What do you think of "replica" china dresses?

My friend had one for her wedding and it put me off China dresses so much. Or maybe it was that she'd put a few pounds on between orderering and wearing and it looked more than a bit snug! So it's preloved or sale dresses for me.

FWIW I think Grace's dress is gorrrrrrgeous. Grace, you have a beautiful figure, no idea what you're complaining about It seems to be the luck of the draw with these things.

I can guarantee you that my OH would not have a clue whether my dress was designer or replica. I suspect he'd only just raise an eyebrow if I turned up in a bin bag (assuming it was white, of course!)

Grace, glad you havent taken this thread the wrong way, just as it is intenteded as peoples viewpoints on the subject however they might differ I did worry after all your dress trauma and now finally finding the right one! Just so you know what i said in my post is true I will not comment positively on something i dont like and I never have in my time on hitched, i commented that your dress looks fab because it does!

Yep, me too but unfortunately no matter how much exercise I do or if I starve myself for the next 9 months, I think the only way I will feel happy about my body again is having a considerable amount of liposuction to get my pre-pregnancy body back which simply isn't an option. Since having my baby I have gone from someone who would happily podium dance in a night club in front of 1500 people wearing tiny hot pants & a bikini top to being scared to wear a bikini on a beach in case someone sees me. Whatever dress I wear, regardless of where I buy it from will have to do something pretty miraculous to make me feel good! I do think I have probably got more chance of that from a bridal shop than buying one off the internet tho. Now I just need to convince someone to pay for it for me!

Thank you Naboo, ?

I'm the same, if i've got nothing postive to say about a flash i would either not comment or say something along the lines of "it's not my style but for you it's perfect"

I'm sorry if i'm coming across defensive on this thread but i'm having a bad day and my dress is a touchy subject for me, lol. ?

Panda - dont be so rough on yourself. I am sure you look amazing, you are just overly critical. Take it from someone who's body is faaaaaaaaar far far far far away from those size 26" waist levis she used to wear in the 90s (silent cry and scream haha)!

No you aren't, not all! It is a very sensitive subject for most brides to be as it is so important to get it right. Grace, you have been through a lot to find the dress that for you feels like 'the one' so you are probably more qualified than most to discuss this subject. If we were all millionaires we would all have bespoke designer dresses that fit like a glove. Unfortunately my lottery numbers don't seem to want to come up!

I'm not sure that I could have taken the gamble of ordering from China - if it had come and wasn't right then I would be cross with myself for wasting that money.

I fully intended to buy a dress from a bridal shop, the first one I went into knew my budget but then popped me in a dress I loved and it was way too expensive. I knew I couldn't afford it so kept looking for a different dress until I googled the dress and found quite a few on preloved. I ended up buying one of those and it's perfect, it needs altering and cleaning but still works out as a very reasonably priced dress. Big thing for me - there was no risk involved, I knew what it looked like, what size I needed and I was able to try it on before I bought it.

Grace - I don't think people would say your dress looked nice for the sake of it so don't worry about that. I'm happy you've got something you love after being messed around with the last one and this one fits your figure perfectly x

Grace - I fully admit it is totally materialistic but it's how I feel and i'm not going to feel bad or lie about it, I work really hard for the nice things I am having and made huge huge compromises. OH knows this is the way I am and loves me regardless.

BUT I am not saing you should feel the same, and to be honest I am a bit offended you'd think i'd inter that you don't deserve to feel good in your dress, I may be a materialistic spoilt madam, but who I am to judge anyone else. As far as I am concerned you have paid full price, you paid the asking price as designated by the person that made the dress.

As I said in my very first post on here, I think every bride to be deserves to feel great and if your happy with your dress, balls to everyone else's opinion. Personaly, as I said, for me to feel good, it has to be the real deal - that said, my dress hasn't cost the earth and has come in way way under the average dress price and significantly less than my budget.

Trickers - I am not for a second inferring that Grace should feel the same way that I do. This post asked for an opinion and I am giving my point of view not trying to upset anyone.

CB - my OH couldn't give two hoots about who designed the dress, but he will be looking for that smile on my face and if I wasn't 100% happy and satified with my dress then he would know.

