House of Brides’ Diva Bridal Boutique Introduced for the Plus Size Bride
House of Brides introduces the Diva Bridal Boutique opened July 2011 and is the first store in the country committed to real size women. The boutique has a full selection of wedding dress samples in sizes 18 – 40 and “W” sizes only. Brides can try-on samples in their sizes from leading designer collections and in the latest styles. Wedding gowns are available for special order and immediate delivery.Diva Bridal carries designer plus size lines and additional designer dresses in larger sizes only. The buyers pay special attention to designs that work best for a larger bust, waist and hip to compliment plus size silhouettes.
Additionally, having to try on a bridal gown sample that doesn’t fit is problematic. Plus size brides unable to try-on average size samples and sharing dressing room and stage space with smaller sized brides have been an ongoing issue at bridal retailers.House of Brides analyzed the shopping practices of women and concluded that this target group tended to put off shopping for several reasons: to give themselves more time to lose weight, they’re afraid they won’t find anything in their size, they don’t know where to go to find their size and they are turned off to the dress-shopping experience altogether. In response, the company created the boutique to address the specific issues of selection and service.
Generally, bridal retailers have plus size samples available but selection is limited. Designers send dress samples in industry average sizes of 8, 10 and 12, which do not necessarily reflect today’s real bride. According to the company President, Eva Buziecki, “Nearly fifty percent of our brides wear size 12 or larger now.” Some designers recognize this trend and have included plus size divisions. Such lines include Signature Plus by Private Label by G, Unforgettable by Bonny and Julietta by Mori Lee. These collections are made exclusively in Women’s sizes and in complimentary styles for a curvy figure