Savvi Formalwear and Bridal

I came here on my lunch hour without an appointment. Unlike the other reviews I didn’t have any issues. I came with the expectation service would be slow since they were helping other customers with appointments. Ashleigh was very helpful and even brought me some bridesmaid’s dresses I could order in white since I was not looking for anything too fancy. I still have more shopping before I make a decision. Overall, I was pretty satisfied with the service given I did not have an appointment.
People, please be realistic on your expectations when you do not have an appointment. These types of establishments require appointments and it should be common sense. If you are walking in without an appointment expect the sales staff to be occupied with their appointment. If they can work you in, great! If not, make your appointment and come back when they can give you their full attention. You would not want to be that bride with an appointment and have a walk in constantly interrupting your scheduled time with questions or having your sales consultant disappear to help walk ins.

They had very few tux options. I was very disappointed in the selection of rentals. The fit was very poor and my fiancé generally looks good in anything. The rentals were boxy and very limited in alterations that could be made. The color options were ok but the vests made them look like cheap theater ushers and they only offered patent leather shoes. They advertise having tuxes for women (one of my bridesmaids isn’t wearing a dress) but they only had one option and it sucked.
Even though we had an appointment, the staff was very inattentive. Our consultant would go to get something and forget, then she would stop to chat with the other associates since they weren’t busy then wander back so I could ask again for a different size or style for them to try on. I had to hunt her down several times to ask questions or make changes. In the end, I ask her to give me the information for what they had settled on and we would make a decision and let them know. She said they didn’t have anything to give me so she would have to write it out by hand. Then acted like it was an inconvenience when I ask her to do just that.
Needless to say, we won’t be ordering from them no matter how good their prices are.

Came here to get measurements for a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I am in in PA. I told the lady at the front desk what I needed and she brusquely whipped out her tape measure and barked the measurements at me as I frantically dug in my purse for pen and paper to write it down. Very rude. (And it was lunchtime on a weekfay-​there was no one else in the store so it’s not like I was preventing her from getting to other customers) While I realize I wasn’t currently giving them any business, had they been friendly and more helpful, I’d perhaps consider them in the future if I needed formalwear. Now, they will definitely be nowhere near the top of my list. Especially after reading the other reviews here, it seems even if you are looking to give them business they still treat you the same. Incredible.

I recently got engaged and decided to start early with wedding dress shopping, so I Came to Savii formalwear looking for a wedding dress and upon entering the young lady at the front desk did not say a word when I walked in and then minutes later asked can I help you? My initial thought of this place was it looked nice but after I told her I wanted to look at wedding dresses, she then told me I had to look at the book, Because I needed an appointment, I asked her why that wasn’t posted on their door or anywhere in their store and she said its on their website and proceeded to give me a blank condescending stare! I said ok and asked for the catalog and proceeded to look through their catalog even though I wanted to just walk out, I kept my cool and looked though the catalog. Which actually had nice wedding dresses to chose from, but unfortunately my poor experience left such a bad taste to even come back to this establishment.
At one point the young lady at the front desk Rochelle proceeded to ignore me, while I was asking her a question in mid sentence she picked up the phone and started having a conversation on the phone, I was so perplexed and beside myself but I just ignored it and continue looking at the book. Then she walked away from the front desk for about 10 mins and went behind a door where I’m assuming is an office and left me standing there without any assistance or even saying excuse me I have to go the the back or anything. Mind you there was no one else in the store but me and another bride with a consultant trying on dresses in the back of the store. When she finally decided to return 10 mins later I asked her why she disappeared and she stated that she is the only one working and I told her that there is no one else in the store and she just gave me a blank stare.
I told her that the reviews I read before coming here we’re right about this establishment. She was very rude and disrespectful and this has got to be the worst business or should I says sales person I have ever encountered!

