Dolly Couture

I spent a good amount of time researching tea length wedding gowns prior to shopping. Unfortunately, tea length dresses are surprisingly not as commonplace in the US as they are in other places like the UK. I stumbled upon Dolly Couture by accident. I live in Goleta, and the storefront (was) located in Tarzana. After a brief correspondence over email with Merrie (of Your Big Day Bridal) to set up an appointment, I learned that Dolly’s storefront had just closed and that my appointment would be in her (Dolly’s) home. I was a bit nervous at first, but all of that washed away when Dolly herself greeted me at her doorstep. She whisked me up to a large (pink!!) bridal room upstairs and the fun began! There were rows upon rows of dresses. I was a bit overwhelmed at the selection and had no idea what size I was. She eyeballed me for a quick second and then picked out about 4 or 6 or so in my size for me to try. She suggested I try the San Marino first, and I will admit, I was hesitant at first. On the hanger, I was only slightly eager about it. I’ll be damned if I didn’t walk out of the dressing room and gasp a little. It looked AMAZING. I was shocked. Then I got a little panicked because I thought, oh GOD… is this just because it’s the first one I tried? Dolly insisted I try the others to be fair and I did. She was very patient and took photos of every single dress I tried on. She was honest and kind and very sweet. I went through all of the dresses and then she suggested I try the San Marino again, just to be sure. I did, and it was PERFECT. It honestly fits like it was MADE for me. I wanted to buy it on the spot, but I wanted to clear my head for a moment and get a bite to eat before I made my final decision. Mind you, I went by myself and was a bit excited. She was very understanding and I told her I would call her in a hour and let her know. She told me she would hold the gown whilst I thought about it (she had another appointment after me and I was scared that person would buy it).
Long story short, I went up the street and had a bite to eat. I texted the pictures to my mom. We both agreed it was the one. I texted Dolly and headed to the ATM. I went back to her house and got the dress. She had packed it up all nicely, and also gave me the number to her tailor, Irma. It was a wonderful experience.
Once I got home, I tried on the dress again. I was slightly over enthusiastic and popped off a button. I emailed Merrie and she quickly mailed me a few replacement buttons. Awesome customer service even AFTER I had bought the dress is very impressive, in my opinion.
I am sad to hear that Dolly has closed the in-​home boutique, BUT I know this means there are probably new things in her life that are occupying her time, so it’s wonderful news. :)

OH MY GOD!!! I cannot gush enough about the experience I had with Dolly. I went to a number of salons and this was above and beyond the best experience ever. It was so personal and unique. I tried on what felt like 8BILLION dresses and we had such a great time. Dolly let us bring in champagne and snacks and stay as long as we wanted. I had a huge group of women with me and Dolly was so welcoming and kind. I knew I would be a Dolly Bride almost immediately. And when I found my dress it was perfect. IT HAD POCKETS!!! I cried when I put it on, so I knew it was the right one. She even let my bridesmaids try on dresses for fun. It was a great experience. I felt so beautiful all day and everyone raved about it.
Dolly sent me to her tailor, Irma, who worked miracles. The dress was custom fitted to me across three dress fittings over a few months. I lost some weight right before the wedding (STRESS!!!) and Irma refitted it no problem. She also did my bridesmaids dresses and they looked wonderful. And she is ridiculously affordable. I am going to bring all of my tailoring to her.
I heard that Dolly closed her actual shop in her house which makes me sad, but if she is sending you to Irma you are in great hands.
Thank you so much Dolly — I LOVED MY DRESS

I found Dolly Couture online by chance while searching for tea length wedding dresses. I seriously fell in love with the retro style of the dresses and saw they had location in Los Angeles to try them on. I’m from California so off I went to drag my parents to Dolly’s and try on dresses. Expecting to be going to a storefront, I was actually surprised to be going to Dolly’s house! That was actually a lot more comfortable and intimate. My dress fitting assistance, Yasmine, was very sweet and down to earth and helped me feel relaxed. Dolly was actually there briefly and it was fun talking with her about the dresses and different styles.
We were in and out the door in under 45 mins flat– no joke. I had chosen 3 styles prior to going in this order: Walnut Creek, Avila Bay, and Cambridge. I tried each dress on and fell in love with Cambridge. I said «yes to the dress» in 15 mins, hahaha. We all agreed it was very flattering and I felt like a bride. Yasmine measured me and I was able to order and pay for my dress right then.
My dress showed up sooner than expected and it was so beautiful! I had it taken in and fitted to me like a glove and I received sooooooo many compliments on it. I am still so pleased with it and would recommend Dolly to any bride looking for a less «traditional» but uniquely beautiful wedding dress.

