Joan Pillow

I know two people who have purchased their beautiful dresses from Joan Pillow, so of course I wanted to come here as soon as I got engaged!
The store felt a little on the smaller side, and while I didn’t think they had a huge selection, the dresses they do have are very beautiful and high-​end. I think I’m one of those extra picky brides, so I didn’t find quite what I was looking for here — I was looking for something very modern and unique, and I feel this place in general had more traditional styles. For example, they do carry Romona Keveza, whose dresses I LOVE, but I couldn’t find the more modern styles of hers that I was looking for.
I did find one dress which was a close runner up, and my consultant Courtney went above and beyond to see if she could make the dress into what I envisioned. However, I ultimately found another dress elsewhere that just seemed to fit the bill better, without modifications.
Though I didn’t find my dress here, I recommend that any bride (with a very «healthy» budget) stop in and check out their dresses.

Pros: Pretty dresses. But not the only pretty dresses in town.
Cons: HORRENDOUS customer service. Completely uninterested in helping me. Told me I could select 3 dresses in the store to start trying on. Excuse me? You have a store of 50 – 75 dresses, and I can start by selecting 3? I have a job that prevents from coming any day but a weekend… I made this appointment on a Saturday 6 weeks ahead of time. I do not have the time or patience to screw around 3 dresses at a time. Furthermore, I have no budget for my dress, and told her such. I want to try on every single dress that remotely catches my eye and buy the one I love. After I told her this in so many words, she agreed to a few more try ons. How generous of her!
You are not better than everyone else, you simply think you are. Well newsflash. You could do a lot more business if you were just polite. This is Houston, not Paris. Get over yourself!
And besides… you all work on commission right? Big mistake. Huge!
DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND HEAD TO IVORY AND CASA DE NOVIA ASAP!

I had Joan as my consultant and it was ok. She is not the usual bridal consultant who is easy going and helpful, more like a know-​it-​all? I can’t really describe it but I didn’t enjoy the process. I did find a dress I loved and when I asked about making changes (most designers are more than happy to make changes) she said brides don’t know better than the designers so no changes. That kind of put me off and I decided I wouldn’t get my dress here.
I gave three stars because they do have a beautiful selection.

Joan was fabulous! Not only did she help me find the perfect dress but she was patient, kind, experienced, wise with her advice, genuine, and caring.
After reading some of the other reviews, I was shocked as I feel like I worked with a completely different person than others described.
Joan brought dresses I would never have picked as she knew my body and what would potentially flatter it. One of these dresses ended up being in my top 2. Joan made great recommendations and told me the truth. Joan shoots it straight and I respect that. I felt like I could trust her judgement/​opinion on the dresses and when she would give me advice I valued it as she has so much experience and does this for a living. I was worried I was taking too much time but she reassured me I was fine. I probably tried 15 dresses and Joan helped me put (or try to put) every dress on. My Mom is sick so she couldn’t be there with me and thanks to Joan it didn’t completely damper my experience.
I’m very happy, over the moon, and highly recommend Joan Pillow!