Came here today looking for a wedding dress and upon entering the young lady at the front desk asked why I was here? I told her I wanted to look at wedding dresses, then told me I had to look at the book, Because I needed an appointment, I asked her why that wasn’t posted on their door or anywhere in their store and she said its on their website and proceeded to give me a blank condescending stare! Like who looks at a website and looks for the fine print anyway and if your just in the area I guess you can’t just stop by! I said ok and asked for the catalog and proceeded to look through their catalog even though I wanted to just walk out, I kept my cool and looked though the catalog. Then the young lady at the front desk Rochelle proceeded to ignore me and while I was asking her a question she picked up the phone and started having a conversation on the phone while I was in mid sentence, I was so perplexed and beside myself that I just ignored it and continue looking at the book. Then Rochelle walked away from the font desk for about 10 mins and went behind a door where I’m assuming is an office and left me standing there with out saying excuse me I have to go the the back or anything. Mind you there was no one else in the store but me and another bride with a consultant trying on dresses in the back of the store. When she finally decided to return 10 mins later I asked her why she disappeared and she stated that she is the only one working and I told her that there is no one else in the store and she just gave me a blank stare.
I told her that the reviews I read on Unilocal we’re right and she was very rude and disrespectful but instead she though it was ok to tell a CUSTOMER that they were rude and she has never dealt with someone like me before! I was standing there enraged and confused as to how an employee could treat a customer with such disrespect regardless if she thought I was in the wrong you should never talk to a customer like that ever!!! I guess she had never heard of the CUSTOMER is always right. I’m a nurse and if I was to ever treat or talk to my customer the way she spoke to me I would be out of a job really quick! She continued to argue with me and made hand gestures saying that «I’ve never dealt with that before as she’s pointing to me» I told her that I would like to speak with her manger and she gave me a smart remark that I can call her tomorrow and that she has never have a customer like me before! Like really who says that to a customer even if that’s how you feel you should never let a customer know how you feel about them negatively and more importantly never disrespect a customer.
This has got to be the worst business or should I say sales person I have ever been encounter with ever!!! I will be contacting her manager Ashleigh ASAP! Rochelle condescendingly stated that she has been working with the company for 3 years and maybe that’s why they only have 1 ½ stars on Unilocal!I went there against my better judgment hoping that the reviews were wrong but they weren’t they were so right. Very pathetic and sorry business!!! I am expecting an apology from someone because this was just embarrassing! Very poor non existent customer service!!! Stay away!!!

I rented a tux from Savvi for a wedding party I belonged to.
The jacket was three sizes too big in the chest and too long in the arms. I had to scramble at 8:30 am the day of the wedding to find a tailor in the town the wedding was being held in. Luckily, I found someone who only charged me $ 50 to make the alterations, which worked for the night.
When I call Savvi that Saturday to discuss the problem with them, they let me know that they reimbursed for $ 35 of an alteration. No apologies were offered, and when I asked to speak to the owner/​manager, I was told that they were dealing with customers (I was one too; one that already paid $ 200 for a tuxedo rental) and that I would receive a call on Monday.
Monday rolls around and I get no phone call. So I called at lunch on Tuesday to discuss the situation further with them. Again, no apology, but a request for my receipt, which I had at home and sent the next morning (Wednesday). I was told that I would get a call upon their receiving the proof of the alterations, but I had to follow up on Wednesday afternoon. I finally received an apology and an offer to be reimbursed all $ 50. I asked for a 50% reimbursement on the rental for the groomsman activities I missed out on trying to find a tailor and for the hassle and lack of regard for a paying customer. I was put on hold and the owner/​manager made things right by offering a full refund. It should have happened up front, but they finally came around.
My review is based more on interaction (via phone) with employees, who couldn’t muster an ounce of sympathy until they sensed my frustration. Otherwise, the tux was nice (not a «slim» fit even after the alterations; it was an Ike Behar tux) and clean upon delivery to us. We looked nice for the wedding (post alterations). In most other instances, I would probably give them another shot, but weddings are too important for items to not be perfect.

It was especially special for me to purchase my wedding gown at Savvi Formalwear for my October 2015 wedding. Savvi was my first job once I moved to Raleigh after college and Denise (owner) and I have stayed in contact even after I moved onto my new role. Savvi carries gorgeous designers at extremely reasonable prices and I wouldn’t have wanted to get my gown from anywhere else — in fact I’m purchasing both sides of the bridal party outfits from there as well. Definitely a must visit during your wedding planning – Thank you Denise!

