wedding dress saga.

The dress was found in a shop in Virginia Beach. Once you choose a dress and a size, they then order it for you. That means that the dress is made once you order it. They don't have it in the back storage room which is what I thought. Where is it made? Yes, right here in Southeast Asia. The lady at the store said she couldn't disclose the exact location of where the dress was made, but that it was indeed made in SE Asia. So the dress was made here, flown back to Nashville at the head office, then to VA Beach, then my mom sent it back to Singapore. The dress has already been around the world. This summer it will even make it to Canada. This is a well traveled dress. So I got the dress here, it's incredibly too big because the lady at the store said I should get a dress too big and then have it altered. Also, I've lots 10 lbs. The dress is un-wearable at this point. It actually falls to the floor if I let go of it. So I need to get it altered here in Singapore. Several of my friends have had their dresses made here in Singapore. You can design your own dress and they fit it perfectly to your body. Well, if they can do that, can't they alter my dress? Obviously, right? Wrong.

I go to the wedding dress shop where one friend suggested. There's actually an entire street here that is just wedding dress shops. Perfect. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I walk in and explain that I just need a few alterations to the dress. They inspect it fully and declare that they are unable to make the alterations because of the lace on the dress. It would take months to take the lace off, resize the dress and put it back on. Crap. Next shop, same story. Next shop, they won't alter dresses that aren't their own. Fair enough. Next shop, same story- too difficult with the lace on it, will take months to complete. I need it by June 13. After about 8 more shops, I'm starting to panic. I call O and we discuss ideas, maybe we could get this done in Calgary when we first arrive? What other options do we have?

I decide to try one more store.

I walk into the store, I'm kinda freaking out, shaky voice, talking really fast, trying to explain what I need done. The man who is wearing a white suit looks at me, says nothing, hands me a business card and points to an address on the back. What? Where is this? What is this?  He just turns and walks away. I jump in a taxi and go to the address. It's in a part of town I've never even heard of. Singapore is incredibly small, in case you were unaware, and I thought that I've at least heard of every part. I get out of the cab in a maze of warehouse buildings. Where the hell am I? I'm the only person in sight and I have a giant wedding dress stuffed in an Ikea bag- stupid US store never even gave me a bag to put it in, and I'm walking around like a crazy. Find the store, it's just like all the other wedding dress stores with lots of girls trying on dresses and gay men covered in tape measures and pins are running around them. Jimmy, the most flamboyantly gay Malaysian man with a harsh lisp, saves my life. I explain what I need done.
He takes one look at the dress and says, "When do you need this by?"
Me: "By June"
Jimmy: "Ok, how about in 3 hours?"

What the what?? The dress has been altered. It fits me, let's not talk about the lace, no one will notice except for me and now you because I've pointed it out. All done. YAY! And they lived happily ever after....

Lessons learned from this:
1. Jimmy asked why I just didn't get the dress made in Singapore. Why didn't I? Not sure, if I had to do it again, that's exactly what I would do.
2. Singaporeans pick out their dress with their groom. It's not a secret. When Jimmy gave me a sheer bag, I explained that won't work. I need to hang the dress up and O can't see it. He found basically a burlap sack to put the dress in and then in the sheer pretty bag to hang up. Whatever, it works.
3. When I saw a groom looking at dresses with his fiance, I noticed that he stood there and critiqued how she looked. He even had the nerve to grab the fat on the back part of her arm. I almost went over and punched him in the face. I think it's better for the groom to stay at home and be surprised on the wedding day.