Weddingbee Blog

After going to a few bridal salons to try on dresses, I noticed something… I’m pretty close to most sample sizes! I’m about a women’s street size 4 and in wedding dresses about a size 8. Then I heard about this great sample and once-worn dress shop called White Chicago. They carry a lot of high-end designer gowns here (Vera Wang, Badgley Mischka, Reem Acra, Monique Lhuillier etc.) at about 50% off the original price. In many cases, that meant they were still over my budget of $2,000 but I found quite a few dresses in my size that I could afford.

When I went for my appointment, the first thing I noticed is how pristine looking the shop was. They make you take off your shoes and put on these little hospital booties as soon as you walk in the door, and have you wash your hands before you try on any dresses and they wear gloves while handling them. So unlike some other sample and consignment shops that I went to, these dresses were in great shape. I worked with one of the owners, Ursula, when I went. She was fabulous! The boutique itself is really cool too and it even has a catwalk instead of one of those blocks that you stand on. It’s the closest I’ll ever come to being a model… what fun!

This is a silk Reem Acra with a beaded bodice. It was very lovely, but not terribly flattering on me. I loved the back of the gown, but it didn’t look so hot from the front. Also, I kind of felt like it was just a really expensive night gown.

This was another Reem Acra. As you can see by the look on my face… I wasn’t loving it.

Here I am working the runway. I don’t remember who the designer of this dress was… but it was pretty and under $2,000. I wasn’t crazy about the bodice from the front though.

I don’t remember what designer this gown is by either. I should’ve paid closer attention, sorry! It was nice but it didn’t “wow” me and I think it was slightly over my price limit.

This Alvina Valenta gown was under $1,500 and I LOVED the back of the dress, but I kind of hated it in the front. Ursula pinned the middle of the top of the bodice to show me how they could alter it to have more of a sweetheart neckline, but I still didn’t like it. Too bad because the organza train was simply amazing.

Another Alvina Valenta dress. It’s a little too big so the front looks kinda weird, and I don’t really like how much of a sweetheart cut it is. The back of this dress was also very beautiful but a little too low cut for me. Oh, and please ignore my dirty bra strap.

Though I liked some of these dresses, there was nothing I tried on here that was perfect for me. I was planning on going back there a few more times to see what new dresses came in (since their inventory is constantly changing) if I hadn’t found a gown anywhere else… but I did find one somewhere else. Stay tuned for that.

Sample shops are certainly worth checking out if you want a high-end designer gown on a budget. The only drawback that I noticed is that many of the styles are from a season or two ago, so if you want something really cutting edge you probably won’t find it. I think most major cities have quite a few sample shops and if anyone is in the Chicago area, White Chicago is definitely a good bet. If you are looking to sell your dress after the big day I think White Chicago gives a pretty good deal and they sell most of their dresses. The other good thing about getting a sample is that you don’t have to wait for it to come in, so if you are cutting it close or in a hurry you could consider this option.

Did anyone get their dress from a sample or consignment shop? Or did you look at any 2nd hand/sample dresses?