From one bridesmaid, (and former bride) to another, PLEASE heed this advice…
The bride, (we will call her Ann), made an appointment, in advance, for a day of celebrating with her maids and choosing «that perfect dress» to stand beside her on the most important day of her life. Needless to say, as you have seen the 1 star review, Savvi Bridal and Formal wear could not and WOULD not deliver.
Ann and her bridesmaids drove from all over the state and one flew in from Georgia to make the said appointment. After little acknowledgement, for an hour or so, Natalie, (a consultant) came to give us direction. All of the bridesmaids in attendance, who are all married and well versed in bridal matters, had begun the process of choosing colors and fabrics with no complaint.
Natalie, who was so sweet, pointed us in the direction of where to begin with the silhouette we desired. After choosing about 12 dresses, we expected to be whisked away to the beautiful and lush bridal showroom for a «yes to the dress!» moment.
Were we ever DISAPPOINTED!
We were forced to disrobe and change in the gentle men’s dressing rooms, which are located in the MIDDLE of the store, without much privacy or a full length mirror. (Think 15 random customers, without appointments, trying to enter your dressing room with your breasts exposed and hoping it’s your consultant you have an appointment with to zip you instead).
The beautiful «bridal» changing rooms had 2 of 3 signs showing vacancy at this point.
When we asked Natalie about the availability to share just 1 of those rooms, she explained she had to ask permission of her manager Denise.
Oh Denise, whom must have lost her knack for customer service and accommodation when the artist formally known as Prince became an unpronounceable symbol, said,“these rooms are for bridal appointments”.
Well ladies, (and probably not so many gentlemen reading this bridal review), we DID in fact have an appointment. To which Denise replied, «I can appreciate the fact that you have an appointment, but we have other appointments after yours who many need those rooms».
Well why did we wait an HOUR for this?
So we quietly sucked it up and tried on our dresses in the «Captain’s Quarters» as sweet Natalie tried to smooth things over. Natalie brought over, per my request, heels and clamps to make it a special day for the bride to be. And the world was right until…
A groom, seemingly without an «appointment» walked in the door. I, in my «favorite of the bunch», dress walked out to show Ann. Natalie, within earshot told him, «I’m so sorry they, (us-​with said appointment) have taken the men’s fitting rooms, let me direct you to a bridal suite (all we ever wanted) to finish your fitting».
Let me tell you, this was the ONLY time during this whole experience, that I became heated.
We redressed, gathered our belongings, told Natalie that she had been very sweet and LEFT.
We took our business to Carolina Bridal World in Smithfield, NC. They welcomed us with open arms, big smiles and a huge selection with focused consultants.
PLEASE, spend YOUR money and the extra 30 minute drive with these caring professionals. You won’t be sorry.
You can thank me later.

Brides, save yourself some stress and AVOID any orders from this store!
Savvi is incredibly disorganized and their saleswomen are not consistent in their knowledge of designer sizing. They have very poor customer service over the phone and insanely poor filing and record keeping.
I selected Savvi Formalwear for my bridesmaid dresses. Upon first visit, the store was clean and the saleswomen were friendly. I was shopping during prom season (early Spring) and was very pleased to find that they had moved their entire prom selection to a temporary store at Southpoint Mall.
I chose a Bill Levkoff style dress and had my Maid of Honor try on the style in the store. It was too big and the wrong color, but the saleswoman, Ashley, was helpful enough to clip my sister and provide us with a small swatch of the color I selected (sangria).
It was after this that all the troubles began.
First of all, this store is ridiculously disorganized with their paperwork. Despite numerous visits, they always had me fill out new paperwork, which just added to their mess. Each time I called, I was on hold (or got disconnected) for at least 5 minutes while they attempted to locate my information. Twice they realized they had the wrong file halfway through the conversation. This happened multiple times when my bridesmaids called as well.
Next, the saleswomen are entirely subjective on their sizing recommendations. After measuring my bridesmaids (at various visits) different saleswomen advised ordering up and down, claiming to one that Levkoff dresses ran big but to another bridesmaid that they ran small.
Perhaps this is why they make you sign a crazy disclaimer which basically says that is is 100% the fault of the purchaser if the dress doesn’t fit and that there is absolutely nothing Savvi can or will do about it.
Another thorn in my side was their incentive that each of my maids would receive $ 20 off their dress because I had a large party (6 girls). The catch was that each girl had to purchase the dress at full price and then Savvi would refund them the $ 20 later. Right. I had to call multiple times to remind them of this policy that they were advertising, only to find that they had cleared all my maid’s credit card information and that in order to receive the credit each maid would need to call the store to provide their credit card information again. Lovely.
My dresses arrived 3 weeks after Savvi said they would be in and I firmly believe that it was because Savvi didn’t place the order in time, as they do not have any sense of organization whatsoever.
I’ll have to post again after the groomsmen get their tuxes, as we also placed the tux rentals through them.

