Wedding Blog
When I visited IL a few months ago, my soon-to-be MIL and I went to Gigi’s Closette and we found the PERFECT dress for her!
The dress label said “Gigi’s Closette”. We assumed it was from “Gigi’s Closette” since the other dresses had labels like “Yolanda” or “Giovanni”. The dress was a dream and we knew this was the one. We were told the dress would be available on December 8th. In a bit of a “we gotta act fast” mindset, we ordered the dress, paid the half deposit and left.
We got a phone call THREE days later. They said, “We have the dress. Please come pick it up.” I mean, I was excited to see the dress, but they told us it would be here in December! Something was a little sketchy…
Since I’m in NYC and my FMIL is in IL, she went to the store to pick up the dress. But much to her surprise, the dress label said “Montage by Moncheri”. She questioned the sales attendant, but due to her limited English, she left the store frustrated and a bit hurt.
I’m familiar with purchasing a wedding related dress… it was around that same time that I was shopping for my wedding dress. I get that sometimes they say “It’ll be here in three months,” but then they’ll call you only a month later. But this situation, I believed, was different. So I had to get to the bottom of it.
I spoke with Gigi herself. She was pleasant at first, and explained to me that they indeed put their own label on the dresses and that this is actually common in most boutiques. She also proceeded to explain how customers come in and look at the dress, see who the maker is, look at swatches and waste the store’s time. To protect themselves, they change the label.
In a way, I could understand, but at the same time I felt that this was not the right way. I realize Gigi’s situation, but I just felt so bad for my mother in law who was hurt in the process.
Here’s the dress— We did end up purchasing it anyway. It’s beautiful, and perfect for my FMIL. Hopefully the dress will lighten up the rest of this entry! 
Do you think it’s okay for stores to hide the labels of their dresses, or not?
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You have good taste - that’s the dress my mom is wearing for my wedding, too! Very elegant.
i thought it wasn’t legal for shops to do that? i do remember hearing on “say yes to the dress” that the reason they didn’t have tags on was to “protect the designers” though honestly i think that when they actually mean themselves. i don’t think it’s fair either way. that makes it hard for someone to comparison shop, which isn’t fair to the customer.
I think it’s unacceptable that bridal stores feel that it’s okay to rip the labels out of the dresses. I thought I read somewhere that it’s illegal, but I’m not sure if that’s true. They don’t want brides to “shop around” and waste their time. What a crock of crap, to put it bluntly. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to shop around?
If I go to a shop and see that they’ve ripped the tags out of the dresses, I’m going elsewhere. I think it’s just shady.
I don’t think that is legal. They are passing off someone else’s goods as their own. I am only a second year law student so I may be totally wrong, but I think it is called reverse confusion. Tell the dress maker she has violated the Lanham Act (US trademark law) and that you are going to notify the trademark owner of their infringing practices.
Forgot to add: Gigi is protecting themselves from good old fashioned competition. Not allowed!! You and your FMIL are allowed to shop around for the best deal.
Something sounds way too shady about that to me about all that, I would be hurt as well. Did you do the research to see if you got a worse deal buying the dress there?
I feel like maybe this is a stupid question, but does it matter? I’m not being accusatory, just curious why it makes a difference…? If you loved the dress and the price was good, then does it matter (besides of course the fact that shops shouldn’t do that) who the actual manufacturer is?
I guess maybe the issue could be that if you knew it wasn’t their dress, you could have shopped around more to find it for a better price, but other than that I don’t quite follow. Unless you were really ripped off. But can you (or someone) explain why it matters? Would you have gotten the dress if it had the right label on it?
The bridal salon where I shopped didn’t put their own tag on the dress, which I think would be misleading and inappropriate. However, they did remove any indication of the designer. I don’t think that’s an issue, as it’s not misleading you as to where the dress came from. And frankly, if you read through the boards, you will see that it’s pretty common for people to try to save a couple hundred dollars by ordering on the internet. When you go to the bridal salon to try on the dresses, you are taking advantage of their inventory (which costs them money to maintain) and their staff (which costs them money in payroll). If you spend an hour with their consultant trying on their merchandise, you have cost them money. If you then go and buy off the internet, they get no return on their investment in you. And of course their dresses cost a little more than somebody who has just an electronic shop - because they have made that investment in having the dresses for you to try, and having the staff to help you do it. The reason the internet shop can sell the dress for less is because they don’t have to own one in the first place - let alone having a nice dressing room and mirrors and staff for you to use.
So - I think it’s completely fair for them to remove labels. Alternatively, they could charge you money just to try on the dresses, and apply that to the purchase price of your dress if you end up buying from them. Although I’m sure that people would complain even more about that.
And really, if you make an effort, you can figure it out who the designer is anyway. It just takes a few hours on the internet, or flipping through bridal magazines. I knew who made my dress even without the label, and I certainly could have ordered it from somewhere. I bought it through the shop because it was the right thing to do after taking advantage of their resources.
