Dao Chloe Dao

Drove past this place a million times when it was Lot 8. I can’t believe I’ve never been in this place?! I recently received a stunning top as a gift and saw it was from here, so I went today to see this place for myself. WOW… beautiful and wearable dresses… gorgeous tops… it was candy for my eyes! I have too much butt for the slacks I tried on. Other than that, these pieces are fun and feminine, have a great fit, and unlike a lot of the clothes you will find in other Houston shops. Helpful staff. I happily spent too much money in this place. I will be back! xoxo

I love this place! It’s the cutest boutique in town! They carry Chloe’s own designs along with a carefully curated selection from other designers. They hit a really good range of prices, from $ 40 to $ 1000+. There’s something for everybody! The salespeople were so nice and helpful too.

It isn’t often that you can find a local designer that’s recognized around the world, unless you’re Project Runway winner Chloe Dao. Let start off by saying that I’m a die hard loyalist. Why? Because her designs are always fun, flirty, and fresh.
Here’s my review:
Store — it’s a mix between Chloe’s own designs and other fun labels that she hand picks to sell.
Service — with a smile! You’re almost always guaranteed to see Syndey at the store, and she’ll remember who you are after your first visit. On most Sundays, you’ll find Chloe there helping… and who doesn’t want a personalized shopping experience with Chloe?! She adorable, like adorable.
Price — For a true high end designer, her clothes are actually a steal, and for the other labels that she carries, they are mid price range.
All in all, she’s a 5 star rating. Do yourself a favor and check her store out on a Sunday. Don’t be shy to say hello, trust me, you’ll thank me later for it.

Super chic selection of clothes for going out in the day or evening. I loved the FEEL of the clothes – very nice quality. This boutique is a must-​see if you’re looking for on-​trend, quality pieces.

I’ve been a fan of Chloe Dao since before Chloe Dao was Chloe Dao. Way back before she was on Project Runway, and right when Lot 8 opened. Her designs are really made for women, they are feminine without being frilly and stepford wife, and play up to actual women’s bodies. She uses really great fabrics, design and has a fantastic eye for color. I can almost always find a solid dress or top when I got into her store. Black Friday, I had a plan as they had a 40% off sale, which is huge. Most of her stuff is decently priced around $ 80-​$ 100 for a dress, $ 50+ for tops. She also designs the most gorgeous formal dresses which I wish I had somewhere to wear them to. I almost bought a blue stunner just to twirl around my house in for the hell of it. My only complaint is most of her really great stuff isn’t any bigger than an 8. Most of the really really really gorgeous dresses are a 4 or 6, which I can understand from a design aspect, but unfortunately my body won’t fit into. Honestly it may be a good thing, because I may be broke if I did. In the end of the day, I walked away with a beautiful snakeskin print maxi, pretty green Chevron top, and beautiful black lace dress for a really good price. Chloe herself was in there (on black friday!) helping everyone, smiling, and providing donuts and coffee to the early risers. Just another reason why I will continue to be a life long supporter and shopper of Ms. Dao.

I no longer live in Houston, but I couldn’t have been more proud when Chloe brought home the Project Runway crown to my hometown, H-​town.
I didn’t know what to expect when I walked in although Chloe impressed me (and the judges apparently) on Bravo. To my delight, the space is light, bright, colorful and really welcomes you. You immediately get a sense that these are people who care about fashion, not just looking good but feeling good too. Fashion is not frivolous. It’s about putting your best foot forward! Chloe knows this and she’s sharing her secrets at her boutique.
The sales girls are über friendly and helpful because they believe in the merchandise, no high pressure sales tactics. To my surprise, the boutique hits a wide range of price points. There’s something for every woman here. I really love the feminine dresses and patterns, simple but not simplistic, engaging without overpowering.
What’s most impressive is Chloe herself! She knows body types. I have a friend who had a dress made here and it was a wonderful experience for her. Let’s face it. We don’t all have runway ready bodies. Chloe knows what will flatter you and what won’t and she’ll let you know and do what it takes to make it work. She’s so down to earth that you know she’s doing you a favor when she gives it to you straight. She takes pride in her work and she’s there to make you look your best, not just to make a sale. Good for her!
Check this place out and support a local celebrity who’s keeping it real in the fast-​paced fashion world. That’s not easy in Texas, especially Houston, which is often overshadowed by Dallas in the grand scheme of things. Chloe had the chops to go all the way. Now I know how she did it!