LOL!!! Glad to know I'm not alone then! I was always a small size 8 before getting pregnant but now, coming up to 10 months since having Seb I'm a big 10 on a good day, a 12 most days or a 14 on a bad day. However, it isn't so much my size but my 'post-pregnancy lumpy bits' that upset me as they really affect how dresses etc fit which is why I'm wondering if a more expensive, well cut dress might make all the difference to how I feel on my wedding day than giving in to my OH & getting a china dress because it is cheap, not because it it actually makes me feel good. We're at Air Command in High Wycombe. Where are you?

Sorry if that is rude but that's the way that I have been bought up. It's the motto my mother has always followed, and as i've said something we regularly debate at home with my younger sisters.

My mother would honestly, 100% rather I wore an old jumper than wear a new cheap one and so that has rubbed off on me over the years.

BUT as I said - thats just me! and my opinion. And that is the reason I wouldn't buy a chinese made dress. (which was the original question).

I don't look down on anyone Trickers, that really isn't my place, as I said right back at the beginning, my opinion of Grace doesn't change because of where her dress came from. As i wouldn't expect hers to in respect of anyone buying a dress from any other means.

But, that is what is right for me. I have said yes I probably am a horrible person, but to me, the quality behind the label will always matter - wedding dress, shoes, handbag, car, whatever it is... Everything. And our wedding day is the last day on earth I am going to compromise when I wouldn't in everyday life!

I am aware that people think I (we?!) are the mugs for paying the high prices when we can get them cheaper. And I am perfectly happy to be called that too.. Because, regardless of where my dress came from, I am happy with it.

Firstly, Grace you look lovely in your dress.

Secondly, I wouldn't buy a dress from China if I could help it as I worry a lot and I'm also unlucky. Knowing my luck, it would arrive late and would be completely wrong and I would have spent all the time from ordering to it arriving worrying.

Hmm - I’ve tended to try stay out these discussions but for some reason I’m compelled to reply.

I wore a cheap, crap, badly made, poor quality, ripped off dress and you know what - I felt bloody amazing! I was a princess, I was the one everyone looked at and I was the one every one said looked stunning. No one knew it was a "china" dress and probably, no-one cared.

I am however a little different. I did have the money to spend on a "real" dress but quite frankly, I could not in my life warrant paying over £150 per hour for a dress I'd wear once. And honestly? The dresses I tried on in the bridal shop were not worth the money. The thought of paying ridiculous money for one day was beyond me so I went down the China route. I did my research and did go into it with the knowledge that it may backfire on me but to me it was worth the risk.

The dresses from China aren't an exact copy - hence why they can "get away with it". They are based on the dress so yes there will be a few tiny little details different. Same as when you see a celebrity spotted in a designer dress in the papers and then find a very similar dress on the high street.

</gets off soapbox and goes back in to hiding>

Seriously, I've not got my point across on this post very well - but this is all that matters. To me, feeling amazing meant I wanted the whole bridal store / mom crying / lots of dresses / designer made dress.

I understand not all women care about this and as long as they are happy it doesn't matter.

What gets me with these posts (and they come around once every month or so) is that I see people commenting saying the likes of "I've never seen a nice China dress" yet i've seen them post on flashes of China dresses saying they look great. So you're obviously lying then.

I've worn one, I've seen one very close up and it was fantastically made.

I don't care where the dress was bought, what I do hate is the "designer" dress people slagging off the "China" dress people and saying they won't get the whole princess feeling or whatever. Load of bollocks! (and no Kayl, this isn't specifically directed at you).

Just to make it 100% clear, I am not saying YOU (as another bride) won't get that princess bride feeling, I am saying that I, me personally as a bride, will not get that feeling.

I'm sorry but I don't think I should be made to feel bad for saying how I feel. I've openly admitted it's stupid, materialitic, all those things, but it's how I feel.

Personally i would have definitely gone down the China route if I hadnt have snapped up a bargain almost immediately. Some are made beautifullly and others are simple dreadful, but I suppose that is the risk you take when ordering a specific "copy" of something, it would be the same if you asked them to make you a Chloe ball gown, etc!! pot luck

Personally, I was tempted with the china route for my BM dresses and when I needed a second dress, my wedding dress.

