The Dress Theory Bridal Shop — Local services in Seattle

I spent over $6000 at The Dress Theory to end up without a workable gown, and they offered me zero assistance under the circumstances. My experience was absolutely devastating and I'm still heartbroken over it.

I sincerely advise any bride who is looking for a gown from a specific designer to avoid their pressure sales tactics and take their advice regarding alteration possibilities with a grain of salt. They will shower you with compliments, they will pressure you to make a decision quickly, and they will make it seem as though any alteration is possible...and once they have your full payment, they will treat you like a nuisance. Try on the gowns, and then speak to the designer directly--you will have a MUCH better experience. It's a huge, non-refundable, emotional purchase, so don't let them take advantage of you. Read below for more details:

During my first visit, I felt pressured to make a decision on the spot. It was 14 months before my wedding, and they made it seem as though the clock was ticking--in truth, I had plenty of time. I purchased the gown, went home and looked at more photos of it in real weddings. I realized it was going to be difficult to alter for my body type. I called the store immediately and told them that the gown would not work for me. They said they would hold the order and encouraged me to come in to see the gown a second time.

When I did so, multiple sales reps showered me with compliments as I continued to expressed my lack of conviction. It was clear that I was not comfortable or confident, but they kept encouraging me, so I folded and allowed them to push the order through. Months later, I worked up the courage to tell them this really wasn't my dress and I lost my $1800 deposit.

Now that I needed a new gown, they were suddenly willing to admit that it "wasn't the right fit for me", and were open to letting me explore more styles. I tried on a lot of gowns, because I have an athletic build, I rarely wear dresses, and it is very difficult to find a feminine silhouette. Every time I went to the store (maybe 4-5 times in total), they made me feel increasingly like a nuisance for needing to do my due diligence. I felt so guilty for "taking up their time" that I bought a gift for the sales rep to show my gratitude. I felt so ashamed of myself every time I went there, which is ridiculous.

Finally, I found a gown that "would work with my body type"....or so I thought. When I tried on the dress, we explicitly discussed the low off-shoulder cut, and they assured me that with alterations and fashion tape, it would stay in place.

When the gown arrived in my size (3 sizes smaller than the sample), the torso was shorter than the sample I'd tried on--something the sales rep should have known. I took it to an alteration specialist and her exact words were, "Who sold you this dress?". She informed me that the torso was too short for my body and nothing could be done to make it fit. When I spoke to the manager at the Dress Theory about the situation, she made me a guarantee that I could work with the in-house alteration specialist. I paid my second deposit, and a few weeks later was informed they could no longer accommodate my request.

I worked with another tailor they recommended who tried in earnest to make the dress work--another 800 dollars later, it still barely covered my nipples. Needless to say, it was unusable. When I spoke to the Dress Theory about the situation, they were nonplused and wished me the best of luck.

Post-covid, we decided to finally have a vow renewal and wedding reception. I went to the Dress Theory one more time to explain that I had been sold an unusable gown and that I was still looking for a gown. I was hoping they would show me some grace under the circumstances given how much business I had given them. I found a gown that I liked, and the sales rep told me if I purchased it on the spot, she'd "give me 10% off as a curtesy, but the offer would be gone tomorrow". It was offensive.

I purchased the gown directly from the designer and it was a...

It pains me to have to write this review, as I do not like putting down a business-- but I had such a bad experience here that I feel I need to share it. This has a lot less to do with the actually shop- the dresses are fantastic- but more to do with the post buying experience, the girl I was working with and in particular the seamstress and the process with her and the girl in charge of alterations.

2 stars as I would recommend the store, and certain employees there such as Ryleigh were excellent! But I would advice anyone to be very careful if you choose to get your dress altered here! Bring it home first, try it on a number of times before you decide what you want done, and please don't trust them to make good decisions- be aware they are there for the money and the sales.

Here is my story:

When I purchased my dress, the girl helping me told me that I could do a number of very easy and inexpensive alterations to my dress, which once the dress came in and I was in the first fitting, I found out was in fact not true and she likely just told me to make a sale. (She told me I could thin out the sleeves very easily and then when the dress was in, she told me that would be a very difficult and long process and it might not turn out- so I decided against it) The dress actually fit perfectly- looking back now, it didn't need any alterations, but they got to work trying to fix the cup part/sleeve. I told them not to touch the sleeves as leave as is, but the next time I came in to try on the dress, they were clearly altered. They were shorter, and now every time I try on the dress, I feel stuck because they shortened the sleeves- She didn't measure me properly.

Both her and seamstress were not helpful in actually fitting me at ALL - (ie. asked me to walk around for the length but didn't even look to see where the dress was falling as I walked- I wasn't sure I needed it hemmed and they didn't give me any advice).

They also then lied about what the base amount for alterations is. I had very basic alteration done to the dress (I really wish I hadn't let them touch it!!) and they charged me $600- telling me that their base price was $550. I complained finally as it's posted on their website the base price is $300 and they gave me a bit of a refund- but I'm still upset that she lied to me.

My wedding is in a week and every time I try on the dress I am so frustrated with the sleeves and how it no longer fits when it was perfect the first time- I am getting married out of town so I can't go back to...

I found my wedding gown here and I cannot get over it!!! I saw that a certain designer was going to have a trunk show on August 23, 2025 so I quickly made an appointment online. I called The Dress Theory and spoke with Sonia to inquire about the price of a gown I was looking at. I didn’t want to try it on just in case it was out of my price range, which it was. I then told her that I really liked the silhouette and I liked the detail on the gown, so she assured me that they could find something similar. While on the phone, Sonia told me that the tariffs were going to drastically affect the price of the gowns on August 1. At this point, I asked if she had any availability on the weekend which she did, so I made an appointment on Sunday.

On Sunday, I came with my sister, my dad and my best friend. Hannah was my stylist. Hannah was very warm and listened to all of my ideas including my vision for my wedding. She asked me questions about my fiancé and she was very fun to just chat with. Hannah selected a gown right away that at first I wasn’t quite sure about because I literally had never seen anything like it. However, once I tried it on, I was truly shocked at how unique and elegant I looked. This was my second dress appointment so I honestly wasn’t planning on purchasing a gown. I was really there to look at a specific designer, but those gowns paled in comparison to the one Hannah chose. I had also done very little research on designers, so I’m sure that contributed to my surprise. Still!!

After this, I tried on a few more dresses, but nothing could match up to that first one. My family and my friend loved the first gown as well, and I just felt like myself yet elevated, gorgeous, and like a bride.

The dress and the accessories that Hannah put on me brought tears to my eyes. In my heart I just knew that this was it. So, I just want to say thank you to Hannah. Thank you for the support and thank you for creating such a wonderful experience. Thank you for being part of this very, very significant moment. Thank you to the staff for helping me and getting me on the schedule so quickly. I can’t tell you how much I...