I am obsessed with Chloe’s Clothes! Her attention to detail and flatters all body types! Every time I shop there for an event for something to wear the staff is so amazingly warm and friendly and accommodating. Also offered to do alteration super fast! Her SALES are great and she also has other brands in there besides her own that is good for any budget. I picked up a cork cross body for $ 40! I love supporting local talent and makes me proud to see her store and brand thriving. Also Chloe stops in time to time so you can meet the talented NICEST person. Another thing i must be lucky because I always get parking right in front of the store! Highly recommend the I hi-​lo top in black that I wear to work and play!

If you are looking for a great unique boutique in houston, definitely hit up Lot 8! Been a big fan of Chloe Dao’s designs for over a decade. Every time I go in the store I always find multiple pieces that work together and separately. It’s the perfect place to find a one of a kind special occasion (party) dress. Chloe and her sister Syndey have a Fantastic eye for what works for your body type. Nothing like personal service from one of Houston’s celebrities.

Love going to this boutique!

Excellent place to shop! When I am in town to visit, I always make sure I drop by the boutique and check out the lastest things. The staff is very attentive and friendly. There are items in different prices range so there is always a hidden gem to be found. This is a fabulous place! If you are ever in the Rice U area, drop by and check it out!

Love this store! I have been shopping there since they first opened. I can always find an outfit for every occasion. Great customer service that the staff knows the customers name. The prices are very reasonable. Chloe Dao also custom makes clothing for individuals. You never have to worry about someone else having on the same outfit. Chloe’s line is a must have piece for your wardrobe.

Although the dresses carried in this store are cute, the dresses that they make to order and even the alterations that are performed are subpar. I had to get fitted for a bridesmaid dress 5 times, and was accused of changing sizes every single time. The areas we had to keep adjusting were the length and the chest size, both of which have not changed on my body for 10+ years! The frustrating part was that it was another $ 100 on top of an already expensive dress per alteration. We would do the fittings and have the grand plan, and then I would get back an average looking dress with only a few of the changes we discussed.
Just to give an example, after 5 fittings I said the dress looked like a burlap sack. The designer agreed with me, and then said it was because the fabric choice and dress design didn’t go together. However, the designer had sent us the design choices and had known the fabric all along. Why did you continue with the many fittings if you knew the product was going to look like a burlap sack? When we made a simple suggestion to change it, we were told that would be like designing a whole new dress, and that we would incur additional charges again.
I ended up spending more on this bridesmaid dress than I did on my own wedding dress after all the additional costs and alterations were done, and the dress is average at best. The saving grace was a local tailor, who made all the changes and fit it perfectly in 2 days for a small fee.
Overall, I was extremely disappointed. I used to shop in this store regularly, and I will never go back now. Although they talk a good game, the actual service provided is horrid.

