Van Der Velde Couture Showroom

y dress, I would have given this place a 5/5 stars. However, bridal dress shopping is not just about the dress, but the service of people at the store as well. Because of that, I have to write a negative review because of my experience with the seamstress, Ruth. From our first interaction, and for the multiple alterations appointments after, Ruth never failed to comment on my height and how I’m just so short to her. I politely laughed along with it at first, but after a couple of times, it got to be old. After a couple more times, I was annoyed. Ruth also had this tendency to refer to me in the third person even though I was standing in front of her. It came across as demeaning. Three days before my wedding, I came into the studio to pick up my dress. Upon trying it on, the length was still too long. (This is the third time I’ve come in for alterations). Ruth, of course, did not fail to ask me if “I’ve shrunk” (as in, it’s my fault her measuring was inaccurate). Ruth’s body language and tone of voice gave me the impression that her error in measuring length during our last session was a bigger inconvenience for her than it was for a bride on the week of her wedding. She implied I had to come back another day to pick it up. I let her know that I lived over an hour away, and since it was three days before the wedding, I happened to have wedding-related plans. After asking Ruth if there was a possibility she could get it done today instead, she said something along the lines of "We'll see". When I asked her to clarify, she left the room without a response, came back, and flatly told me to come back at two. I left that morning appointment feeling disappointed and with a sour taste in my mouth. Ruth never apologized that the dress was incorrectly altered, and did not apologize for the time she was taking away from my wedding week (especially because it was cutting into the time I was supposed to spend with my fiance’s family who just arrived from out of town that day). I figured I really liked my dress so I wanted to talk to Ruth professionally one-on-one to get it off my chest that I felt slighted. I came back at 2. After I tried on my dress and it thankfully fit, I asked to talk to Ruth in private to advocate for myself and let her know I felt disrespected by her actions that morning. As I tried to explain my perspective, Ruth was dismissive. She did not seem to want to understand the gravity of how I felt and actually tried walking away from me multiple times during this short interaction. Frustrated, I said, “I felt like you were being rude” She smirked, said, “I have to leave or I’ll be late for my second job” and walked away. I was absolutely appalled by Ruth’s response and I can say I have never been so outright dismissed in my entire life. I decided to talk to Colette at the front desk. Ruth was still there and she told Colette something along the lines of, “SHE says I was being rude to her this morning by putting her off.” (Again, I was standing right in front of both of them, yet Ruth continued to refer to me in the third person). After Ruth left, I tried to explain my woes to Colette, including the error in alterations and Ruth's condescending comments/attitude towards me, but again I felt like I was heard, yet not listened to. She said she would talk to Ruth. I was given the impression she would not. Colette did not charge for alterations and tried to mitigate the situation through this. However, it was never about the money. If I had known I would pay for alterations instead by being disrespected and patronized, I would have much preferred to pay for the alterations. Wedding dress shopping and altering is a huge process for a bride, and every bride should feel confident, respected, and cared for, all of which I unfortunately did not feel at this establishment.