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bridetobe
Newbie
Joined: Apr 08, 2006
Posts: 1
Status: Offline
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  Posted:
Apr 08, 2006 - 05:40 PM |
 
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| Post subject: Western Wedding dress? |
I am travelling to Shanghai in a month and was hoping to look for a western style wedding dress. Any suggestions as to where to go? I am looking for actual wedding dress stores and not photography shops. Any suggestions would greatly help! Thanks |
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palala
Barker
Joined: Mar 31, 2006
Posts: 149
Status: Offline
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Apr 08, 2006 - 11:20 PM |
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There are a few places to buy tailored wedding dresses. (if that is what you are looking for). The best suggestion is that you bring the fabric to china. Because the laces are hard to find. So where are the places:
1. Su-Zhou nearby the Tiger Hill. You can get white gowns from 140 -300rmb (after bargaining) ready made, tailor made a bit pricier.
2. Bring your fabric and design (Chinese work better with pictures) to Chang Le road. They charge for 700-2000rmb per gown (after bargaining). That is also tailored to your size.
3. You can try referrals at the new fabric market at cao cai ban road (souther bund).
Good luck in finding your dream dresses and best wishes! |
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Mon_Mon
Rocker
Joined: Oct 07, 2005
Posts: 661
Status: Offline
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Apr 09, 2006 - 09:24 AM |
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Outside Yu Yuan area, I think along Ren Men Rd (towards direction to Huai Hai Rd) There is a series of tailor made wedding dress shops (small shops) along the street. |
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meisidisi
Seeker
Joined: Nov 28, 2005
Posts: 40
Status: Offline
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Apr 16, 2006 - 09:17 PM |
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Also, in the shopping center across from the Railway Station (building above the subway line 1 station). You enter this shopping center through a Mr Donut shop on the ground floor (!), then the first floor is all Chinese-made clothing, the second floor is photography equipment and printing (including wedding photography), and the third floor is wedding gowns and tuxedos. Looked like a big selection. Good luck! |
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mswp
Rocker
Joined: Mar 06, 2005
Posts: 710
Status: Offline
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Apr 18, 2006 - 09:08 AM |
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I shopped the RenMin Lu area looking for a formal gown (not a wedding dress) and found the prices to be lower (800rmb was the starting price for fabric and sewing) but the quality was poor. The fabrics were polyester, eventually bought one on Changle Lu.
You can get good fabric and lace here, but you have to find a tailor that values quality and precision. That's a bit of a challenge. One option would be to try the tailors that work through the high end hotels -- you'll pay more, but you can speak english and are more likely to get something that meets your standards.
Also HuaiHai Lu has several places that sell wedding dresses. You'll have no trouble finding some options once you're here -- lots of chinese people are marrying in western style wedding apparel. |
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Sambo
Barker
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 183
Status: Offline
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May 02, 2006 - 11:28 AM |
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I have a real bee in my bonnet about getting clothes made to measure here - it is not the great deal people like to think it is unless you are totally devoid of fashion sense and want to dress like a 50 year old. Yes they can knock things up fairly quickly and the standard will be fine for everyday wear....but for more formal wear and anything that passes for high fashion style, Good luck! (and this goes for suits - my man likes a sharp english cut, but can he find a tailor who is not hell bent on the american baggier style?? NOO!!). The tailor at the portman even argued and argued with him that he was wrong and would NOT adjust it despite this being the brief and him agreeing to it in the first place - it's like something out of the 80's.
Anyway, back to point...depsite the frustrating fact that most off the peg gowns found in the west are made here - i had a nightmare here finding someone to tailor one for me. Despite what people tell you, the workmanship of the tailor made stuff is just so so and i really wouldn't trust them to make a wedding dress from a picture. Forget Renmen Lu and Changle Lu - i have high standards and these do not meet them by any stretch - check out the cheap, lurid gowns on show and you'll get my drift. Fine if you're looking for a trad chinese style but not western. But at the end of the day it all boils down to their annoying habit of making tiny adjustments to your 'design' because they can't get their head around the fact that you do actually want it that way and this isn't 1973. Do you want to risk buying beautiful fabric and lace and bringing it here only to have them balls it up? Remember most of the people these well meaning posters are recommending are TAILORS, not dressmakers, they are NOT the same!
I've had countless things made at the fabric market and they always always adjust things to the way THEY feel it should be despite insistance to the contrary and them taking detailed measurements. I studied fashion and know about sewing and so know what i'm talking about! I ended up buying my dress online from America. |
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XiaoHeather
Lurker
Joined: Nov 29, 2003
Posts: 25
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May 18, 2006 - 09:21 PM |
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I had my wedding dress made by Lu Xiao Yu, a designer with his own studio just off of Nanjing West Rd. He's young and speaks fluent English. My dress was simple - he didn't add a lot of frill to it - but it was beautiful and fit me well. It was perfect.
His studio's phone number is 6258 0744. Or, you can email him at xiaoyush@gmail.com
Send me a message if you want to see photos of my dress! |
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palala
Barker
Joined: Mar 31, 2006
Posts: 149
Status: Offline
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May 18, 2006 - 09:46 PM |
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sambo, I totally understand your fustration. I am a bride-going-to be as well. What I learned from my past experience with Chinese tailor is that you need to do a lot of homework for them before you hand in any of your fabric and lots of communication before and during the process of making your dream gown.
1. I bought tons of bridal magazines to find the style that I like. T2. hen I started searching the similar fabric I like. Unfortunately, I could not find (just like you said before), the right fabric. What China, at least from Shanghai retail fabric store, offers for us is some nice silk for linings. I havnt found the right chiffons, brocades, nor good patterend lace yet (if you have good tips, let me know too!). 3. I even start constructing or draw a little bit of flat sketches for my tailor. So far, the dresses that I have made are "similar" looking to the magazine photos that I want. But I know exactly how you feel about a nice dress. 4. Then I even ended up buying the bonings and teaching them exactly how I wanted to get a better fitting.
Yes, it is a lot of work. But at the end, you do save tons of money from buying a usual price tag of 3000usd designer dress down to 300USD with your fabric.
I wish you all the best! |
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