I went into this store about 6+months ago and remember it not having that many good reviews but it seemed that it had just moved locations. Maybe that is to blame for some disorganization.
My experience was similar to another girls where I only went in to get fitted for a Bill Levkoff dress so I could order from a shop out of town with all the other bridal party. I told them this and expected the staff to be unfriendly since I wasn’t planning on buying. Fortunately, it was not. The lady was very friendly, let me try on the dress and sized me.
Down to the big point: I am in two weddings and both brides ordered Bill Levkoff designs (not same dress). The sales lady at Savvi sized me and explained they run big and she had the size chart with her. I went with her size. After ordering the dress, I didn’t keep record of the size.
Couple months later, I go to another shop in a different state to pick out my other Bill Levkoff dress with the other bride and that sales lady sized me and ordered that dress.
Both times I was sized and the sales ladies had the charts.
I just received both dresses. Savvi’s was a 14 and fits perfectly!!!
The other store ordered me a 20! It is 3 times too big. They run big. It says so on the website. And I sized myself today to see I fit in between the 18 – 20 size. So, Savvi knows their stuff. I’m going to pay a ton to alter this size 20 dress.

In early November I called the suggested bridal shop in Raleigh, NC to order a bridesmaids dress for a wedding I am in. The wedding is June 21^st, so very soon! I ordered the dress in November after being measured at a local bridal shop. I told them I am usually a size 0 – 2. They insisted that the dresses run small and that I would be a size 6 in Mori Lee. Well, they were wrong and they sent me a size 6 anyway. I am swimming in the dress and they say there is nothing else they can do besides rush order me another in which I would have to pay another $ 200 for along with shipping. The store will not offer to even help in the $ 150 in alterations the dress needs because they are «not responsible» although they are the ones that ordered the wrong dress. Go somewhere else!

I went into Savvi searching for help with sizing and ordering a bridesmaid dress for an upcoming wedding. The sales woman, Suzanne, was absolutely wonderful. She sized me for free, gave me the information I was looking for, and when I remarked on the price — she gave me advice for other dress options. She was understanding and kind and incredibly helpful considering that I was spending nothing at the store. The bride ended up choosing dresses from David’s Bridal simply for the ease and lower price that comes with it, but the service at Savvi was infinitely better than what I received at David’s.

I went to Savvi to look at some bridesmaid dresses for my October wedding. Denise was so horribly unpleasant and rude. When I remarked that my bridesmaids are all similar in size so I thought this would be a pretty easy process (they’re beautiful girls who would look great in anything), Denise said, «oh, you have to be thin to be your friend?» We took our business elsewhere.

I went to Savvi to get my bridesmaids dress. The process was quick and easy, and the owner, Denise was the one who measured me for my dress. When my dress finally arrived, it was ATLEAST two sizes too small. Having recently lost weight, I knew this had to be a mix up. I called Denise at the store, and she was EXTREMELY rude to me and told me it was my own fault the dress did not fit. She said she would not take any responsibility for the dress being sized badly, and that my only option was to either buy ANOTHER dress from her (over my dead body) or find a tailor who could perform a miracle. What shocked me the most was that another sales associate named Suzanna told me that they had been having this problem quite often. Ladies, I suggest you take your business ANYWHERE else. Thanks to Denise not knowing what she is doing, I almost had to drop out of my oldest friend’s wedding. The hassle and the heartache was most definitely not worth it. If you do decide to use this store, do not let the owner anywhere near your dresses.

I came to Savvi after rather terrible experience at Bridal Boutique of North Carolina and a disappointing experience at Alexia’s.
Savvi is in a shopping center. When you walk in it seems really tiny and overwhelming. When we walked in we already felt defeated, but boy, were we surprised!!! We saw brides coming out of small dressing rooms and walking around in small, crowded showroom of tuxedos and bridesmaid gowns. HOWEVER, I made an appointment. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!
They took me to the back of the showroom and there was an extra large room with a pedestal, a wall of mirrors, veils, accessories, bridal decorations, and a bridal consultant that was actually interested in me. Barbara was GREAT! She listened to what I wanted and brought me tons of dresses. She helped me get them on and off with ease. She was accommodating to sizing, pricing, and was very honest. I found the dress of my dreams! My Mom, Maid of Honor, and I cried as soon as I put it on. Barbara truly made my day and I will be forever grateful!
They also have an excellent selection of bridesmaid dresses. We picked out four dresses and chose colors. Because we found the bridesmaid dresses there, for four girls (have to have 3 or more maids), we got 15% off of our total for the bridesmaid dresses and 7% off my wedding dress.
This week we are going back to visit Barbara and get her help with suits. I cannot recommend this place enough! Don’t be put-​off by the size and location. A great find! ASK FOR BARBARA!