I hate when they do that! Why are they so desperate to force people to buy from them that they won’t even allow you to see the real designer or the style number?
I also believe it is illegal to rip the designers name out of a dress. It could mean that they are not an authorized dealer of that dress designer/manufacturer as well. I would contact the BBB (Better Business Bureau) to file a deception claim and then also contact the designer to let them know what the shop is doing.
Even if it is not illegal, it is an unethical business practice to decieve the customer to block them from shopping around. Bridal stores often don’t let you take pictures of dresses to prevent this, but are not allowed by the manufacturer to remove the label.
Sorry you had a bad experience. The dress is lovely though, your FMIL will look gorge.
SMC, I don’t think Miss Blush and her mother-in-law are being “label snobs” — it sounds like the issue isn’t the label itself, it’s that her MIL ended up confused and hurt by the store’s practices. She thought she was ordering a dress made by Gigi’s, and was handed a dress with a totally different label in it. I would have been confused too!
Since it’s the same dress and she still loves it, it doesn’t really matter, but the practice is clearly unethical and, I believe, illegal. If Mon Cheri found out I think Gigi’s would probably lose the right to sell their gowns. For the record, ever single bridal salon I visited displayed the manufacturer’s tag prominently. Most even sorted the gowns by manufacturer.
I would agree, that sounds illegal and certainly unethical. But I am glad you got the same dress, even if the label is different and I hope your FMIL is happy!
I worked for a bridal salon for a while and I understand the the customer should be able to shop around and find the best deal but when you work off commission and spend an hour or two working with a bride trying on dresses and looking for swatches and then have them go and buy the dress online or some where else it makes you mad. I worked hard to make sure you have the information you need to make the right decision and then I dont get squat for my time and effort. Now how fair is that?
Also dress shops provide you a service and they want you to pay for that service by purchasing a dress. I am sure that if you took the time to shop around, a dress shop would meet a lower price, provided that it from a reputable place. Often in bridal, especially highend, bridal designers are exclusive in cities and large metro areas so only one bridal shop will carry a particular designer. And when they say they want to protect the designer, that is true. Many people pick a dress and take pictures or get the designer and style information so that they can have someone make the dress for them hence stealing the design from the designer. It is also to protect the store from losing the business do get me wrong, but that is why they exisit, to sell things not so that you can just come try on dresses.
I think SMC is right that if you love the dress does it matter who makes it? I would just make sure that you recieve the customer service that you expect and order your dress from a reputable place to avoid any issue.
If you go to most designer’s sites they say that you shouldn’t trust a shop that doesn’t have the designer’s tags in the dresses. I wouldn’t go back to that shop, at least you got what you wanted but I have heard stories where a knock off, a bad one at that, was given when the dress came in.
it’s actually illegal under FTC regulations, as pointed out by ms. hot chocolate a few weeks ago.
@Jenny — Before buying my gown I did some research on gown manufacturers to figure out which designers were in my price range and what kind of customer service they had. For example, I knew that Casablanca would customize their gowns, but Mori Lee wouldn’t. If I found a dress I loved except that I wanted a longer train, it would make a big difference to me whether that gown was a Casablanca or a Mori Lee.
I completely sympathize with you ladies who work in bridal salons and hate time-wasters, though. My saleswomen were all so helpful and spent so much time with me, it must be frustrating to know that some of those women have no intention of buying anything at your store. My decision came down to 2 gowns sold in separate bridal salons, and I still feel bad that the one salon didn’t get a sale out of it — the saleswoman was so helpful and nice!! (In fact, I’ll give her a plug here: Blue Bridal Couture in Denver is AMAZING if any Denver brides are reading.)
I don’t see how that could possibly be legal. Taking the label off it one thing, but putting one of your own on is flat out dishonest. If someone put their name on something I designed, reguardless of their reason, I’d be furious.
“Time wasters”, as she called them, are a fact of life in retail. She seriously needs to rethink her policies.
Even if it is legal it is pretty darn sketchy of them. The dress is beautiful though and I am sure she will look stunning in it!
I’ve read in “Bridal Bargains” that the practice is illegal but not enforced since so many shops do it. It really bites. My bridal shop didn’t tell me until I wanted to buy the dress…it stunk!
that sounds illegal! but that dress is really pretty.
I read this book called Bridal Bargains and there is a whole section talking about this. Stores do this so that shoppers won’t know who made the dress so they can’t search around for a better price. It is illegal. They can not do this but there are no bridal dress cops to stop them. It is very unfair.
That was my MILs dress!!
Miss Hot Cocoa touched on this subject in her Bridal Bargains book review. She even looked it up, and yes it is illegal.
http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/09/25/a-bookbee-reviews-bridal-bargains/
Putting thier own label on has to be illegal. The dress design is probably copywrited or aptented or whatever they do for cloths and therefor they are taking away from the designer. I’ve heard that it is legal to take the tags out. I’ve heard that this is SOP if you are getting samples and big discounts.
