China Not So Fina

As a bridal consultant I strongly urge the “buyer beware” mentality. Research the person selling the gown. Contact them directly through e-mail or phone and ask a lot of questions. Even if a seller on Ebay has a 100% rating, don’t be fooled. Sellers often have other products they sell that can help them achieve this, they can have people they know or relations rate them higher. Another big thing is that you don’t have to make many sales to achieve this. Again, browse their store, look into them and if possible talk to another buyer.



Bridal salons, if they are good quality and practice good business, will try to find you a gown within your budget. Buying off the rack can save you a lot of money, or search out consignment. Get help from your local bridal salon, we are here to serve you and find you a great dress.

Chinese pagoda in red and black
Here is what most of those sites/chinese manufacturers do:
-Have a seamstress or sewing staff look at the image that you look at and sew from they picture, after drafting how they think the gown is constructed.
Pull a less expensive fabric that is easy to sew and costs them a lot less to use ( often leaving you with an item that is not a quality satin, silk or taffeta. Often a grade much lower than that which bridal wholesalers use)


-they are quicksew projects and may have loose ends, poor construction and weak seams.


- their sizing may be according to chinese sizing. This means that an XL will fit like a medium. You need to be aware that if you are ordering offline too, that you need exact measurements for the whole dress. An experienced or trained Bridal consultant does this when you order a dress. Dresses offline are often not constructed to fit a long or short torso, leaving you with a poor fitting dress that may cost hundreds to repair.

For anyone who has ever looked on Ebay for an item, I know how appealing all those lovely product pictures are. The temptation to buy your wedding gown off the internet is a powerful one, but it can ultimately lead to many tears. I fully encourage brides to look online at dresses to get a sense of what appeals to them, but not to buy from a site that is not a registered retailer. Registered retailers are permitted by the companies that produce these gorgeous gowns to ensure quality and protect the buyer. A dress off ebay is not guaranteed and most of the time (99% ) are copied photos from sites that they are not permitted to publish.