SAMPLE SALE OR TRUNK SHOW??

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

As 2014 is nigh upon us and with the end of the year come the gowns for next season.  Many of our brides will become engaged through out the Holiday Season.  Soon our new brides will be seeing the perfect wedding dress. Trunk shows are great as they bring choices that may not otherwise be available.  Sample Sales are fabulous for those on a tight budget.

The difference between a trunk show and a sample sale is HUGE.  Let’s look at those differences now.

SAMPLE SALES:

Sample sales are exactly as the name implies.  Gowns that are in stock and have been tried on.  Some of the gowns will have been tried a few times, some many times.  Here at Bella Sposa Bridal our ‘samples’ are treated with great care and would not be in the condition that a typical sample sale might find gowns.  Sample sales can be held right in the salon or they are sometimes in a warehouse away from the salon. 

That said you can expect to find that the gowns may need some repairs.  The deeper the discount may indicate that more work will be needed to restore the gown to perfection.  You may expect the gowns to have some soil, maybe a broken zipper, a few loose or missing beads, tulle may be torn.  The gowns are all by well known designers and all $750 or less!!  One could not expect for a perfect wedding gown to be sold at this low dollar amount.

Now bear in mind that you may have some additional expenses involved that might off set the savings.  When you purchase a gown at a Sample Sale you will need to do some things before it will be ready for your wedding day.  We advise you to carefully weigh the added expenses.

Sample sales are cash and carry events, so you should be prepared to pay in full when you find your gown.

Gown Cleaning:  From $50.00 to $350 depending upon the gown.

Alterations:  often the gown will need resizing which causes your alterations to cost slightly more than they otherwise would.  We tell our brides to budget $100-$400 for their alterations.

Restoration or repairs:  These could cost from $20.00 to $500 depending upon the gown.

When you add the actual added costs you will still find you are spending less than if you ordered brand new.

TRUNK SHOWS:

Trunk shows are held in the salon and usually last 2-3 days but could last a full week.  They are most usually over the weekend.  Normally they would be promoted by Invitation only to the bride by the bridal salon.  They will feature a specific designer.  Sometimes the designer will be present, sometimes not.  The staff would help you with the new styles, offering the time frame necessary to order, the cost of the gown and help you find your perfect accessories.  Our staff will also be able to tell you approximately what alterations you will need and how much they may be.

Trunk shows traditionally have standard sample sizes which are 8, 10 & 12.  Those are the only sizes that will be available to try on.  A trunk show will usually feature the most current, in demand and popular styles.  Occasionally the salon will offer some sort of promotional ‘deal’ during the Trunk Show. 

You would place your actual gown order at the Trunk Show.  Your gown will be ordered and when it arrives no one else will have ever tried your gown on.  Your BRAND NEW GOWN will not need to be cleaned.  You will probably need some minor alterations.  Trunk shows often occur before the product is available to the general public.

You should be prepared to pay for at least half of your gown at a trunk show.  Our normal terms are that the balance is due in 30 days.  If you are looking at a very expensive gown we can contract payment arrangements with you.

Normal gown delivery can be up to 18 weeks.  Seasons cause for the delivery to vary, so your delivery time frame will be relative to the season in which you order your gown.

If the salon has offered an incentive for the trunk show:  that intensive is NOT available once the ‘Trunk Show’ is over.

Let's Talk Necklines - Popular Styles

The neckline of your gown will frame your face.  It can be extravagant or simple, sexy or modest, and anywhere in between.  Today we'll cover the six most popular necklines for the modern bride.  There are many more varieties, which we will cover in subsequent posts.  Also, each neckline style has several variations.  Below are simple illustrations to give you the idea of each style - Strapless, Sweetheart, Tank, Halter, Inverted Halter, and One-Shoulder.

Let's start with Strapless.  This is the simplest neckline, and the name says it all - there are no straps.  Many girls have concerns about a Strapless gown staying up, but if the dress is fit correctly at the waist, this will not be a problem.  The weight of the dress should sit on your hip shelf, so even if you have straps, they don't really to keep the dress up.  However, most strapless bridal gowns and bridesmaids or prom dresses do come with optional spaghetti straps.  A typical strapless gown is just straight across over the bust.

A variation on Strapless is Sweetheart, which dips in at the middle.  It can be anything from a slight scoop to a plunging V, and it can also come with straps.  The Sweetheart is generally a very flattering style on most body types.

A dress with two straps built in to the structure of the bodice is called a Tank style.  This is different from adding straps to a Strapless or Sweetheart gown, as those would be made from a separate piece of material and added after the gown is constructed.  With a Tank style, the straps are an extension of the dress itself.  For comfort reasons, many women choose to wear a regular bra with a Tank style dress, as the straps are generally wider than spaghetti straps.

A similar look to the Tank is the Halter style.  Again, straps are built in when the dress is made, but here they meet around the back of the neck to form one strap.

Another version of the Halter is the Inverted Halter.  Here, instead of the neckline being open, the area between the two straps is filled in, bringing the neckline up to just under the neck.

The One-Shoulder style is pretty self-explanatory.  One shoulder has a strap, and the other does not.  This style has been very popular, especially with asymmetrical gowns.  One-shoulder gowns tend to have more embellishment on that shoulder than you will typically find on a Tank.  Because there is only one strap, it can be larger and fancier without overwhelming the girl wearing it.  Or there can be two or three spaghetti straps coming from one point on the front and fanning out in the back, for added interest.

Stay tuned for more necklines!  There are many more than these first six, and endless variations thereof.


Tweet Pin It