thicker waists and narrower hip ratios. (much more common in my experience) This dress is clearly cut to suit the former and you are clearly the latter. Horses for courses. I get fed up with having everything too big on the waist if it fits my bum, but there is nothing I can do about it. You've worn it now, so just buy a new, slightly bigger belt and be done with it.

[OnTheBottomWithAWomensWeekly]

CCTV in changing rooms? Watching people undress? I don't bloody think so. This is not America.

[Rooners]

Oh sorry I just assumed that's what the little ball thingies on the ceiling were!

[picnicbasketcase]

What's so amazingly special about the belt though? Is it a certain colour or pattern that you can't get anywhere else?

[VivaLeBeaver]

Sorry but yabu. If she gives you a belt off a bigger size dress then they have a dress without a belt which they can't sell.

I've had the same problem before which I realised when I tried it on so I just didn't buy the dress.

[SubliminalMassaging]

They are water sprinklers for fire I think. Although I always wonder if they are secret cameras.

[Notalone]

Eeek - do they really have CCTV in the actual changing room itself? Please tell me there is not a security guard in every store perving on people getting changed?!!

Link to dress

www.riverisland.com/women/dresses/party--evening-dresses/Black-sleeveless-slinky-wrap-dress-640683

Going to be in the kitchen for a bit but any comments / suggestions are welcome

[BuskersCat]

Some shops do have CCTV in their changing rooms, they HAVE to have a sign warning you of this though

[VoiceOfRaisin]

I can see why you want to change it but you need to accept it was your fault for not trying it on properly before you bought. In any case, if you HAD tried it on beforehand, it sounds like you would still a) need to have taken the belt that came with the dress as they wouldn't be able to swap it or b) put up with and buy it with the too-small belt. 20% off seems more than fair. Not sure why you think they can take a belt off another dress and so leave themselves with an unsellable item.

PS Don't steal a belt the right size. That would be immoral and illegal.

[Hopasholic]

Order a larger one on-line, switch belt & return ( chances are next size up will end up round your ankles)

Alternatively buy some sculpting passion killer knickers

[HKat]

I want that dress myself now! It's lovely :-)

[breatheslowly]

Are you sure that the belt wasn't mixed up with one from a smaller dress?

[StuntGirl]

You didn't try it on beforehand.

She didn't have to offer you anything so the 20% for a dress you've already paid for and worn was very generous.

Her attitude is a different matter and you can complain about that if you feel you need to.

But she's not in the wrong otherwise.

Try your clothes on before you wear them out in future. If it doesn't fit, buy something else.

[Juniperdewdropofbrandy]

That belt looks more of an accessory than pracital iykwim? In as you could just alter it at the back (or get a useful friend to) and then you'd still have the detail at the front.

Or else find another belt.

[Juniperdewdropofbrandy]

practical!

[HotCrossPun]

What about this?

[Spatsky]

I bet if you shopped around you could find a belt close enough to work beautifully with that dress. It's a nice belt but generic enough that you can surely find something pretty similar. Have a look on asos.

[BoredNinja]

Assuming your dress is a 12, going on the dimensions given on their website the belt should fit a waist of 29 inches. If the belt's smaller than that then yes they've made a production error.

Not sure that helps if the manager won't acknowledge it though!

[happinessisfree]

Similar

I've seen this instore, quite nice. Popper fastening at the back

[HotCrossPun]

Or this?

[Spatsky]

www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Link-Elastic-Waist-Belt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2718553&SearchQuery=belts&Rf-200=4&Rf-700=1000&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=200&sort=-1&clr=Black ???

[Spatsky]

Sorry, can't seem to do links properly

[Juniperdewdropofbrandy]

??? From Spatsky