Thank you all so much for your concern.
Just to clarify:
It would not have mattered what label was on the dress. But the issue here is that we weren’t allowed to shop around because we thought it was an exclusive dress- we didn’t even think to imagine that it would be a dress by another designer. I searched for days online for a dress for both mothers, but never came across this dress- there are a lot of dressmakers out there-how can one expect to find a particular dress? In the end, we were deceived and that’s what matters.
I completely understand that bridal salons work off commission. They don’t want customers to come in, utilize their resources, found out the designer and their size, and go home and order it online. That’s the reason we are not pursuing this matter. We loved the people at Gigi’- they were so helpful and kind and it would not be fair to take away all that time and energy they put into helping us.
It’s true, we do love the dress and my FMIL is going to look fabulous in it.
Thank you all for your insights.
What they are doing is shady but not necessarily illegal. The Fair Trade Commission requires that wedding gown labels have the “identity of ANY ONE business in the distribution channel, including:
- the manufacturer;
- the manufacturer’s Registered Identification Number (RN), which - is issued to companies in the U.S. and registered by the FTC;
- the retail store’s name or RN; or,
- the RN or business name of any other company in the U.S. directly involved in the distribution of the gown.”
So if the tag had the name of the retail store, that would be fine. Bridal Bargains is right to point out though that if the store rips out the tag entirely and does not substitute it with a tag that satisfies the FTC’s requirements, then it’s in violation of the Textile Act.
Even though what this store did was legal, I totally understand your MIL’s feelings, Miss Blush! I wouldn’t shop from a store that practiced this sort of bait and switch. It’s not that a label matters to me per se, it’s just that a store that has a policy of lying to their customers is not one that I want to work with, especially on a big purchase like a wedding gown.
Here’s a link to the Textile Act requirements, in case anyone wants to be a nerd like me: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/wedgown.shtm.
I just read this link :
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/wedgown.shtm
Miss Hot Cocoa posted on her weblog (thanks MnkyGrl).
It’s safe to say that it’s illegal. Hopefully Miss Hot Cocoa’s post and this post will help future brides out there.
I work in retail and I completely disagree with allison and suzaano who say it’s OK for a store to hide or lie about brands just because they think their product is “high-end” or their level of customer service is specialized. What if you applied this logic to retailers like car dealerships and Wal-Mart? It would be ridiculous to expect someone to buy a car or TV without knowing what brand they’re paying for—particularly when a part of the mark-up is actually brand. I would think car dealerships spend just as much money as bridal salons on inventory, wages, advertising, etc. and their level of customer service is also similar. That does not mean they are entitled to hide or fabricate brand names. The basis of our free market economy is competition. But if retailers conspire to withhold brand information, competition cannot exist.
To alison and suzanno: If a customer is going somewhere else to purchase an item because they can get the exact same item for cheaper (in some cases hundreds or thousands of dollars), then it’s up to that store to match the competitor’s price or offer other incentives. A business is not entitled to your money because they spent time trying to sell you their product. I understand where the frustration would come from but that doesn’t justify willfully deceiving someone about product.
@ Rebecca:
I definitely agree with you. I was just about to bring up the example of a car dealership. Of course people are going to come in and spend time trying out a car (or dress) and then maybe waste your time or buy it elsewhere. A consumer has a right to know who makes a product to judge the value and quality.
SO TRUE Rebecca and Kate!!!! Just because someone spends a lot of time and effort into helping you does not entitle them to a sale, especially if they using shady tricks. Some people in the wedding industry feel that because something is “wedding” related that means they can charge more and all the normal rules don’t apply the them. Well guess what they do, buying a wedding dress (or anything else wedding) isn’t any different from buying any other big ticket item (washing machine, car, etc) If anyone suspected a shady sales person in any of those areas we would walk out and take our money else where. Best advice when planning your wedding is to invest in the “Bridal Bargains” book. It has all kinds of valuable information and things to look out for, such as dress labels at bridal salons. It really helps you identify the shady sales people in all aspects of planning!!!
I’m just really glad that you are happy with your purchase Miss Blush dispite your bad experience.
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Miss Blush New York/Atlanta
Age and Occupation: 25, Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law Student
Engagement Date: July 13, 2007
Wedding Date: January 2009
Blogging Since: October 14, 2008
Venue: Church ceremony, country club reception
About Me: I’m a Southern Girl marrying a Midwestern Boy, planning our Southern winter wedding from Manhattan. I love paper, photography, hand-sanitizer, high ceilings, colored pencils, brunch, and Frosted Mini-Wheats. If I could, I would hand-write everything, travel without a map, stare at diamonds all day long, don my favorite stilettos to the supermarket, play with the NY Philharmonic, attach a Karaoke system to my car, and run 3 miles at 6 AM every morning. Mr. Blush and our families mean the world to me, and I can not wait to share our wedding preparations with you!
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