I knew the style dress I wanted for my wedding and when I found this shop on Unilocal i knew I had found the perfect place to look.
Was helped out by two girls. They were very helpful and were nice around my family.
Most places I had been to for bridemaids dresses were rude and unhelpful. But this place was extremely nice to us and I really appreciated that.
Bought my dress in October 2014 for May 2015 wedding.
I received it in the mail in January.
I believe the dresses are all made to order so you can get exactly your size to your fit.

I just had my wedding and wore the Dolly Couture gown I purchased last year, the pink champagne Manhattan. I flew down from San Jose, and Ruthie and Abby were so helpful. DC is very accommodating with modifications (I ordered a shorter hemline and straps), and the gown came in five weeks, fitting perfectly. The overall price, including the two modifications, tax, and shipping, was very reasonable, and the quality was excellent for the price.
I have only a few suggestions – the buttons need to be reinforced. I had read on a Unilocal review to do this, and sure enough, when I tried on my gown, a button popped off. The company should also use a better quality garment bag and hanger for their beautiful dresses.
Otherwise, I was so pleased with my pink champagne Manhattan. I got compliments all night long during my wedding. Some people said it was the prettiest wedding dress they had ever seen, and my husband was trying to think up an event I could wear it again because he liked it so much.
I would definitely recommend Dolly Couture for women who want a short gown. The customer service, selection, and quality make it worthwhile to fly to one of the showrooms.

Although I was saddened not to have been a Dolly bride, I still want to give them a rating for their customer service. I loved the vintage look, however I was persuaded by my sister to shop around and ended up finding my wedding dress somewhere else. The gown pricing was reasonable at Dolly and the customer service was amazing. The staff made me feel validated and heard. I would recommend all brides to give Dolly Couture a try.

I love this store. I was so excited before even entering this place to see the dresses I had been drooling over on pinterest in real life. I really wanted a short dress for my upcoming wedding being that its in a backyard and also I just like 50’s and 60’s styles. I was on a budget and looked at regular bridal stores first. Specifically I had only found one dress I even slightly considered but it was 30’s style silhouette and just a little more revealing than I felt completely comfortable in. None of the very few tea length dresses I looked at really completely flattered me or was comfortable.
So even though the closest Dolly Couture was over an hour away I felt it was worth the drive. It’s in an unassuming area, a strip of shops with a few restaurants. Parking was a bit confusing but once I realized they had a back lot it was fine.
Once inside the first thing I noticed was rack after rack of gorgeous dresses. All short tea length gowns. The girls went through each rack with me and I must have tried on atleast a dozen. But they were so fun! They even let us bring champagne and strawberries and make it a really nice ladies day with my two bridesmaids. I thought I wanted a lace dress but by the end I went with a much simpler fabric and I’m really in love with it. They let me choose ribbon to see what would look best as a belt and I choose the back of one gown paired it with the silhouette and fabric I liked best and voila! Perfect gown that is made just for me. I even got a drawing of it! And it was still in my budget over under $ 1000. If I had taken a ready made one it would have been significantly less but all the dresses I liked at other bridal stores were wayyyy too expensive.
On top of that I left my wallet in the store and was freaking out when I left. I called and even though the girls had left they went back to the store and looked for it and then waited there for me to come back and get it! They were sooo nice. Then when I got my dress 8 weeks later in the mail I found the straps weren’t able to be disattached (which I am pretty sure I requested but may have gotten a little lost being that we covered so many details that day) so I emailed their customer service girl Abby and she said just ship it back at their expense and they would have their tailor fix it for me, at no cost. It came back perfect. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SHOP, wish they would open one in LA instead of Tarzana or even better in OC but still well worth the trip if you love vintage styles.

