Fancy Schmancy — Attraction in Town of Colonie

I recently visited Fancy Schmancy with my daughters, aged 16 and 21, to shop for a prom dress, drawn by their reputedly vast selection. Our intention was to spend the day meticulously choosing the perfect dress, especially since the boutique's policy does not allow for returns, trades, or holds. This policy necessitated careful consideration before making a purchase.

Upon arrival, we were briefly greeted by a staff member who pointed us towards the new arrivals but offered no further assistance with sizing or styles. It quickly became evident that the enthusiasm we expected from a boutique specializing in bridal and prom attire was sorely lacking. Approximately six young staff members were visibly unoccupied, choosing to gather near the changing rooms. Instead of attending to customers, they were engrossed in personal conversations, sharing stories about their evening plans, and laughing amongst themselves. This created an unwelcoming atmosphere and made it difficult to request help.

Our experience with the service—or the stark lack of it—was profoundly disappointing. On several occasions, we reached out for assistance, asking for specific dresses. One staff member even promised to fetch a dress and then completely forgot about our request, never returning with the dress or an update. When we found a dress my daughter liked, one of the staff attempted to rush our decision, claiming it was the last one available in her style. However, we knew from our own efforts that there were actually three more identical dresses in the same size on the rack—a clear attempt to pressure us into a hasty purchase.

The lack of trust, compassion, and professionalism from the staff, coupled with the high prices, were ultimately too much to overlook. No one offered to help my daughter with clipping or zipping the dresses, nor did they suggest alternative styles or sizes. We were left to manage on our own, and when it came time to view the dresses in the mirrors, the staff cluttered the area, making it challenging to take photos and properly see the outfits in good lighting.

While Fancy Schmancy boasts a large selection of dresses that might attract potential buyers, the service—or lack thereof—can significantly detract from the overall experience. A bridal and prom shop should provide supportive, attentive service to make each shopper feel valued and beautiful. Unfortunately, this was not the case during our visit. After such an experience, marked by a blatant disregard for customer care and transparency, I left the store vowing never to return.

Potential customers should be prepared for the possibility of inadequate service, despite the promising...

I’m gonna preface this by saying I never write reviews on google, that should say it all. I was truly disgusted by the customer service here. I came here to try on wedding dresses as I’m getting married next year. No one wanted to help me, they pointed to where I could pick dresses from in my size so my guests and I had to sift through the overly packed racks you could hardly find anything. After picking a couple I had to bring them to my fitting room and just do it all myself. I asked one of my friends to zip me and she said she didn’t think it would, which is fine it’s not a big deal. But when the lady who was supposed to be helping me comes over and says she will do it then make a scene about how it doesn’t fit in front of the whole place. I am someone who has body image issues and to be embarrassed in front of other customers was very upsetting. Wedding dress shopping is something a little girl dreams of, and to be treated like that was very disturbing. From then on, any other dresses I tried on, the associate was more concerned about another woman there trying on gowns. You make your money from wedding dresses, not gowns. My mother and best friend had to help me in and out of dresses and zipping me since no one else could be bothered. If you’re in the area looking for a wedding dress, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Azelea’s boutique in Schenectady. They were incredibly professional, made me feel beautiful and their wedding dress quality was so much better. I just wanted to write this review for other brides interested in shopping, there are better places in the area who will...

I went here to buy my first ever prom dress. I bought a $430 dress with the original designer tag from here. They altered my prom dress without telling me and sold it to me for the original designer selling price. When I took my dress to be hemmed, the seamstress found the dress had already been altered. The alterations made to the dress weren't even good. Whoever originally altered the dress removed the bodice from the skirt to remove the original tulle and then sewed the bodice back on, leaving the original stitches and sewing a weird pocket into the bodice when reattaching the skirt. They even cut the tulle directly off the dress in some places. The underskirt had chalk lines and pin. holes from the seamstress. Not to mention they removed the tulle and didn't adjust the skirt, which makes it hang weird. I thought it just needed to be altered to fit my body, but the skirt hung like that because it was ALREADY ALTERED, and poorly. Then, when we went in to question their policies, the owner insisted that removing the tulle was store policy and made the dress "worth more than the original." Even though other similar dresses my friends and I tried on had tulle under the skirt. I feel taken advantage of, I have never been to an event where I needed a dress like this. I love the color, I just thought that the dress didn't fit right, only to find out the dress I had been promised was "new" off the rack had already been altered. All around, she was rude, especially to my mother. Would...