Harold's Formal Wear

Never ever go here!!!! They are the most unprofessional bridal shop there is. Their seamstress ruined my expensive Mother of the Bride gown. She cut my lining free hand and when I asked her what she was doing, she responded "Oh, you want the train? Why would I purchase a dress with a train if I didn't want it. She also could not figure out how to hem it which is why she was cutting it. My daughter also purchased her gown there. She was taking it all in on the sides which would have taken half of the beading off. She proceeded to tell us never to come late at night again, she was too tired to work then. That's my fault that I was given a late night appointment. She proceeded to go upstairs to another seamstress and yell that she needed her help downstairs where we were so she could figure out how to do it. She needed her fast because she had to go home. I did not sleep that night. I ended up having to go to another seamstress for alterations because this one obviously had no idea what she was doing. They also dyed my shoes the wrong color. They had to reorder them. When my daughter went to pick them up, they proceeded to tell me I owed them money for shoes. I then proceeded to tell the owner LISA that I wanted to be reimbursed for the gown alterations that needed to be fixed because her seamstress ruined the lining. She told me I was being uncooperative and she would not give me my shoes unless we paid for the other shoes. I am uncooperative???? This bridal salon should be shut down because of the unprofessionalism and mistakes they constantly make. If you go there, you will be sorry because the owner LISA does not even care that her seamstress ruins what you purchase from them. Don't say I didn't warn you if you decide to go there!!!!! more

Harold's is quite the New Haven institution if you ask folks who've lived here all their lives. It's where you go for your wedding dress (unless you're one of those people who goes to New York, or has a mother who sews). So, I took their advice and checked it out when I needed a wedding dress. I lucked out and accidentally made my dress viewing appointment the day that they started their annual sample sale, fell in love with the first dress I tried on, and took it home with me that day. If you're not quite that easy to please, it looked like they had a great selection and very reasonable prices. I also used them for my bridesmaid's dresses, and rental tuxes for groomsmen - the sales staff was very helpful and kind and cheerful, and their selection was extensive. Best of all, when my mother, six weeks before the wedding, announced that she hadn't yet bought a dress of her own, they jumped into action and helped her find something great (and very skillfully talked her into the right size - even though she insisted she was a size 8 - and the appropriate, structured underwear) Three cheers for their professionalism and good humor - which I think counts for a heck of a lot when you're dealing with a potentially stressful situation! more