This is a really pretty bridal Salon but the customer service was horrible. The day I went in there was a trunk show going on and the owner (Joan) was in town for it. For some reason she was my bridal consultant and she was awful (I had made an appointment several weeks before so its not like I was just a walk in customer). She was so distracted the whole time and extremely hesitant to let me try on dresses other than the ones that were part of the trunk show, and just seemed annoyed that I was there the whole time. I think if I had had an actual consultant it would have been a much better experience.
To start off she seemed appalled that I wanted to try the dresses on with no bra. When she asked what size bra I was I told her I didn’t need one (as I planned to try on backless dresses) she looked at me like I was crazy and I felt really dumb. At the other salons I had tried dresses at they had me go bra-​less so I had no idea it was weird.
So she left me to change and was gone for over 5 minutes leaving me mostly naked in the changing room waiting for help to try a dress on. I finally decided to put the dress on myself because I didn’t want to run out of time. She kept leaving through my entire appointment to go look at other brides or to help someone else. Not exactly sure what she was doing the majority of the time but I just know she wasn’t helping me.
I came to Houston, to this bridal salon, specifically to try on Inbal Dror dresses (since they don’t sell them in Denver where I live). When I told Joan I wanted to try those on she told me I couldn’t afford them (yes, they are above my budget, but for the right dress I would be willing to make it work. You’d think they would be happy to let me try a dress to make a sale). She did finally let me try one on but she seemed very annoyed about it.
Then I finally found a dress I loved but I wanted to add scalloping to the neckline like what I saw on other dresses from the same designer. At both the other appointments I had at other salons they were extremely willing to make changes to the dresses. However Joan told me it probably couldn’t be done and then when I was asking about other things I could do to make it more what I wanted she was literally just ignoring my questions and not answering me. My friend and I were baffled by her rude behavior. Then the designer of the dresses for the trunk show came and told me that of course they could add the same neckline from the other dresses.
I was also told that I couldn’t take pictures in the dresses. At all 3 other places I ended up trying dresses at they not only let me take pictures but also let me skype/​FaceTime my family. My mom is in Seattle and my maid of honor is in Australia. It is impossible to have them both there with me. However this is the most important garment I will ever wear in my life so it’s very important to me to have their input before spending thousands of dollars. It’s not like I was going to go have the dress copied or something… If that was the case I could easily find a picture of the dress online. They really should change this policy.
My suggestion is to skip Joan Pillow Bridal. Instead go over to Ivory Bridal Atelier. They have a better selection of dresses and their customer service was amazing. They even give you champagne to sip while you try dresses on and a consultant who is completely focused on you. They went out of their way to contact the designer of the dress I chose to adjust it so that it’s exactly what I wanted. I’m so happy I bought my dress at Ivory Bridal Atelier instead of Joan Pillow Bridal.

As a bride, we know and have always been told that the moment we find our wedding dress is a day we will never forget. All of the pieces that have to fall into place for that day to come are truly meant to be… whether that be researching handfuls of bridal stores online and finally finding one that you fall in love with, or finding a time on numerous schedules for you and loved ones to all meet that also is available at the bridal store, or finding a bridal store that is budget friendly for you. These are all things as a bride that we can control, and during our wedding season, nothing is sweeter than getting to have the happiest experiences in situations that we can control! What we cannot control when shopping at bridal stores for our wedding dress is if we find «the dress» on that day at that store or not, or how personal and professional the experience is with the individual (s) working with us. These are things we hope for so we can feel comfortable and special, to experience that moment that every bride wants with a beaming smile and a heart full of joy and happiness, coupled with sweet tears saying yes to your dress. With confidence, I can assure you that visiting Joan Pillow and working with her and her team to find your wedding dress will be one of the specialist moments of your entire wedding season.
I have driven by Joan’s bridal store in Highland Village for years, and have fallen in love with looking at her dresses in the 2^nd floor window. I always wondered what the store looked like from the inside, as it looked like heaven from the window. Becoming recently engaged and taking my mom’s suggestion, I researched Joan’s amazing website and decided I would email her to ask more about her bridal store and price ranges of her beautiful bridal collection. Minutes later, she replied answering my questions and inviting me to make an appointment to come into her store. I asked if she would have time to meet with my mom and I, and she kindly gave me some dates that she would be available to meet with us. Little did I know that besides becoming engaged to my high school sweetheart, the second happiest moment of my wedding season has been my wedding dress shopping day with my mom at Joan Pillow’s bridal store in Houston!
For me, I did not necessarily have a vision for what I thought of my wedding dress to be… funny enough that the top 5 things I told Joan that I did not think I wanted were what I actually ended up getting, as it looked prettiest on me! Joan took me around her store 1-​on-​1 with my mom for the complete hour, and Joan never stopped smiling and was so light on her feet. She made me feel at ease, helping me into each and every dress I tried on to show my mom, and I truly felt like I was either dreaming or in a movie (or both!) because the entire experience was beyond my wildest dreams. Her store is absolutely elegant, with floor to ceiling windows letting natural light stream in, and filled with collections of stunning bridal gowns that are timeless. I trusted Joan’s professional eye with putting me in dresses that she saw to flatter me, as her work experience in fashion is admirable, and boy oh boy I could not have been in better hands!
Working with Joan and getting to interact with her for such a short time, I felt like I knew Joan for years. Remember that little note above I mentioned about control?! I controlled everything I could up until walking into Joan’s store, with researching a couple bridal stores online and falling in love with Joan’s store, to having my mom meet me after work. What I couldn’t control was the feeling I would get at Joan’s store or if I would find the dress or not, and I was blown away by the entire bridal experience from start to finish, as it exceeded my expectations! Not only was Joan extremely helpful and supportive during my appointment, but she has gone out of her way to answer any of my other questions about other details with my wedding and offering suggestions (and what bride does not want suggestions from a top fashion guru?!) Joan says she feels so honored that she can play a part in helping brides find their perfect gown, and you can truly feel that in the way she takes care of you and talks with you. I have to admit that my engagement season became that much more sweeter after working with Joan and getting know her, and I smile knowing that every girl who walks into her store and works with Joan and her team will share that same feeling with me.
So for any bride who is considering where she should shop for her wedding dress, you need to look no further! I am so thankful for my experience with Joan Pillow at her store, as it was the sweetest most special wedding dress shopping experience I could ever ask for. Joan’s advice to me in finding «the dress» is that you know it is your dress when it is the dress you love… and it is true!

