Transitions are not always easy. When I merged The English Department and Xtabay Vintage Bridal Salon in January, it was in an effort to simplify and streamline my life. Driving downtown everyday to tend to The English Dept. seemed foolish when I already had a bigger, brighter bridal salon above Xtabay. So it only made sense to close the downtown location and simply move it upstairs. It seemed like a no-brainer, or so I thought.
But then things started to get murky. The vintage wedding dresses looked out of place along side the modern wedding dresses. Everything had to be rearranged. Employees had to merge. People balked at having to make an appointment. It all just turned into a big mess. So in an effort to please everyone (yes, I am a card carrying People Pleaser) I moved the vintage wedding dresses downstairs. I made them available to try on without an appointment. Maybe people would like this!? Maybe this would solve the problem?! But after watching many a brides face fall when she saw the small rack of tightly packed vintage wedding dresses I realized it wasn't working. Trying on wedding dresses takes time and a lot of space. The dressing room area at Xtabay is great for trying on a cocktail dress but a wedding gown from the 1930's with a cathedral length train? No.
So, in an effort to provide every bride with the love and service she deserves we have moved the vintage wedding gowns upstairs to what was formerly Xtabay Vintage Bridal Salon and is now officially The English Dept. That means an appointment has to be made. I know a lot of you out there are intimidated by the idea of a private appointment but let me reassure you, they are a TON of fun and not scary at all. Plus you get to drink champagne with your friends and kick back in the heavenly atmosphere. You really owe it to yourself to indulge in such bridal bliss.
Still not too keen on making an appointment? Here's the good news! Starting this Saturday, The English Dept. will be open for browsing without an appointment from 3pm-6pm. Think of it as a weekly happy hour for looking at wedding dresses! Let me repeat, every Saturday (and only Saturday) The English Department will be open from 3-6pm for browsing without an appointment.
Here is the thing to keep in mind with the vintage wedding dresses. They tend to be very small. Honestly, in the last five years I think I've only found a handful of vintage wedding dresses that were larger than a size 10. I've said it before and I'll say it again, people were just smaller back then. Smaller feet, smaller heads and definitely smaller waistlines. So if you come to the shop looking for an authentic 1950's wedding dress and none of them are in your size, try not to be disappointed. They rarely fit ANYBODY. Even Miss Cross Fit USA who never ate a carb in her entire life would have a tough time squeezing into one of these gowns! I'm serious. That's one of the reasons I started carrying new wedding dresses, they can be ordered in any size!
So if you come by the Xtabay looking for the vintage wedding gowns, they have moved BACK upstairs, where they belong, in the luxurious bridal salon ABOVE the shop. Please visit The English Department website at
theenglishdept.com to schedule an appointment to try on both our vintage and new designer wedding gowns, or pop in Saturday between 3-6pm to check out the selection.
Most importantly, I want to thank everyone for being so kind and patient while I've awkwardly and not very gracefully tried to figure this all out. Simplifying can be a lot more complicated than I thought.
XO,
Liz