I ultimately didn’t go with a Dolly dress, but oh my goodness I’ve never had a better customer service experience.
I was looking for a gown in a 1930’s style — had a hard time finding something that was in my price range, good quality and not looking like a nightgown.
I called Dolly to see if they might be able to come up with a custom creation. I worked with Abby, who asked to see some photos of what I was looking for. She was great about keeping me informed and very sweet and professional.
A few days later she let me know that YES, they had the fabrics and they could create what I wanted.
I went in to their Tarzana location to check out fabrics — Kassandra was a gem — she took her time, explained eveything to me and let me look at all the fabrics in the store. She was detail oriented in writing down everything I wanted, and even communicated with Abby via phone while I was there.
Over the weekend, a sketch was made. However, over that same weekend I found a gown I loved, so I went with that over a gown I had never seen.
BOTTOM LINE: excellent customer service, GREAT high quality fabric. If you’re looking for something custom and/​or you want something vintage, Dolly’s is the place to check out.

I heard about Dolly Couture on Offbeat
. Lots of happy brides looking super cute in their short/​tea-​length dresses! I knew the vintage look wasn’t necessarily «me» but decided to give it a try.
DC is appointment only! It was really easy to make one though. I went in about a month ago to try on dresses. I’m (5’5/225) a street size 20, probably 22 – 24 in bridal and was able to try on more than one dress. Yay! The saleslady I met, Ruthie was nice.
I haven’t ordered a dress, so I can’t comment on that. The dresses I saw looked nice, and well constructed, but I didn’t go around inspecting them either.
If you’re considering DC, check their Facebook page, there are lots of pictures from brides that you can look at by dress style (including customizations of that stylel) or by custom dresses.

I was a Dolly Couture bride about a month ago, and I couldn’t have been happier!
Pros:
— I got the perfect vintage look
— The price was right
— Dress arrived with plenty of time to spare
— Received the customizations I asked for
— Very helpful and friendly staff
Cons:
— I have no other occasions to wear my dress to! (clearly no fault of Dolly)

I Am a Dolly couture bride:
Wearing the walnut creek:
Went in today Jan 8^th 2014 to Dolly Couture with my girl friend and my mom and found my wedding dress right away! Ruthie was the young woman who helped us she couldn’t have been more wonderful! And she was amazing! She knew everything I needed and answered all my questions without a problem! Ruthie got me serval dresses but after I tried on the second one that way it! I have never been so happy and excited for something that was so easy specially when I thought for sure it wouldn’t be but Ruthie made everything perfect and because of her I now know I will be having the perfect dress and day! All my love to dolly couture for there professionalism and expertise! Highly highly recommend you go see there very cool vintage dress! Specially if u are a woman like myself 5’4 these r the dresses for u and Ruthie is the woman to help!
This is Ruthie:

Long story short, all my family is out of state, and when it came to dress shopping, I basically did it alone (No no, don’t cry, I was fine. Really).
I saw the shop when I got lost on Ventura and a few weeks later, called and made an appt to look at wedding dresses at Dolly Couture. There was another group fitting dresses and one person manning the desk– Dolly was sick that day with Pink Eye (so random and that’s why I remembered it!) so it was a little busy with one lady running back and forth bringing dresses.
ANYWAYS, like some amazing and low budget weight-​loss infomercial, every dress I tried on fit! (Living off vodka and wedding planning works!)
The woman working the desk was cool enough to take pics with my phone to send to family and the voting began for the best dress. I wish I remembered her name, she was helpful and honest, not just trying to sell any dress. I had no intention of going with a strapless, but when I tried on a sweetheart one I found the one.
The one thing I remember was still being unsure, so I went home to think about it. I believe you can only place the order online, and got a little panicky when I noticed they bumped up the dress I liked to a different collection, which translated into a 300 $ price difference. I emailed Dolly and they honored the original price I saw and before I knew it, my dress came in and only needed minor alterations.
If you’re curious to see how that went: check out my review for Sossy’s…

