Hi Lovely ladies,
It's that time of year...Prom season. Everyone is getting so excited for Prom 2020. It truly is a special time that many of you have been looking forward to for a few years and it's finally here. I love that this is one tradition that has not lost its magic. I love everything that prom signifies. It is a rite of passage for young women. It is the celebration of all that hard work you have put in for 12 plus years. It's a night you will remember forever, you will tell your children and grandchildren. The high school years go so fast, this is one event that slows down time ,just slightly as you plan and prepare for your magical night. Of all the events to remember in high school, I know this will be one of them. But, with that come a lot of stress. I see young ladies everyday, really stressing over their gown choice. I have some great advise that I'll share in the next blog post but for now, I want to talk about "online shopping".
Last year we had so many ladies come in completely devastated that their dress either didn't arrive, or it was just simply not at all what they thought they were getting. I know some may think I'm just saying this because I own a store , but that is not the case. I am utterly disgusted with these shady companies preying on young women!! I've had enough of the crying girls coming in. I will do everything in my power to educate the public and stop these unscrupulous companies. I belong to an organization called ABPIA, they are working with congress to shut down these online stores. They successfully shut down over 3000 last year. These online companies do not pay tariffs, taxes that legitimate companies pay, they rob our young girls and they directly take business from local, US businesses that pay taxes which provides our country with schools, healthcare, military and so on, so yes, I'm pretty passionate about this. We will be successful and shut them down but that's where it gets tricky , these online store continue to advertise and take your money and you don't receive your dress. The dresses are being seized at the border or the company shuts down and reopens with a new name. As far as not getting the dress as advertised...they steal the images of real designers, I catch it all the time on instagram and facebook. I know the real pictures, I know my designers really well. Lets be real, you can not get a real , quality beaded gown for under 200. The fabric alone costs more then that and if it truly is a "custom" design , that takes 4-5 months. Quality fabric is not cheap, embroidered , beaded, intricate fabric can range 50-300 yard.
This year is even going to more unlikely that you will get your online dress because of a few very important reasons. One , the Chinese factories are shut down right now because of the Coronavirus, which means the textile factories are too, which means the fabrics can't get the manufacturer and then when they do, they will have a lot of catching up to do. There is a lawsuit on the books to shut down the website hosting company that hosts these fake sites, it could happen any day.
If you would like a truly custom gown, I have a few wonderful seamstresses I can recommend, please allow them 3-5 months to complete your dream dress. If you are think you want to "shop online", let me know why? Is it convenience, cost, modesty, intimidation, variety of styles. Please share with me your reasons. We have tried really hard to make shopping in store a benefit to you. We have sooo many unique styles, we can special order any size and different colors in many of our dresses, we offer private shopping appointments to give you space and a quiet private experience and we carry a large range of prices, from 200 and up and sizes 00-32. Enjoy this important time with you mom, dad, sister, aunt and grandmother. They love this just as much as you do.
Our advise: buy local of coarse, it feeds into your local economy. I don't even care if you buy from us, just buy from a local boutique. If you want to buy online, buy from a legitimate US based boutique. There are many. Each designer will list their authorized retails that you can buy from. Never forget, you get what you pay for. As tempting as it can be to think you are getting a great deal, there are no shortcuts. This event only happens once or twice in your life, treat it as such. We carry beautiful gowns of great quality for 200 and up. It doesn't have to break the bank. We always respect your budget and will help you find the best dress for you in your budget, check our sales rack for incredible deals. Our promise, if your budget is 200 we won't show you a 500.00 dress, we don't feel that is fair. We care about you, respect your budget and we are not pushy. If budget is a concern, there are a few organizations in our area that help with prom dresses, Cinderella Dream and the Tim Tebow foundation as well as several high schools have a prom closet.
Come shop at Glitter and Lace and be pleasantly surprised by our friendly, no pressure staff. We located in your neighborhood at 903 North Courthouse Rd. North Chesterfield, Va 23236
Enjoy some of my favorite online prom fails below.
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