Walked in without an appointment and Terry was super kind and helpful. She was very knowledgable with the dresses and patiently stayed after closing time to help. Unfortunately, they do not carry Vera Wang gowns. Therefore, I ended up purchasing my dress elsewhere.

After visiting some other high end bridal shops in Houston this experience was actually laughable. While the selection is great, the service is really ridiculous.
The saleswomen there while I visited were very pleasant but were not helpful at all. No explanation of brands, sizes… really anything.
When trying on the dresses my Mother was responsible for getting me into each dress. The two other salons I visited at this price point, Ivory and Casa de Novia, had an assistant to help me into the dresses. In fact at both of the other stores the owners helped me with dressing at one point or another.
Maybe go to look through the selection and then purchase elsewhere where you know your payment will at least provide you with some level of service.

The staff at Joan Pillow completely dropped the ball. I was and still am deeply upset by the entire experience.
My parents, sister, and I flew into Houston from Dallas so that I could try on a specific gown that no one in Dallas carries. The Houston location did not have it in stock, so they ordered it from another store. Anticipating the multitude of things that could go wrong with this situation, I made absolutely sure to confirm and confirm again that they had my gown in the store days before my appointment.
I spoke with Nissa and one other associate three times to confirm the gown was there, that it was the correct gown (we were all referring to one photo on the Joan Pillow website), and my appointment time. All seemed in order, until we arrived.
When we walked in, there was no one there to help us. After 10 minutes of waiting, I met my consultant, who was lovely, but who had no idea that they were holding a specific gown for me. When she went to the back to get it, she brought out the wrong dress. Avoiding panic, I quickly flipped to the photo of the gown I had so often described to the associates who assured me it was there at the store. Turns out, someone dropped the ball, and the gown we flew all the way to Houston to see was nowhere to be found.
Now, my sales associate had a very difficult situation on her hands, and she was not one of the two people I had spoken to before about this dress. She apologized several times, but there was no proactive approach to righting this wrong.
My mother suggested that Joan find a place in Dallas where she could ship the gown to and I could try it on, but all my consultant said she could do was try. I am not a person who has unrealistic expectations, and I certainly am not one to confront a problem by becoming emotional. However, I had been looking forward to trying on this dress for so long, I had done everything in my power to make sure they had the dress for me, and when I was met with no dress and a couple of nice apologies, my frustration level became so high that I cried. I cannot believe I cried in public, but I felt so out of control and helpless, and the entire situation was so, so wrong.
My consultant did not seem to have the authority to solve the problem, and instead of concentrating on a solution, I kept getting explanations as to what they believe may have happened. I really did not care whose fault it was, or why they thought I was describing a different dress, I just wanted someone to immediately fix it. That did not happen.
After some tears and hugs, we decided we should make the most of being there. I tried on several Monique Lhuillier dresses that were beautiful, and actually found one that made me smile for the first time during the whole appointment. We did not end up purchasing anything because we can find Monique Lhuillier in Dallas, and there is no need to fly to Houston for fittings if I’m going to get a dress I can easily find in several established, well-​reputed bridal salons at home.
I have not yet heard anything from Joan Pillow about shipping the gown we flew down there for to Dallas for me to try on, but judging from previous reviews, it seems all I can expect is a hand-​written apology.
It is my opinion that, when your business exists in such a high-​end, niche industry, the margin for error is slim. Error is inevitable, but when it happens, there must be an authority nearby who can make quick decisions as to how to right the wrong.
My very first experience in trying on wedding dresses was deeply upsetting and ruined. I would not recommend Joan Pillow to any bride who has reasonable expectations of service. I am just so disappointed in this place.