I’m going to be a Dolly Couture bride!
The style of my wedding is somewhat vintage-​inspired and with my body type, it’s ideal that I have a dress custom made for me. Dolly Couture was the best option for me.
After drooling over their designs on their website for months, I decided to have a friend take my measurements and I’d order a dress online. When my boss informed me I’d be going to Los Angeles for a conference, I was stoked on my good fortune of being able to visit the actual showroom. I was beyond excited to get to see their dresses in person, instead of ordering fabric swatches, which you can do online for a few dollars. Also, I’d be getting the actual dressmakers to take my measurements! I’d already been corresponding with one of their sales reps via email and they were always very quick to respond to my questions. I let her know that I’d actually be coming into the store and she was quick to schedule an appointment.
A few days before my trip, I received a call from their employee Sarah. She not only confirmed the date and time, but went over some notes she had about which dresses I’d mentioned that I liked and some others she might suggest I try on. I reminded her that I am plus size, therefore I wouldn’t be trying anything on. I had already done my research and corresponded online with a few brides about their experience with bridal shops and the general consensus was they will only have straight sizes available for samples. «Oh, yes you will,» she chimed back. I was very pleased to learn that Dolly Couture stocks many plus size samples in their store room! Sarah also noted that I’d be coming from out of state, inquired which hotel I was staying at, and made sure I had the correct directions and public transit options down.
I stayed in downtown LA, so my trip was one long subway ride followed by a bus ride straight down Ventura Blvd, with my exiting stop being just 2 doors down from the shop. A friend who just moved to the area went along with me. We arrived a few minutes late, but Sarah was there to give us hugs when we walked through the door. She already had a few dresses brought out and ready for me to try on and even offered to take photos of me (and my friend who got in on the action) playing dress-​up. I ended up selecting the dress I already had my mind on, but with a little customization. While waiting for Sarah to draft up my quote, I heard her on the phone with Dolly Thicke, the store owner. I overheard Dolly say to her «you know we usually charge $ 200 for plus-​size dresses… but don’t charge it to that bride.» The rumors are true about Dolly Couture aiming to keep their dresses under $ 1,000. I know that even that price might sound crazy to you (it did for me before wedding planning) but when you look at all the dresses out there, you’ll find that you really get the quality that you are (or are not) paying for.
Sarah really went above and beyond with her level of customer service. Once we were done, my friend and I were exhausted and starving. She recommended an Italian restaurant down the street and even offered to pick us up after dinner and take us to the subway station, saving us a long bus ride! We had such a great conversation in the car that she made the ride last a little longer and dropped us off at the Hollywood subway stop, which would shorten our train ride back to downtown. She advised us to walk into the W hotel lobby bar, order a drink, and do a little people-​watching before we get back on the subway. She said she couldn’t let me go back to Texas without having that LA experience. She gave me a big hug goodbye and we did just as she advised.
Impressively, my dress arrived much earlier than I had expected. It is beautiful and exactly how I ordered! I am having to take it in a bit but that is due to me losing 20 lbs since I was measured in the showroom.
If you are even considering ordering a dress from Dolly Couture, and especially if you are plus size, just do it. You will not regret it. Best customer service experience ever!

Most amazing experience with Dolly Couture! If you’re looking for inexpensive and fabulous, look no further! I love shopping locally, and while they are growing their business now, they were a small enough of a shop for me to feel good about supporting a local — Dolly Thicke.
Everyone loved my dress and I gave many referrals! My dress and veil were absolutely timeless. My groom was floored… Dolly, you brought tears to his eyes and thats not easy.
Thanks to all the staff at Dolly Couture!

