Top Hat Formal Wear at 245 Broad Street, Rome, Georgia.

Most of their samples were in a size 8 or 10 (6/8 in regular clothing), which is very small for bridal. Their dresses that were in larger sizes all looked the same. Not only does this limit the options for brides who are not incredibly thin, but I imagine that for most brides it hurts their self-esteem and makes it difficult for local brides to find unique gowns. It also sends the message that only thin brides should wear certain silhouettes, which is not the message I would hope for, especially considering how amazing mermaid and trumpet gowns look on curvy women. I feel that when you work in bridal you should want to broaden your clientele and be able to serve as many women of diverse shapes and sizes as possible, and not have to turn away customers simply because your samples are smaller than the average woman. And even if you do not end up selling to a bride, it should always be your goal to have her leave your shop feeling beautiful! The solution that many other bridal shops have found is ordering gowns in 12/14's and clipping them for smaller women, so that they can get an idea how how they fit and curvier women can fit into them as well. Then they also order their gowns in plus-size so that anyone who cannot fit into a 14 has a plus size option. This is a more inclusive way of choosing samples and allows them to serve more clients. I would hope that Perfect Dress diversifies their size options for future brides!