I bought my monique lhuillier gown here! All the gowns in the shop are so beautiful and the store is very bright and organized. Joan Pillow carries an amazing selection of high end couture gowns, some are traditional style while others are very fashion forward for the modern brides.
The owner, Joan was in the store on the day of my purchase and she personally came to the room to do the final fitting and made suggestions on what alterations can be done to make the dress fit to my body.
I want to especially point out that Nisa was a tremendous help in helping me understand the Monique Ihuillier bridal sizing and the special fabrics that ML uses etc. She is very knowledgeable and patient. I’ve visit Kleinfield Bridal in NYC, Ivory Bridal Atelier and Casa De Novia in Houston, and I have to say Nisa is hands down the most knowledgeable person out of all the ones I’ve worked with.
The store also carries some high end eveningwears from designers like Romona Keveza etc. Lots of beautiful dresses to see! Just have to pay for the price but in all honesty, you get what you pay =)

I live in Washington, DC and, seeking a very specific designer, travelled all the way to Houston, TX with my family to visit Joan Pillow. I spoke with the store several times prior to my appointment and discussed what I was looking for, for which they gave me a price range. Upon arriving at the store, no one was around to help. We waited 10 minutes before the owner, Joan, arrived to help me with my appointment. She was openly frustrated because I had brought my family with me, despite the fact that the store was empty. I told her the designer I was looking for and she immediately asked, «Do you think you can afford that?» She never asked my budget or price range. She continuously made comments about how I «couldn’t afford» things in the store. She showed me one dress as part of the trunk show and said, «This is on discount, you can probably afford this.»
I showed her several dresses that I liked and we began to try things on. I am a size 6, 5’6″. Only one of the four dresses she brought in would fit me. They were all in «model sizes,» so she said. As if it wasn’t bad enough that nothing fit me, Joan continually made comments about my body, at one point even saying that it was my «butt that was the problem… it’s just too big.» The appointment lasted for 30 minutes. I was only shown 4 dresses. I was not shown dresses that I specifically asked to see.
The appointment abruptly ended after I tried on a gown by the designer I had come to see. Admittedly, the dress was on the outskirts of my budget, but it was doable. When she took the dress off of me, she said «Well, at least you got to try it on.» She then left the dressing room and proceeded to help other customers. I waited for her to bring something else to no avail. After a grand total of 4 dresses (only one of which ever got on my body), I left in tears.
I have never been treated so poorly in my entire life. I could on and on about the comments made. I am an average sized woman and a corporate attorney at an international firm in DC. I was treated as if I was poor and fat the entire appointment (which, even if I was, that would not excuse her behavior). Joan was openly and ridiculously rude to me and all of my family and friends.
To her credit, she did send me a note afterwards apologizing, saying she should’ve passed the appointment on to someone else. I wish she would’ve thought of that before she ruined what was supposed to be such an amazing day for me. I walked away from the dress of my dreams SOLELY because I did not want to give her my money.

I worked with Elizabeth and she is wonderful. She was perfectly patient helping me find a dress, and worked with me by email while I was away traveling for work for weeks. The salon itself is lovely, with a charming selection. Overall, I had a wonderful experience. Thank you!

