CHOOSING THE RIGHT WEDDING DRESS: ORIGINAL VS. KNOCK-OFF

 

Ladies only get married once - atleast, in their lifetime. It's an event that is certainly looked forward by many. No wonder why it takes a lot of planning and organizing to pull-off a memorable wedding - however, the key to a successful wedding planning isn't about the stress it comes with, its you and your partner's mutual decision of choosing the right suppliers on your wedding day.

First thing that comes into our mind when we hear the word "Bride" is of course, a wedding dress. A bridal gown or a wedding dress symbolizes the woman's purity and virtue, hence making the term connected to the color White. 

Now here goes the bridal dilemma: "How do you really choose the right wedding dress?" Fret not, we've ran down a few things to consider when choosing the perfect bridal gown for your big day.

1) CHOOSE A DESIGNER

You need to wear something special on your special day - that is why we recommend that you choose a designer that is known for making wedding dresses. You need to know who's the designer of an RTW gown and go to ther official website or social media account to make sure that you are getting the original one.

One example of a website that sells knock-off  is BASTONE Wedding Dresses. How will you know? They grabbed pictures of the catalogue of the dresses but they do not acknowledge the designers posted on their website. 

Lussano Bridal, is one of the brands that we officially distribute in Manila, here's an original dress from the designer  ( see link https://naviblue.group/brands/lussano/sicilian-sky/ss_bridget/ ) that Bastone website sells here: https://bastonemilano.com/product/wedding-dress-ll-041/ and they do not acknowledge the designer. They just copy and replicate the design. 

FAKE SPOTTED! 

However, if you are on a rush, there are numerous wedding designers that has a RTW Bridal Collection which is perfect for those who are going to be wed in just a few days and doesn't have the time to wait for a custom-made one.

Original: has their own brand and unique collection

Knock-off: doesn't have a brand or designer name

2) READY-TO-WEAR (AUTHORIZED DISPLAY STORES)

As we've mentioned above, there are several designers who already have RTW (Ready-to-Wear) Bridal Collection - you just need to contact a reputable wedding dress vendor to know where you could try on and purchase. More often than not, their store locations are placed in their Websites or Social Media Accounts.

Fashion House Papilio is one good example. Even if their headquarters is based in Belarus, they manage to have exclusive partner stores from countries around the world. In the Philippines, it is Bride and Rose.

Bride and Rose also offers RTW Dresses that are made by international designers. [click here: https://brideandrose.com/collections/rtw-designer-dresses]. You could also visit our showroom for you to personally try RTW Wedding Dresses or even meet our top designers.

Original: has authorized distributors for different locations

Knock-off: generically distributed (often seen in department stores)

3) ONLINE PURCHASING

Beware of fast-selling "cheap" wedding gowns that are commonly seen on e-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, or Aliexpress. We've heard so many horror stories about their dresses like it's different from what they have expected, it can be easily worn-out, different size, and the list goes on.

Example:

EXPECTATION VS REALITY

So if you are going to purchase online, make sure you choose an acknowledged wedding online store like Bride and Rose. We also have a list of our partner designers' websites.

Original: has designer name printed on the dress label or website, what you see is what you get

Knock-off: uses a "googled" or stock-photo, doesn't respond when asked about the designer's name

4) QUALITY

Another perk of purchasing an original dress is that it has better quality than knock-off ones. The main reason why most wedding gowns are expensive is that because it is made from quality materials that are also pricey for the designers - say for example the rhinestones, fabric made from fibers, intricate beading or embroidery and other personal touches for your dress.

Your daughter could even inherit the dress in the future like the old royal tradition in the United Kingdom.

Original: comfortable to wear, won't worn out easily, lasts for years or decades

Knock-off: uncomfortable, tears-off easily

This is an underestimated problem that brides faced during their wedding day. Their dress had to be altered on the same day because they tried to lose weight and some even gained weight. You need to be watchful of your figure from your fitting date right to the day of your wedding.