If the rating had a negative sign, I would have ranked it that way as well.
I am a recent bride, who decided to forgo ordering a traditional bridesmaid dress for my brides and allowed them to pick a design of their own dresses, as long as all dresses were from the same material. I am a big Project Runway fan, and have also been to Chloe Dao’s boutique in the Rice Village many times, so naturally I decided to use one of my favorite designers to make the dresses for the most important occasion of my life.
This was the WORST decision of the entire wedding process. If you are a bride or bridesmaid looking to have something made for you by Chloe, do not walk, RUN away!
From the very beginning of the process, it was flawed. I had picked a particular material that I wanted to have the dresses made out of. Being the planner that I am, I contacted Chloe at least 4 – 5 months prior to the wedding. Imagine my surprise when I contacted Chloe 3 months later, and she told me that she was not able to find the same exact material through her suppliers. While she led me to believe the new material was somewhat similar in color, imagine my surprise when I actually came to the store and the material was the color of red wine as opposed to the paprika orange I had previously selected.
Let me highlight, that Chloe did not volunteer this information, it was made available to me, only after I inquired about it. At this point I took matters into my own hands and went to High Fashion, where the material was readily available for me to purchase.
Since I purchased the material on my own, I asked Chloe if she would adjust the price of the dresses accordingly. Surprise moment number two! Chloe had tried to change the price of the dresses mid-​way throughout the process. She then tried to makeup the price since she couldn’t remember the original price she quoted me. Luckily, I had saved an email from Chloe with previous price quotes and was able to pin her down on the originally quoted price.
Chloe has made 4 bridesmaid dresses for us, NOT A SINGLE one of them has fit properly. All of the dresses have had to have significant alterations. While Chloe claims that she makes the dresses per her standard sizes and not custom, she either does not know how to measure people properly or she doesn’t know how to translate those measurements into actual designs. All the dresses were off by a factor of 3 – 4 sizes, in addition to having to pay $ 80-​$ 100 in additional alteration fees at the first fitting!!!
Finally, I would like address customer service and alterations process. In the process of alterations Chloe has continuously refused to take ANY responsibility for her lackluster skills as both a seamstress or a designer. One of the bridesmaids has had to go back four times, and each time Chloe has accused her of either changing height, weight or bra size. One of these incidents took place a week apart! When I saw the final product, a «custom made» dress which cost over $ 500 — to say the bridesmaid and myself were disappointed is a massive understatement. Even small details like the stitching of a zipper in the dress were awful. The zipper was sewn in crooked and formed bubbles in the back. The dress was all wrong and Chloe accused the bridesmaid of having a difficult body shape and picking the wrong design and material. Well, it was actually Chloe who designed the dress with the difficult material for the bridesmaid, and isn’t it her job as a seamstress/​designer to make the most flattering designs for all body types?! So, who is really to blame here??!
To sum it up: Chloe has been extremely unprofessional, rude and not in the least bit accommodating. Neither I, nor any of my bridesmaids will ever shop in her store again and I hope after hearing my story you will follow in suit. Luckily, we were able to take most of the dresses to an alterations shop called «Martin Tailors» who were able to save and cover for Chloe’s inadequacies as a designer and as a seamstress.”

This is my go-​to place for dresses. For years, I trekked around the Galleria, mission-​shopping for ONE DRESS that would fit my body properly for weddings, parties, etc. Once I found Lot 8, the Galleria lost my business. I NEVER leave this store without something awesome and new in my hands. If you want a dress you won’t see a duplicate of at whatever event you are attending, this is the place. Alterations on site. Bonus: If you are shopping solo and need someone to help you make a final call, Sydney will help you make the call to pull the trigger or return it to the racks… LOVE THIS PLACE. Have begun finding more casual clothes here in the past couple of years. Don’t miss the clearance racks in the back!

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a huge fun of Project Runway, and Bravo in general… also, I admit that my reviews are typically on the higher side of the spectrum… but why waste time talking about something that I didn’t enjoy in the first place?
That being said, Chloe’s store was one of the first places that I visited after moving to Houston, and she did not disappoint! Heidi was right when she said that Chloe really knows a woman’s body… all of the clothes that we tried on looked amazing. Most of her clothes are for the party crowd… slinky dresses and backless tops filled the racks. The clothes were a but pricy, but at least you can take comfort in knowing that there’s a pretty slim chance that you’ll run into another girl in the same outfit.
I took some out of town guests here last weekend, and we found THE DRESS!!! Yes, the halter dress with pockets that she included on her final runway show… I tried it on and i loved it, but I couldn’t rationalize the price when I had nowhere to wear it… I need to talk one of my friends into getting married soon or something.
If you’re female and coming to Houston, GO HERE. You’ll love it.