If I didn’t get my dress from Belle Mariee, I would’ve chosen a different dress at Joan Pillow. When making the appointment, I told them I had my heart set on a Monique Lhuillier dress, but I had no idea how much it cost or what the dress was even called. All I had was a picture to go by. They asked me to e-​mail them the picture, and within minutes, they were able to tell me the name of it. Since it was a dress from an older season, they no longer carried it, but they were willing to request a sample for me.
Caitlin was my consultant, and she was great to work with. She was the first consultant to put a veil on my head to see if that would add to the overall appeal of the dress. She helped me in and out of the dresses and gave me a shoulder to lean on for balance. I was never pressured to make a decision that day.
The location may be a little hard to spot. It’s in Highland Village on the second floor. You valet your car, take the elevator up, and you’re immediately inside the store. When you leave, they will give you an envelope with cash in it to pay the valet.

This is a beautiful salon with gorgeous dresses. And I can’t say enough good things about Liz – make an appointment with her if you want someone patient, kind, and helpful. She has a great eye for finding just the right dress for you!

This bridal shop is B-​E-​A-​U-​T-​I-​F-​U-​L! I agree with other reviews that the prices are a little high but that’s expected. I experienced a dress snafu at another shop and went here just a couple weeks before my wedding. It was a very stressful time but Nissa was so sweet and helped make it better.
Bottom line: A caring staff who wants to help you look good for your special day.

I tried on about 5 dresses before picking out the perfect one! Their selection is great if you are willing to spend a good amount of money on your dress. My consultant was Joan, the owner, and I can’t say enough good things about her. She really did try to pick gowns within my price range and was easy to work with.
A few months later I went back with one of my best friends and she ended up getting her gown there too! Her consultant was Elizabeth and she was very sweet and helpful.
I’m so glad I got my gown at Joan Pillow!

The first wedding dress I’ve ever tried on ended up being «the dress». I had a pretty detailed idea of what I wanted, and my consultant definitely listened to my ideas and was conscious of my budget. The dresses here are all beautiful and exquisitely made. The service is wonderful here. The consultant’s attention is on you the entire time. I didn’t feel rushed or pressured to buy at all.
The dresses here are expensive (starting at $ 3500), for they are from the most renowned wedding dress designers.
btw they have changed their name to Joan Pillow Bridal, same location.

I had my first experience in a bridal salon at Impressions. I was excited to try on dresses for the first time. I was there for the vera wang trunk show. When I showed up on time for my appt and signed in (keep in mind the consultant stressed to me how important it was to be on time when she called to confirm the appt the day before), I was told that someone would be with me. The owner (who was just wandering around) and several consultants looked at me several times and passed by me without saying a word. Finally, after I stopped the owner and complained, they gave me a consultant (not the original person I was intended to have) Twilight. She was very kind, helpful and professional. She did her best to try to salvage the appt. but I was turned off and I was not interested in giving them my business. Days later I called to inquire payment (deposit) policy and the trunk show discount, the person who picked up the phone was very rude and condescending. The staff there except for Twilight are very SNOBBY, judgemental and rude.
Brides-​to-​be, if you’re looking for a wonderful experience, Impressions is not the place to go. I suggest you go to Casa de Novia. I ended up purchasing my Monique ihullier dress there. The staff there is genuwine and very professional… ask for Carmen and Luvi. They are great!

I had an outstanding experience at Impressions today. I originally found my «dream dress» in Las Vegas but since I am getting married in Houston, my mom and I decided it was best to buy the dress in town so I don’t have to ship and steam. Impressions had the same dress in its Atlanta location, and shipped it to Houston in time for my Thanksgiving trip home.
All of the staff were fabulous. My consultant Elizabeth was so patient, listened to what I liked, and helped me with an assortment of dresses. After trying on some stunning designer gowns in front of my mom, dad and grandma, I kept falling in love with my original choice. In the end, I selected the beautiful gown (can’t say much else since my fiancé is a Unilocaler) and ordered it today so I can do fittings when I return to Houston in the Spring/​early summer.
The salon gave me a «celebration package» on my way out with champagne and white chocolate pretzels. I accidentally left the receipt there so they kindly faxed me a copy. They were very accommodating with my «entourage» and it was a really great experience. I would recommend this salon to any bride looking for a great dress, from Texas or otherwise!