There is a place in Lima, Perú where you can get custom made dresses and suits. Created to your size, your desired color, and you can even get some tweaks, like different necklines or to add/remove sleeves.
The options here are amazing! So many pretty designs! Multiple floors of shopping and multiple streets filled with stores.
If you’re looking to make your fairytale dress dreams come true – you have to check this place out! Prices vary but are usually quite reasonable, especially if you’re paying in USD vs. Peruvian Soles.
The only catch? Ah-hah, yes, there is a catch. Welcome to another round of Peruvian culture shocks. Now buckle in, we’re about to get fancy.
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The Dress Market
The dress market in downtown Lima, El Balcón de las Novias, is known for the endless options of custom made dresses and suits for all your major events. From quinceaneras to weddings and everything in between. If you’re in the market for a dress or suit this is the place for you.
- Looking for a matching wedding dress and suit for the bride and groom?
- Interested in getting the perfect set of bridesmaid dresses?
- Do you need a dress to attend prom?
Check, check, check! They have it and all the colorful options in between!
You can of course always go dress shopping in other areas, like Miraflores (usually more expensive) and Gamarra (for cheaper options), but if you want it custom, this is the place to check out.
With store upon store of gorgeous custom designed gowns, shopping here is a real treat. The dresses are all eye-catching, and after you get your dress, you can go downstairs and get a suit to match. In addition to all the options at El Balcón de las Novias, you can find many more shops outside and around this part of town.
The Culture Shocks
Shopping here, while equal parts bright, colorful, and amazing, it is also an equal part full of culture shocks for me.
Though I don’t have much experience trying on fancy dresses for formal events, I was able to try on a few wedding dresses back in the States before moving to Perú. My personal experience between dress shopping in the USA and shopping in Perú proved to be vastly different.
Let’s jump in and explore a few of the culture shocks I experienced.
Number One: The Timing
I first experienced El Balcón de las Novias when looking for a wedding dress. I had been told about the ability to get custom made dresses here. However, there was just no way I would be able to experience Perú’s beautiful custom made dresses with the time we had left before our wedding date. I was left with the reality that I would have to buy one off the rack.
This is when I discovered for maybe the third time, that Perú operates on its own understanding of time. (The first two times are certainly for another culture shock post.)
To my complete surprise, we were able to get a customized dress, ready for pickup in 1-2 weeks. It takes me longer than that to sew a dress half as fancy – like this one.
Number Two: Interesting Shopping Discoveries
Here are some interesting things I learned about shopping for custom made dresses in Perú:
- You are only allowed to try on one or two dresses at a shop. And usually, you don’t jump between shops trying on dresses at each one.
- After a full day of shopping, I have typically only tried on maybe two dresses total, and one of those dresses I will have bought and customized.
- This is not the place to come and play dress up or go shopping for a fun day out. Try to be respectful of people’s time and don’t try on things just for the sake of trying them on.
- As gorgeous as the ball gowns are, I know I will not be wearing them, so it would be incredibly disrespectful if I asked to try them on when I’m not serious about buying it.
- Taking pictures or keeping them on your phone if you’re not buying the dress is sometimes not allowed. Some shops will ask you to delete photos you took in the dress if you decide not to buy it, out of respect to the designer.
- Please don’t take too long trying on dresses. The vendors have other customers to attend to and they can get a little frustrated because they can lose sales if you take too long trying on dresses instead of making a decision to buy it or not.
Of course, I’m sure not all vendors are like this, I just had a couple of interesting experiences.
Number Three: The Highs And Lows
Something interesting that happened to me post-shopping trip is I got what I can only describe as buyer’s remorse. I’ve gone twice now and it has happened to me each time. I’m not usually someone who makes purchases so quickly – especially a fancy, expensive, custom made dress for a special occasion…that I’ll only wear once.
After only spending five or ten minutes with a dress and only trying on two dresses the whole day, I always walk away with the sting of buyer’s remorse. I find myself questioning what I felt while in the dress and trying to remember based off of the couple of pictures I have. Sometimes it’s especially difficult too, when the dress I purchased is a different color and will have tweaks that this sample dress does not.
While shopping for custom made dresses is definitely a high, especially the customization aspect of it, the “buyer’s remorse” I get while waiting to receive the gown is a low. I mean, it’s a dress, it’s not that big of a deal…but I want to look cute. Hah, hah. For some reason, it’s hard on my emotions, maybe because there’s no return policy.
That’s it for this culture shock post – check out some of our others while you’re here.
What did you think of this culture shock and El Balcón de las Novias? Would you ever check it out? And if you could design a custom dress or suit, what would it look like? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to chat!
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