Just For You | Martie's Formalwear — Local services in Bessemer

It seems to be a common trend amongst the reviews how condescending and rude Martie is. My daughter, her best friend, her mom, and myself were together looking. As I was checking us in there was a mother and daughter who had just finished trying on dresses and asked if they would hold the dress her daughter had tried on and she would bring the money back and they told her no so they left and martie says out loud ‘why would she even come in if she doesn’t have the money for a dress’ I was floored. Tammie started talking to us and she was so very sweet! She pulled my daughter some dresses, there were a couple that my daughter did not want to try on so we tried on the others and they didn’t work for us so we asked for some other options. Martie then says I didn’t see you in those other 2. I said because neither of us like them, she said well I need to see them on and i’ll decide that. Um, no ma’am. Neither dress had the detail that my daughter was looking for. Tammie pulled a couple more dresses and when ‘K’ put on this dress she was in love! The shoulder straps needed to be taken up about an inch and a half so they safety pinned them like you see in the pictures and said they would alter them that it was included in the rental price. Ok, awesome! Fast forward to the day of pick up, I picked up my daughters and her friends dress, took them home, and hung them up. The next we went to put her dress on and we were shocked to find the shoulders still looked like this. Thankfully I have been a seamstress for about 15 years and was able to do a quick pin down to make it as unnoticeable as possible without altering the dress but my daughter had no confidence all night worrying if the judges saw the lack of alterations. Now let’s talk about the shoes. I thought when these were handed to us it was just to use while trying on the dresses. When I asked martie if she would be getting a different pair of shoes she said no she would be wearing these. To prevent arguing with a brick wall, because by this point I figured out she has a very closed minded mentality, I said well how high is that heel? ‘K’ complained the entire time we were there about how bad they hurt her feet so if they weren’t going to supply something better then I would just go buy her a pair. Martie says ‘No, she needs to wear these, I’ve been doing pageants for 35 years, she will be fine’. I just complied in the moment and finished the rental process. While all of this was going on my daughters friend was having her own experience, Martie was trying to force a dress on her that she did not like at all. She started crying because of how rude martie was and just wanted to leave. She got dressed and martie asked which dress she was getting and her mom said they were going to keep looking and martie immediately got visibly upset and snarky. I was standing to the side with Tammie trying to describe exactly what she was wanting and she said she was sure she had just the one. It was absolutely stunning and they ended up renting that dress. Once they picked it up the hoop that was with the dress was not the same one that was tried on. She couldn’t walk in it the day of the pageant like she could in the shop. The belt they added fell apart before they could get it on her. Both of us had to go purchase shoes for our girls because neither of them could tolerate walking in these. My daughters friend also had to go buy a new belt AND a new hoop. When dropping the dresses off today when expressing concerns there was no solution offered. There was ‘well she must have been slouching’ and ‘that’s how we alter the dresses’. There was no apology, remorse, absolutely nothing but a condescending unprofessional bully. Please take the time to read all the other reviews having to deal with the same issues and the owner denies everything. Tammie and the dresses there keep her in business not her ‘30 plus years of experience’. There are way better...

