Terrible fabric, roller coaster seam lines, heavy nylon underlining, uneven hemlines, gowns that look nothing like the picture, and it doesn’t come even remotely close to fitting. Sound familiar? Those of us who do alterations have no doubt seen dozens of these “custom made” online-order dresses. Everything from prom dresses to bridesmaid’s dresses and even wedding gowns. The online, overseas companies who specialize in these scams have created an epidemic of cheap, ill-fitting formal-wear and they are preying on our unsuspecting clientele, who think they’re getting a great deal on a dress. Weddings and other formal events, such as proms, are expensive and in our price-slashing society, “She who saves the most on her dress, wins.”
With the rise of online commerce, more often than not, consumers are turning to the internet to try and save money for their big day. Girls surf Etsy, Ebay, and similar sites looking for an affordable dream dress. They are lured in by high quality runway and model images from companies that appear legitimate. Unfortunately, many of these overseas companies, predominantly in China, have picked up on the e-commerce trend and have jumped on the formalwear bandwagon. They often steal images from designer and custom clothier’s websites, such as what happened to ASDP member Tina Columbo. Much to her dismay, Tina discovered that an online company had stolen an image of a custom christening gown from her website, claimed it as its own work, and created a listing to sell the gown. The listing is still up even though Tina posted a comment on the business’s page to let consumers know that it was a stolen design, though she wasn’t able to do so without first making a purchase. Tina purchased the replica gown (the purple backgrounds are of the copy).
What do consumers get for their “deal”? Measurements (usually only bust, waist, and hip) are sent in with color and details selected. Then the waiting begins. Typically arriving several weeks after the promised shipping date, the gown (if you can call it that) arrives wadded up in a small plastic shipping bag, wrinkled beyond belief and often smelling so strongly of plastic that it must be aired out before being approached. The materials used can usually be described as feeling and looking like garbage bags, bed sheets, nylon backpacks, or dirty sponges. These dresses often weigh far more than a dress of the style has any right to weigh. No matter how perfect (or at least passable) a seamstress can get the fit, there is no changing the cheapness of the materials routinely used by these companies. In the best scenarios, the straps don’t fit or the wavy bagged hem isn’t the right length. More often than not, the dress will require more in alterations than the original purchase price, assuming it was the right color and style to begin with.
Sadly, it may not even be salvageable and these companies certainly don’t accept returns, give refunds, correct ill fit, or replace damaged or incorrect orders.
Although the rise of these atrocities guarantees alterationists job security, there is a real danger to the field and the reputation of legitimate custom clothiers, such as many of our members. If the only experience a girl ever had with a custom gown was a hack job of a prom dress that looked nothing like what she ordered and felt like a chiffon straight jacket lined in Kevlar, what is the likelihood that she would be willing to trust her local seamstress or tailor to make her a custom wedding gown? Probably not particularly high. She’s far more likely to go to a big box bridal store where she can try on a physical dress and (at least she thinks) get a guarantee that she will be getting exactly what she sees and knows it will fit.
One of the most widely known scam companies is IZIDRESS, which has been the topic of multiple news reports on CBS, the Today Show and Good Morning, America and others. Companies like InternationalOwnership.com have created Facebook pages such as IZIDRESS Victims to help spread the word about copyright infringement and counterfeit dresses and to help shut down these companies. As word gets out, the scammers change tactics. Many consumers now know to avoid websites from China. Unfortunately, these dress websites simply put up a new page listing a US address, typically in Washington or Oregon and then route the dress through that address. This is so the customer sees a US shipping label and feels more confident in their purchase, new address, and same problems.
The American Bridal and Prom Industry Association (ABPIA) has successfully helped shut down thousands of these websites. While they’ve made great progress, uninformed consumers are still at risk.
That’s where the ASDP membership comes in. Talk to your customers, post to your Facebook page, and refer the public to the ASDP website for the standards of quality that our members follow. Consumers continue to fall victim to these scams because they don’t know any better and are simply trying to find a deal. It’s the ASDP’s obligation to help educate the consumer on the importance of knowing where their purchases come from and the value of the work that our members do
Written by Cisa Kubley, ASDP member