After months of researching retro inspired wedding dresses that would fit and flatter my plus size body, I was thrilled to discover Dolly Couture! I flew out to CA for my initial fitting/​meet and greet and it was an amazing experience. At the time, I was a size 22 and they had several styles IN HOUSE for me to try on! I remember smiling the entire time and loving the special treatment Nicole gave us (closing the store for a private fitting and being so incredibly sweet and bubbly the entire time!). I left with a pretty solid idea of which dress I wanted. In the next few months, due to a health scare, lost 60+ pounds and Dolly Couture was completely calm and willing to help/​work with me. I came back and had another fitting in store and had shrunk down 10 sizes! Again, this fitting experience was no different and I was treated with love, respect and kindness! I had the total bride experience! I was able to say «YES to the dress!» during this visit and chose the same dress I loved the first visit (which was a hybrid of 2 different styles combined). I was nervous thinking I might lose more weight and wondered how this could negatively impact the wedding dress. Nicole informed me that Dolly works around short turn arounds and could accommodate me ordering even 6 weeks out so I could order the best size AT NO ADDITIONAL COST!
After I finally ordered my dress, I was shocked to see the dress arrive BEFORE the expected deadline and it was simply perfect! My dress experience was magical and the dress embodied everything my wedding was– retro chic. I received so many compliments on the dress and how flattering and unique it was. I love my wedding dress so much and if I could get away with wearing it every day, I SO would! haha
Thanks, Dolly! You made me feel like a perfect Queen regardless of my size. I will forever cherish my awesome dress shopping experience!!! Thanks!!!

I was in town for only a week, and even though my wedding is still two years away, and in the early planning stages, I couldn’t leave town without trying to visit Dolly Couture. I was nervous about calling for an appointment, because I knew I would not be buying a dress at this time, even though the style was what I envision for my walk down the isle. This would also be the first dress shop I visited.
I decided to be honest with the sales person who answered my call, instead of pretending like there was a good chance I would be buying a dress that day. She was exceptionally friendly and did not mind that I would not be buying anytime soon.
My appointment was wonderful. Sarah was my attendant and she was very helpful and knowledgable about the dresses and was great at suggesting styles that would fit my body. As we discussed modifications she explained exactly what each one meant and would entail, and the price of each. She took notes the whole time and sent me home with a sheet detailing which dresses I liked best on, and which ones I’d want what modifications to. When I got home she sent an email thanking me for my visit and letting me know that I could email her whenever I was ready to order a dress, and Dolly would first create a sketch for free, and then work with me to refine the design.
Great customer service, beautiful dresses, and fantastic prices!

My Dolly Couture dress was beautiful, comfortable, with custom details, and my experience with Nickie was letter-​perfect. I was very happy with my dress overall, so it’s tough for me to give Dolly Couture anything besides five stars.
At the same time, the experience was not quite perfect.
The initial fitting went great. Nickie helped me try on and pick out the color and details that were right for me. She made me feel special, took an interest in my choices, and even took some photos for me for later reference. She told me to come back a couple of months later for measurements and to place the order.
I did so, and that appointment was also a treat. Nickie was again a gracious host. She took my measurements and we placed the order. The dress would be shipped to my home address (I live in LA; Dolly Couture is in Tarzana).
The expected number of weeks later I got an email with a tracking number.
Alas that was the end of my communication with Dolly Couture!
The dress turned out to be substantially too big in the shoulders and bust (no mean feat on my figure, heh heh). I took it to a local tailor for alterations, and I was very satisfied with my experience with that tailor and the end result of the dress.
I see from other reviews that other clients were able to take their dresses back to Dolly Couture for alterations. I didn’t realize that was an option. To be fair, living in LA, I would have been unlikely to make two more trips to Tarzana (for alterations and pickup.) Maybe that’s why it wasn’t mentioned as an option? But having the choice would have made me feel more at ease.
Perhaps Dolly Couture can follow up with a customer once the package tracking indicates the dress has arrived?
Perhaps Dolly Couture could be more clear that alterations are included?
One more thing — and I know this is trivial — but Nickie asked if I wanted to order a garment bag with the dress for $ 40.
I was like, yeesh, but OK — I’ll have a nice garment bag, and it will protect the dress. The garment bag that came was very light and flimsy — kind of like a woven paper. And it was the only thing in the box protecting the dress.
I was a little miffed. I would have preferred:
1) the markup not be SO much. I got my father a sturdy, gusseted, cedar-​and-​canvas garment bag off Amazon for this wedding for ten bucks!
2) the cost of the garment bag — even with SOME markup — be discreetly rolled into the cost of the dress, so the overall effect is «here’s a free garment bag!» instead of «pay extra for something to protect your dress.»
YES, these are small things. YES, overall I was very satisfied with my dress and experience and recommend Dolly Couture. For a reasonably-​priced, quality vintage-​reproduction dress for a tall, busty gal, there’s no one else out there. I’m grateful I live in LA where going to a Dolly Couture store is even an option.
It is only because I’m so happy overall that I care about the small things that were imperfect!