However, I need specific measurements so wasnt willing to take the risk and I know how many times I have sent clothes back from online buying etc so wasnt willing to put myself through the stress.

It really depends on the person- I honestly would never have thought your dress was a 'china' dress GB but as a bride who has studied dresses intensly in the searching I can notice some. I went to a wedding earlier on in the year and could tell straight away that the brides dress was a copy. It looked lovely but I just picked up the fact that the corset had no boning so was baggy and the colour and detailing were slightly strange and not right. The netting was exposed (the the dress design) in the skirt but didnt have the right amount of layers so you could se her legs etc

I find that the ones that really are trying to be something else, the coloured AA one springs to mind, are clearly real or copied and can look awful and some like GB's, Graces' and SteelGoddess' to name a few are just fantastic dresses and I dont see them trying to be anything 'else'

I'm so glad you piped up GB, i think you're the only china bride apart from me on the boards at the moment.

This is exactly what i meant when i said about people's comments on my flash thread (have you seen it btw???)

My friend is getting married a month after me and got her wedding dress & bridesmaid dresses from indesignb gowns - and she is absolutely delighted - she got them all made to bespoke measurements etc. Alot of seamstresses make wedding dresses from scratch - this way you can have a bespoke dress totally tailored to you, the material you want etc.

Both these options are financially savvy & produce the desired garment for the bride.

I personally am a bit of a worrier (you couldnt make up the things that happen to me) and was too scared to go down either of these routes. I wanted to try on my dress and get 'the' feel for it.

I tried on a couple of Ian Stuarts dresses (little less than double the price of my maggie sottero) and did not get 'the' feel I got with my maggie. Now I am in the fortunate position that my mum told me to pick the dress I loved regardless of price so I did not have that factor to consider when dress shopping. I chose 'the' dress for me - it just so happened it was designer dress and out of a well established bridal shop in my area (close point of contact was an important factor for me).

And I think thats all any bride wants on her big day - regardless of how they achieved it.

That first dress on that site is the exact AA coloured one I was talking about. Its the most commonly copied one I have seen.

Yayyyy another Radley fan, I must admit I am totally addicted to Radley and have lots of their bags, passport holders, purses, umbrella, briefcase and of course suitcase lol

Some of the pics on that website are scary! Next to an original you can really see how badly some of them are made.

I'm one of the people that have said that i wouldn't have a copy but I also said that I liked both grace's and GB's dresses. I would only say that I liked something if I did, and if I'm not so keen then I won't say anything. As long as the bride likes her dress then that's ok.

I'm certain that there's some people that don't like the style of my dress but I don't mind as long as I like it and it looks good on me (one day i'll flash it on me so you can tell me!)

WOW Starstruck. I would be honestly, totally 100% gutted. The Hollywood dream replicas shocked me the most.

I just want to say after looking through that, it backs up my original statement - Grace, you so deserve a dress that is perfect and I am glad that this is what you now have!

I can't imagine how brave you must have been to try again and re-order after having a first failed attempt. You were lucky! Very lucky and I am very pleased for you about that.

I was also disgusted by the Hollywood Dreams ones. Poor brides, they must be heartbroken. There are two sides to the coin and this is an exmple of the worst. These brides likely thought they would be lucky too. In my opinion its not worth the risk.

Aww I am jealous! I am also addicted, once I started on Radley that was it for me! But I don't have a suitcase yet.... OH asked if I wanted one, but i'd be too gutted if it got broken on a plane. Lol.

Laura - I know what you are saying, they knew the risk and were potentially even breaking copyright laws? But if it were me, and I was expecting my dream dress to open that, wow, i'd be a mess, and i'd certainly never get the guts to reorder again.

Perhaps the issue with me is that I am far too risk averse too, hey, i'm an accountant, it comes with the job!

I got the Poppyfields suitcase, its totally gorgeous but on the 1st holiday it took it on when we got back home after the hol I realised I had lost the blasted key!! So I had a locksmith come out early hours of the morning, costing me a fortune, just so I could get my suitcase open... But I do love it and its so easy to locate on the turnstyle...