I took my daughter to "Just For You" to look for a prom dress. Our shopping experience started off fine, but as the shop started filling with customers, the salesperson started urging my daughter to get one of the first dresses she tried on. Whenever we picked another dress to try on, she kept saying “You really should get the coral one....You need to get the coral dress...” It felt like she just wanted us to hurry and make a choice so that she could be rid of us. The shoes my daughter brought to try on with the dresses were killing her feet and I asked about the racks full of shoes in the store. They quickly told her they didn’t have anything for her and that her feet would be fine if she just put some stockings on. During the time we were in the shop I witnessed two black customers being turned away and told to make an appointment or come back at another time. Yet, when a “pageant girl” came in they stopped everything and accommodated her. Also, there seem to be two categories of merchandise: the regular inventory and the “Pageant” inventory. I pointed out some earrings that I liked and was told “Oh no, those are PAGEANT earrings.” When I asked about some of the shoes, I was told “Oh no, those are just for PAGEANTS.” So if you are shopping for a prom dress or tux you are basically a second class citizen as far as they are concerned. After about 45 minutes of trying on dresses, my daughter finally chose one. What followed was a lot of fast talking about what was expected of me. Half the rental fee now and half when you pick up the dress. PLUS a $300 deposit. The rental turned out costing $200, so basically it would cost me $500 if anything happened to the dress. They were quick to take my credit card and seal the deal. I left the store feeling like I’d been sucker punched. I emailed them several days before my daughter’s prom and asked if they could adjust the hem to accommodate a different shoe. I was told the dress had already been hemmed. On the day before the prom, I made the 90 minute drive to pick up the dress. I arrived around 10:45 and was greeted at the door…not with “Hello”, but “Oh you’re TOO EARLY, the dresses won’t be ready until 12:00! Why don’t you just go eat lunch and come back?” They whipped out my sales slip and pointed out where it said to pick up after 12:00. They probably told me this the day we chose the dress, but I guess it didn’t register since they’d been in such a hurry to get us out the door. Without even checking the stock room, they kept telling me the dress wasn’t ready. I explained that the email said the dress was already hemmed so it was probably ready. Trying to help, I started walking to the back, to describe the dress to the woman who was looking for it. I was stopped and told not to go any further. They spent 15 minutes admonishing me for being early and giving me a hundred reasons why it couldn’t be ready. It turned out all that was left to do was attach a neck strap with a SAFETY PIN. Apparently the hours of operation don’t mean a thing. They will give you days and times they want you to come in for alterations, tux fittings, picking-up and dropping-off. Even if the sign says they are open, it doesn’t always mean you will get service. These people make you jump through several hoops in order to get a dress, like they are doing you a favor by taking your money. They are probably the pushiest and rudest salespeople I have ever dealt with. If you would like personal attention and courteous customer service, you should...

I would not recommend this place to anyone!!! I had reservations about this place before walking in but I was meeting my granddaughter's mother there because she knew of the place. We were renting a dress for my granddaughter for Homecoming Queen of K4. So, we found a dress and she stated that the rental was $195 you could pay $100 now or $95, and the remainder at pickup. The full amount was paid because the parade was the following Friday. And, not only that after paying for the rental in full we were informed that it was a $300 incidental deposit for the dress. We never left the store with the dress, and no alterations were needed just that she would steam the dress which I'm sure is what normally should happen if renting. By, the time I made it home due to unforeseen circumstances in the city, the events were canceled. I contacted the store less than 12 hours later to inform them of the events being canceled. The owner Marty stated that she doesn't give refunds and if you would’ve looked at the contract it says that but I didn't look at any contract I was only paying for it. Also, she divulged that her attorney states that she has an ironclad contract. I’m trying to explain the situation to her but she is going to go word for word with me. Well, I'm sure it will still happen, I know they’re not going to have anything, etc...Also, we are having a Christmas Pageant she could wear it there, her mom knows about it only to find out that she told her mom about the pageant and would send some information not that she was going to participate in the pageant. I'm referring specifically to the event I paid for not a pageant. I tried to meet in the middle and suggested that I wouldn’t mind if you charged a restocking fee even though I never left the store with the dress, no alterations had to be made to the dress nor have I stopped her from being able to re-rent the dress in 12hrs. I was there Friday evening for about 15 minutes to pay and her mother for about 45 to an hour picking the dress out I was just paying for it. She (Marty) wasn't going to budge on not refunding me she was adamant about keeping the $195. I told her that I was coming to pick up my check for the $300 deposit and this lady had the nerve to say I'm busy on Saturdays and you will have to pick up your check on a Wednesday or Thursday I asked her if that was in her so call contract…. She said no, so I'm on my way to get it. She asked that I not speak about anything when coming to get my check because she didn't want the other customers to hear probably what the issue was. But, I told her I would leave her a bad review and this lady had the nerve to say that would not be fair, well mam you keeping 195 dollars for a dress I never left the store with is not fair either!!! So, I will continue to spread the word to all my family, friends, and their friends to not do business at this place!!!! Your customers are the ones that keep you in business, Marty!!! Also, I wouldn't give you a one-star but this is the only way for me to be able to write the review...