Buying sample gowns vs. ordering new?

My gown was a sample gown, and I got a $450 discount for ordering it off the rack. It looks brand new, but I don't think it had been tried on very many times. I tried on another sample gown that was only $500 but was in very poor condition (pilled, dingy fabric).

My dress was a sample and I don't think it had been tried on many times at all. There was some marking on the inside of the hem, but I knew it would have to be hemmed significantly so that didn't worry me. Beading was in perfect condition.

My dress is off the rack. The only issue with it are issues the consultant caused while putting it on and taking it off of me (ripped three corset loops and put a spot on the back). I got it at a discount and was able to buy my veil, purse, shoes and hair peice and be under my dress budget.

You really do have to go by the quality of the particular sample you are trying. I went into stores with the goal to buy off the rack (which I did) and some of the gowns were in great condition while others weren't. They kind of ran the gambit. The dress I purchased showed very little wear and tear- the lace on the hem needed trimming up and there were a few marks on the inside of the dress. Sometimes its worth the get the discount or not have to wait for your order to come in, other times, you are better off buying new because you would spend whatever you saved on fixing any damage on the dress.

Buying a sample gown can be a great deal. I used to work at a bridal salon. If it is the right size or a little big then I would consider it. Also as long as it is not very used. I would not do it if it was clearly the most popular and tried on by almost everyone. Some dresses for whatever reason barely get tried on at all. Could be as simple as it wasn't one that was put on a mannequin so not as many people noticed. In those cases its like getting a brand new dress.

I bought a sample for $500 less. Dress was in good shape, I wouldn't have had enough time to order it.

I bought a sample dress, apparently if I had bought the dress new it would have cost $4,000 so I definitley saved by going sample. The only thing that can cost more is alterations (mine are going to be $500 because I'm getting rid of the train and changing the back from zipper to corset).

Buying a sample is fine, as long as you look at the dress carefully. Many samples are put through the ringer and abused so there will more than likely be lots of damage. But it would have been an option for me if they had my gown as a sample in Ivory and if it was in good condition.

My dress is a sample and it is in great shape. I saved 15% for buying the sample over new. I think if you go to a salon that takes good care of their dresses you're likely to have good luck buying a sample. Just be sure to inspect it carefully.

I brought mine off the rack for $400!! It was in great condition though, just needed steamed!

@Danielle your dress is beautiful!

Thanks everyone! Never realized it was a popular thing to do!

Thank you MrsPope! Your dress is beautiful also, you got a great deal.

There's no way I could have bought a sample dress- all the samples I tried on were WAY too big!

@annakay not all places have the same sample sizes. For example some trunk shows only have size 0 and 2.

After a wedding dress alteration fail, i had no choice but to get a sample dress and it was lovely. No worn and I ended up liking it better than my original dress. Keep an open mind! Originally 3,000 and i got it for 800- no alterations needed!

I would only buy a sample from a salon that stores their gowns in garment bags in a store room, not on the sales floor for brides to look through. One salon I went to had the all-samples-on-the-sales-floor model, and everything I tried on seemed really worn. Other sample gowns at tradiational salons were mostly pristine. I'd also want a deep discount on the sample, like 40-50%, and a smaller salon would probably be willing to negotiate more.

I bought my dress at an off the rack salon. All of the dresses at Brilliant Bridal were in perfect condition. I paid $800 which was almost half of what it retailed for. I did go to another off the rack store and their dresses weren't in such good condition.... Some were, but a lot had makeup staid on them and tears in the seams. It was also located in the hood.

I bought mine off of the rack. This meant I didn't have to pay the ordering and shipping fees, so I got my dress at the sticker price without the extra fees tacked on. I'm not sure what we saved, but my dress was in great condition and it was going to save us at least something. The only alterations I need are to have the bottom of the dress hemmed because I'm short (5' 0"), however, I'm trying to lose about 50 lbs. before the wedding, so I may need some extra alterations.

Bought my dress off the rack at DB. About a size and a half too big, but I got it off the clearance rack and the alterations quite still added up to less than the original price of the dress. Nothing is wrong with it and I don't mind that others have tried it on.