Birthday present dilemma

[Pugaboo]

Possibly more of a WWYD...

MIL gave me a dress for my bday recently, it's nice but the colour doesn't really suit me. It also doesn't fit perfectly as it's a bit too big. I thought perhaps it would look better in a smaller size.

I googled it to see if a smaller size was in stock and it turns out it's £££! About 10 times more expensive than the last (admittedly cheap) dress I bought.

WIBU to swap it for a different item that suits me more? I feel that given it cost so much I should get a really good amount of wear out of it, rather than just wear it a few times to work when I've nothing else in the wardrobe...

I think MIL would be a bit offended if I took it back tbh, and I'd already said thank you and I liked it when she gave it to me. I think she must have been pretty convinced it was THE dress for me to have spent a lot on it.

I would exchange it for something in the same shop. Tell her that although you loved it, it didn't fit so you had to swap it for X. I will buy clothes for MIL but provide a receipt for exchanges so she can change them. I think that's the right thing to do unless you're buying slippers that should definitely fit.

I agree - tell her it doesn't fit right and you've exchanged it for x. Even if she's a bit miffed initially that's not a good reason to waste money on a dress you won't wear.

She can't be annoyed for buying you clothes if they don't fit right.

I agree to return it and buy something similar from the same store. So abother dress, or a nice outfit.

Ok thanks for the advice, she did actually include a gift receipt so I will go and see what else they have that will fit/suit me and tell her what I've done.

I think the seam came unpicked and you went to swap it but they didn't have anymore in your size.

If she included a receipt I think she understood you might want to exchange it. Buying clothes for other people can be a minefield, it's difficult to get the fit and style right. Just tell her it didn't fit if she asks.

Definitely swap it.

Coming at this from the other side; a couple of years ago I bought my sister a nice dress for her birthday. She said she loved it, I didn't think anything more about it.

Then, last week, she said she'd worn it for the first time, as it had been far too small for her and she'd only now - after having lost weight - been able to fit into it.

I was mortified. I wish she'd had the confidence, two years ago, to tell me the dress wasn't right, so she could have swapped it for something else. I wouldn't have minded, of course not - I want her to have presents that she likes!

If she included a gift receipt then she has given you the option. You're lucky you have a generous MIL.

What a lovely MIL . I agree with PP's, if she gave you a gift receipt then you are ok to exchange it.

Happy shopping

That's so nice that she bought you something so lovely that she thought you'd like but isn't right. Surely she would be ok if you said it IS LOVELY* but it doesn't fit and you don't want it to be a waste of money so you're going to get a different size .... but lo and behold they don't have it

She included a gift receipt. She will therefore be fine with the swap. I agree with PP - if you want to soften it, say that you went to change the size but they didn't have the right size, and look what you found instead.... Far better that than keep it and not wear it, which would be a waste of her money.