After finally making it into Lot 8, I left a bit disappointed. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the clothes were all really cute, but there were a few things I’d expected. The high prices was one (expect things to average between $ 100 – 300). What I also expected was that there would be much more actually designed by Chloe herself. I was shocked that so much of the store was by other designers. Sure it was all cute and all in line of her style, but it was still disappointing.
The salesgirls were for the most part really friendly. They made it a point to address us by name (once they wrote it on the dressing room mirrors) which was a nice touch. They seemed to really enjoy their job and be into fashion which is obvious plus.
I was really impressed with the sales racks that really marked down a lot of the clothes. Some of the tops were even marked down to $ 20 which was shocking. I was a little perturbed by the sizing in the store however. I’m not a large girl by any means, but holy cow. While that isn’t the fault of the store, there’s nothing more harmful to the ego than trying on something «in your size» and then realizing that the person who made the dress uses a different size chart than the rest of the world. Hmph.
The accessories are so cute and actually pretty affordable. Since most of the stuff is a bit dressier than I need for everyday things, I’m not sure I’ll be coming back as often (unless the hubby ends up taking me out to some glamorous events in the future!) as I’d like.

Review #7
I love the halter tops and dresses here. But the price is pretty astronomical.
I mean ~ $ 300 for a simple dress? Yes, pretty pricey but I guess if you can afford it, it’s a good thing.
The clothes do appear to be F21 status, but no where near, the fabric is of a different quality and again the cuts are very unique.
I hope Chloe can make it big!

I came here because i am a huge fan of project runway, but i was extremely disappointed with what i found at her store. I thought while the pieces were very well made, the styling and design of the pieces reminded me a lot of Forever 21 items– which led to me believing that perhaps she shouldnt of won that season.
I also was a little taken back by how many items she had that were of other labels, not even well known or even well designed pieces. The staff was really nice, the store has a nice open, clean feeling to it. I just wouldn’t really think of purchasing anything from it.

So I won’t lie, I never would have walked into this store without knowing it was Chloe Dao’s labor of love. I also was half hoping she would be there, half not because I didn’t know what I would say! Hah.
Anyway, onto the review…
The store has a great aesthetic: clean lines with a modern/​industrial feel, but colorful enough to make you not feel like you are in a hospital. My interactions with the staff were good– one of the women promptly greeted me and helped me put my things into a dressing room. (Aside: They put your name on a little mirror next to the dressing room, so you know which one is yours right off the bat. Cute idea.) I was a little disappointed that there seemed to be a clear lack of sizes for us… double digit ladies, but the store seems to cater to women in the smaller categories. Most of the clothes, though, were lovely, if not a little repetitive. I actually didn’t mind though, because as someone stated below, the accessories were gorgeous and not obscenely expensive.
My only wish is that parking be a little more manageable (you can park across the street but construction right now is awful), and that more large sizes can be created. Overall, if I (a) managed to come upon a large sum of money and (b) managed to shrink in body size (what a good day that would be!) I would love to come here and just revel in the retail experience. Fun store with enjoyable browsing and nice sales associates. I’ll come back, and maybe will get a peek at the infamous Chloe. :D

Why aren’t you at Lot 8 shopping right now? It’s owned by Chloe Dao (winner of Project Runway, season 2) and features her designs as well as other cute, trendy-​but-​not-​in-​that-​bad-​way clothes for women (of course) AND men (though those aren’t generally the same thing).
If you need a cute dress for a cocktail party, wedding, or other fancyschmancy event, I strongly recommend Lot 8. If you like shopping and/​or clothes, I also have to recommend Lot 8. There are also cute purses and, believe it or not, a salon, so you could go from mess to dressed without ever leaving the store. I feel a makeover show coming on…