Advice on buying used gown!

Kiana

Kiana

New Member
Hey all! I'm new to DF and figured now might be a good time to ask some questions I had!

I'm in the USA and found a lovely used dress from Poland that I really like. I've been in contact with the seller, but my concerns are questions I should ask the seller. I've asked for other pictures of the dress but I'm not sure what else I should ask. I want to make sure what I'm buying is legit as its from another country (I won't ever get to see the dress or try it on in person) So does anyone who has purchased a use dress from another country have advice on what I should do/ask?

Thank you so much!!
 
I took a chance and bought a dress from a seller in Hungary off of a very popular Facebook group, and had no problems beyond the exchange rate changing quite a bit between when we started talking about it to when i purchased it. i asked for several pictures of the person wearing it, and did check out her profile on FB, so i knew she was a dancer and had actually worn it. It really could have gone either way, so i would suggest using a credit card, if you can, to ensure you can dispute the charge.
 
Not sure what type of dress... some questions would be more important in Smooth/Standard...Ask about the length, any measurements that they can provide. Is it designed for a long torso, short torso? Cup size? If you have pictures of it on a person ask about that person's size/height. Any video of it on the floor? Pictures of some of the stoning detail, underskirt (if appropriate) Have you tried on the style before, and is it complementary to you? You can use a credit card on PayPal with some protection. Ask what they will charge for shipping and would they be willing to take it back if you ship it to them? Any stones missing, what type of crystals Swarovski/Preciosa (hopefully nothing else), how many crystals on the dress, what is the name of the color crystal.. best of luck
 
I also like to ask questions about construction and materials - as I often make my own dresses, this helps me judge how easy it would be to alter or whether I will like the feel of the fabric. Some dancers don't know this about their dresses, particularly if they are not the original owner, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

If they are not the original owner, I'd likely also be asking about the history of the dress (designer, age, number of owners, where has it been worn and how often, etc.).

In my experience, dancers are happy to answer any questions you have as they get what an important purchase it is. Resellers, sometimes not so much.
 
I have purchased several from Europe.
Questions 1) is the dress kept in a home free of cigar and cigarette smokers as well as pets. I know, weird, but some smelled of that.
2) what about shipping if I try it on and it just won't work for me. Some used different shipping methods and one dress got caught up in a Customs inspection. Which worried both me and the seller.
3) ask if the seller can videotape dress on a model or the owner as the person dances in it. Video is great if they can email or such.
As well as the above post responses from other DF members.
 
I bought a lovely dress from Europe a year ago and we used PayPal for the exchange. My seller suggested we do the private exchange so that we avoided the fees, but I reminded her politely that those fees give both of us consumer protections - if she takes my money and runs, or I take the dress and never pay her. So keep that in mind.

In addition to all the good advice above, ask the seller for her measurements and height so that you can compare hers to your own. I'm a little busty and I know the "window" of what will fit and at what point a bodice will become too tight - and I don't care if the fabric "stretches," if it has to stretch too much then a design can be off. So get her:

  • Height
  • Bust
  • Waist
  • Hips
  • Girth (if she's short waisted and you're long waisted, be prepared for the inner leo to give you the wedgie of your life, otherwise)
  • Sleeve length, from the tip of the clavicle to the wrist (if it's long-sleeved - because if your arms are longer than hers, you'll need to decide what to do when the wrist stops at your forearm)
  • Skirt length from her hip to her knee or the floor
And then get a friend to measure you and compare.

Is there a bra sewn in? Does it comes with any accessories, and if so, are they the ones in the picture? Are the accessories part of the price? Will she toss in some loose stones in case of loose ones?

And will she send it to you washed? (Although you'll still give it a washing when you get it, I'm sure - and there are lots of threads to search on how to wash your ballroom dresses - I've followed some of that advice myself with good results!)

And welcome to DF!
 
OK, I've found the dress I want, and I just need to share my suspense. Design and color are beautiful, price is right, height is good (which is very rare). But is there enough stretch in the waist???? It's not urgent -- I wasn't really planning to get a new gown until we move up another level and/or DH gets tails -- but I keep my eye out for fun, and now that I've seen it, I really want it. I've emailed; now keeping fingers crossed.
 
bia said:
OK, I've found the dress I want, and I just need to share my suspense. Design and color are beautiful, price is right, height is good (which is very rare). But is there enough stretch in the waist???? It's not urgent -- I wasn't really planning to get a new gown until we move up another level and/or DH gets tails -- but I keep my eye out for fun, and now that I've seen it, I really want it. I've emailed; now keeping fingers crossed.
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You always see the best stuff when you're not looking for it. Hope it works out!!
 
I'm really skeptical of buying a dress that I can't try on in person, and see if it really suits my body type... but if it's a similar design to what you've had already then you really don't have much to lose.
 
Loki said:
IME, that does seem to be a Cosmic Law. Maybe that explains why some people shop just to shop with no goal in mind.
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I got into so much trouble when I used to pass TJMaxx on my way home from work. That makes me think about their advertising approach of "You never know what you'll find!" Sneaky rats...
 
MaggieMoves said:
I'm really skeptical of buying a dress that I can't try on in person, and see if it really suits my body type... but if it's a similar design to what you've had already then you really don't have much to lose.
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I'm quite confident that I know what styles suit me, and I do think this one would, but I am concerned about fit, so we'll have to have some real discussions about measurements. Wish I didn't have such odd proportions (and yes, I know, we can all say the same).
 
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