https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/i-was-panicking-inside-brides-dream-dress-turns-wedding-nightmare
singapore
Original dress (left) with an unflattering fit around the chest area; Off-the-rack dress (right) which was made of a glossier material, not suited for the muted tone of the wedding.
PHOTO: Lee
PUBLISHED ONJune 18, 2025 3:04 PM By Ethel Tseng
Weddings are often once-in-a-lifetime events, and months of preparation go into ensuring every detail is perfect.
But what happens when things do not go as planned, and a bride ends up with the wrong dress on her big day?
This was the reality for one bride, who recently walked down the aisle in a dress that was not her first choice.
Lee (not her real name) ordered a custom cheongsam from local boutique Outpost a month before her wedding. She provided her measurements and was told the finished dress would be ready for collection a week before the ceremony.
But when she tried on the cheongsam on the collection day, she said, panic set in. The dress, she discovered, was unaltered.
Photos provided by Lee show an unflattering fit — a stark contrast to the form-fitting silhouette a traditional cheongsam is known for.
Pins were put into the original dress for alteration, but were left there even on the day of collection. PHOTO: Lee
"They didn't make any alterations at all at the waist," Lee recalled. "These are literally the same pins in the same place that hadn't been fixed.
"That was when I realised something was really wrong. I was panicking inside."
With only a week until the wedding, Lee accepted a compromise: an off-the-rack cheongsam from the boutique. While the substitute dress was similar in design, its glossy fabric clashed with the muted theme of her wedding.
The stress of trying to find a solution took its toll. "I remember crying about it because, honestly, I was so tired of it all," she said.
A day before the wedding, Lee said, the boutique loaned her both the off-the-rack substitute and her original, flawed cheongsam.
After the wedding, Lee returned both dresses and contacted the boutique to request compensation, arguing that her custom-made cheongsam had been unwearable.
However, the owner was reportedly not apologetic, claiming the boutique had done nothing wrong. The shop then sent the original dress to Lee's workplace.
Following this, Lee took the case to the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT), requesting a full refund.
When The New Paper contacted Outpost for comment, an employee responded by email, stating the boutique did its best under the circumstances and accommodated Lee's requests in a "civil and timely manner".
"As she expressed a desire for options, we provided both her original custom dress with the requested alterations and, additionally, a loaner cheongsam of higher value," the employee wrote.
The employee added that the boutique had also offered to create a new outfit for Lee after the wedding, an offer she declined.
WhatsApp screenshots provided by Lee confirm she declined this offer, asking for a partial refund instead.
She reasoned: "Offering to make another piece now— after the wedding is over — still doesn't restore what was lost in terms of emotional value, planning, and expectations."
While Outpost stands by its actions, it is now working with the SCT to resolve the dispute.
"As a small business, we take pride in our work and trust the mediation process will help bring this matter to a fair close," the employee stated.
singapore
'I was panicking inside': Bride's dream dress turns into wedding nightmare
Original dress (left) with an unflattering fit around the chest area; Off-the-rack dress (right) which was made of a glossier material, not suited for the muted tone of the wedding.
PHOTO: Lee
PUBLISHED ONJune 18, 2025 3:04 PM By Ethel Tseng
Weddings are often once-in-a-lifetime events, and months of preparation go into ensuring every detail is perfect.
But what happens when things do not go as planned, and a bride ends up with the wrong dress on her big day?
This was the reality for one bride, who recently walked down the aisle in a dress that was not her first choice.
Lee (not her real name) ordered a custom cheongsam from local boutique Outpost a month before her wedding. She provided her measurements and was told the finished dress would be ready for collection a week before the ceremony.
But when she tried on the cheongsam on the collection day, she said, panic set in. The dress, she discovered, was unaltered.
Photos provided by Lee show an unflattering fit — a stark contrast to the form-fitting silhouette a traditional cheongsam is known for.
"They didn't make any alterations at all at the waist," Lee recalled. "These are literally the same pins in the same place that hadn't been fixed.
"That was when I realised something was really wrong. I was panicking inside."
With only a week until the wedding, Lee accepted a compromise: an off-the-rack cheongsam from the boutique. While the substitute dress was similar in design, its glossy fabric clashed with the muted theme of her wedding.
The stress of trying to find a solution took its toll. "I remember crying about it because, honestly, I was so tired of it all," she said.
A day before the wedding, Lee said, the boutique loaned her both the off-the-rack substitute and her original, flawed cheongsam.
After the wedding, Lee returned both dresses and contacted the boutique to request compensation, arguing that her custom-made cheongsam had been unwearable.
However, the owner was reportedly not apologetic, claiming the boutique had done nothing wrong. The shop then sent the original dress to Lee's workplace.
Following this, Lee took the case to the Small Claims Tribunals (SCT), requesting a full refund.
When The New Paper contacted Outpost for comment, an employee responded by email, stating the boutique did its best under the circumstances and accommodated Lee's requests in a "civil and timely manner".
"As she expressed a desire for options, we provided both her original custom dress with the requested alterations and, additionally, a loaner cheongsam of higher value," the employee wrote.
The employee added that the boutique had also offered to create a new outfit for Lee after the wedding, an offer she declined.
WhatsApp screenshots provided by Lee confirm she declined this offer, asking for a partial refund instead.
She reasoned: "Offering to make another piece now— after the wedding is over — still doesn't restore what was lost in terms of emotional value, planning, and expectations."
While Outpost stands by its actions, it is now working with the SCT to resolve the dispute.
"As a small business, we take pride in our work and trust the mediation process will help bring this matter to a fair close," the employee stated.
