Has anyone bought this River Island dress? It's been a disaster for me and I need advice!

[KittytheHare]

I bought this dress (from River Island directly but couldn't find exact link). Loved it for the first five minutes until it started moulting in the most ridiculous way. I wore it to a party and was honestly embarrassed by end of the night. There was a significant trail of feathers left in my wake everywhere I went.
I can understand a couple of feathers shedding, but this was extreme and has put me off ever wearing it again.
I brought it back tothe store, saying it was faulty/flawed and essentially unwearable, only to be told that the dress was perfect and that's what is to be expected with this style. According to the manager, apparently, no one else has experienced any problems. She gave me the address of the UK office to complain to (I'm in Ireland) and I will contact them, but before I do, I'm keen to to some background investigation to see if anyone else has had this problem.

https://www.riverisland.com/ie/p/petite-black-velvet-feather-hem-shift-dress-917189

I had a feathered dress when I was in my 20s and it did this. I wore it quite a few times to various events and after a couple of years it looked like a plucked turkey.
I think it's par for the course for these kind of items unless you're paying high end designer prices

No...! It means very angry

I also don’t think €88 is cheap, and I wouldn’t be happy. That shop manager sounds useless, I think I’d you take it to head office/take it higher, you’ll get a refund!

Not where I grew up. ‘Spitting feathers’ was thirsty, usually for a cup of tea. ‘Spitting tacks’ was used for anger.

It seems both meanings then. As is common in the evolution of language.

Just wear the dress and walk around the shop round and round ‘browsing’, let the snarky shop assistant clear all the feathers you shed up.

Poor birds, the feather industry is awful.

Like once we were told the fur on our coat hoods was from anything animal!

Yep - my memory of feather boas is that they are exactly the same, feathers everywhere. So I suspect she’s right, it’s not a faulty dress it just sheds a lot.

The day when the bar gets the new-season Beaujolais in stock. We had it at uni, basically it’s a very cheap wine promotion. I don’t think it’s a specific calendar date as such, just whenever the wholesaler has the wine in stock.

I agree. I think a few feathers coming loose would be acceptable in a cheaper end dress.

A restaurant I was in yesterday (in Glasgow) had a trail of feathers leading to a table of very glamorous ladies. I wonder if it was the same dress lol

Except it wasn’t a few feathers. I clearly stated that the shedding from the dress was excessive and embarrassing, to the point where the dress is unwearable.

I spoke with someone in Customer Services who asked me to send in pictures of the dress. I explained that the dress would probably look absolutely fine in pictures, as the issue was constant shedding when I was wearing it. She replied that the only way they could examine the complaint further was if I sent photos, which I did.

This was on Thursday, I’ll contact them on Monday if I haven’t heard back. I’m not accepting that the dress is fit for purpose, and I will post on their socials if I don’t get a positive response.

I believe it's traditionally the third Thursday in November.

Damn - I wonder what @OnePoisedBrickEagle posted that was so controversial!!

I can remember being mugged off in RI years ago over a pair of boots that fell apart after a few months. Sad things haven't changed.

I once had a similar issue with a feather boa - it was practically bald by the end of the night. I’ve given feathers a swerve ever since!

I say the ops dress when I was shopping at the weekend. Well it was a burgundy one in the shop window. It caught my eye as it looked nice then I remembered this thread. Gave it a swerve.

Any update OP?

I would be tempted to put something on their Facebook or Twitter including photos of the shed feathers. That is unacceptable for a dress costing that much money.

I emailed them this afternoon, but it was a stressy work day so didn’t pursue it in detail. I’m going to be more proactive tomorrow, and won’t let it go.

My daughter had one - I think from Oasis about 8 years ago. It lost a few feathers over the years. It is still wearable, but it is not the sort of dress that gets worn often. She has washed it by just washing the top half and avoiding the feathers. Lovely dress and fit for purpose. So the one discussed here is NOT fit for purpose.

I am afraid it is the nature of the beast, you need to look at the story of Ginger Rogers and the Top Hat Feather dress... https://www.cinemahistory.co.uk/the-top-hat-feather-incident/

My balding feather boa shame was made worse by my frustrated hostess following me around the house with a handheld hoover! I hadn’t realised until she caught up with me… obvs if she’d alerted me I’d have taken the bloody thing off! 😂