Not surprised to see all 5-​star reviews, because there simply is no other! My friend’s sister knows a bit about my style and she recommended this shop because she knew I wanted a very original wedding dress and I absolutely love vintage clothes. The shop is adorable… it kind of feels like you are in a thrift store, however with only beautiful, unique fashions that can be customized to make the ideal wedding dress. For my wedding, I had decided to have two dresses: a long formal dress for the ceremony, and a short, vintage-​couture, fun dress for the reception. I tried on several short dresses at Dolly, and went with the first one I tried on… I think I knew just from looking at it. They took my measurements, and I ordered it in my size, and in ivory. After looking around the store, I decided to order some accessories to go with the dress. I ordered an awesome huge bow to pin on the back of the dress, and a «little cap» with a birdcage veil. I had fuchsia flowers sewn on the top, to match the color scheme for my wedding. As a swing dancer, this was just the perfect dress. As someone who did a lot of dancing at my wedding (took dance lessons with my husband for quite some time), this second dress was one of my best decisions.
After my dress arrived, I emailed them back with some questions about exactly how to wear the «little cap» and attach the bow. I was happy to get a response with photos the next day.
Best of all, I wore my wedding dress again on Halloween, and again on the Day of the Dead… we dressed as a Day of the Dead bride and groom. Not many girls can say they wore their wedding dress 3 times in less than a month! I have a feeling that this is not a dress that will sit in my closet all but forgotten.

I ordered a custom dress from Dolly Couture. Based on the top half of one dress — with changes (¾ instead of full sleeves and boatneck instead of collared), and the bottom half of another. While visiting NYC, I had my measurements taken and placed my order. 8 weeks later, the dress arrived — early. Yay! And then I checked it out. Instead of Champagne, it was White. Instead of ¾ length sleeves, they were above the elbow. A number of other issues existed as well, mainly with measurements being very off as well as the neckline being wrong. I contacted Nickie ASAP and provided her with photos of the measurements compared to what they should be, etc. I sent my dress back. 3 weeks later a brand new dress arrived. Everything was about right EXCEPT the sleeves were just to the elbow this time and were missing the buttons that help them to be fitted. However, with an upcoming wedding I couldn’t send it back AGAIN. So I sucked it up that I would have *nearly* my dream dress and they sent the buttons and I had a local gal put them on.
While the sleeves left me sad (seriously — proper ¾ length is much more flattering, is what was in the sketch, and is the measurement taken), the dress did look beautiful. I’ve had so many compliments. My big complaint is that the errors never should have occurred. The sleeves, when measured, are still not the right length as we discussed on my purchase contract or the revision. HOWEVER, Nickie and the DC office were nothing but apologetic about the errors and incredibly helpful. In the end, I’m still glad I went with a Dolly dress. I can’t give 5 stars as I’ll forever be sad about the sleeves, but for all their effort to try to make it right, I do give 4.

Full Disclosure, I did not end up buying my dress here. Even so, my experience with the store was fantastic.
Also, this salon specializes in A-​line Tea length dresses. If you’re in to that, look no further!
They were quick in responding to my emails, setting up an appt was easy.
I rolled in the Saturday after Thanksgiving with my mom, my MoH, her two kids, and my friend. This was a our first shopping trip, so we required a fair bit of hand holding.
There is far more variety in that on silhouette than I would have imagined. fabric, necklines, and sleeves, completely change the mood of each dress. And when I mentioned being interested in colored crinolines, they had a sample one ready to go!
And aside from just veils i got to try on a white top hat!
I highly recommend them for their patience, fair prices, and easily customizable gowns.
And applaud them for being unfazed by an overly helpful toddler running around.