I was excited about the idea of trying on unique sample gowns and having the store all to myself for my appointment. I went alone and felt pressured to purchase a gown, and I later regretted my purchase. Carleen and her associate were helpful and seemed to know fashion but also were reluctant to take pictures of me so I could send to my friends (i went alone), and I did feel like they really wanted me to buy something. I paid in cash and got a paper receipt which did not even say the style of the dress and only the designer, which is problematic for me now when I am trying to resell it. When I went to the tailor they suggested for alterations, I was quoted a price that was almost as much as I paid for the dress, so I ultimately decided to go with a different gown.

I went to the Sample Rack to try on dresses with my best friend and we had an amazing experience. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and they had a great selection of dresses. I would highly recommend!

I lovvvvvvvvvve this shop and it's wonderful people. They made every minute of my experience magical. I am so happy I found my dress here. They are definitely worth it !!!

Carlene is a saint. I can't say enough about her. She went out on a limb when I wasn't satisfied with the dresses I was trying & definitely made the right call. I couldn't stop thinking about the one she put me in. Ultimately it was the dress I chose & was a huge hit at the wedding!

After many visits to different bridal shops this place doesn't compare! They carry many top brands for 1/2 the price! When you enter you are the only client for that time, which is so wonderful. There focus is on finding YOU a dress and you alone! Charlene really listens to you, she only suggests things you can add or alter to make it the perfect dress your looking for! She doesn't push or pressure you to do anything you don't want (accessories etc.) unlike other shops. She also grabs dresses you don't really think would work but I ended up getting the one she picked out for me, I even got super emotional and cried! I tried on many dresses but it never seemed to resonate with me, but once I had that dress on I just knew that was it, no dress made me feel more like a beautiful bride than the one she picked out. The dress looks like a $3,000 dress and I still can't believe I only ended up paying $800 for a beautiful dreamy Ballgown! Charlene definitely knows her stuff! She's very recepti... Read moreve, responsive and professional. Her assistant was just as amazing and sweet! I'd definitely recommend all brides on a budget, or not, to visit this boutique! I'm so grateful that I did. Whether you buy a gown from here or not your experience here will be an amazing one!

Brides- this place is a MUST visit. I had been to a bridal chain store SEVEN TIMES before I decided to stop by this boutique, and my experience at those chain stores nearly brought me to tears. I am a curvy bride, and usually wear size 12-14 (meaning size 16-18 in this crazy bridal world). At these chain stores I visited prior, I was never brought anything that actually fit, or that made me feel beautiful. It seriously got to the point where I doubted I would find a dress that I liked, much less loved. From the first second I stepped into The Sample Rack today, I felt valued, beautiful, special and completely attended to. There were two wonderful women who devoted at least 90 minutes entirely to me, helping me find dresses that actually fit, and that were exactly the style that I wanted (vintage lace, made for curvy body types). Neither woman made me feel like a pariah or a burden for being over a size 10. I mentioned that I liked lace, and illusion necklines, and they brought me a h... Read moreandful of dresses that fit the bill almost exactly. I ended up buying a dress that was HALF the price of a similar dress at the chain store, and of a MUCH better quality. I cannot even begin to put into words what a better experience, and what better quality this store has to offer. Please, please, please make this a stop on your wedding prep. You will not regret it.

I got my dress here and had the most wonderful experience. The dress I ended up with is far above what I could have afforded elsewhere

I had gone to 3 other shops before coming to the Sample Rack, as was recommended to me by them. They want to see pictures of what you like before you come there so they can show you similar dresses. I ended up finding one similar to one I had found elsewhere for half the price. However I was pretty set on having a deeper color and this came with a white slip. They were able to change the slip for a champagne colored one from a similar dress for me, essentially giving me a custom dress. They have good recommendations for tailors and other services as well.

Shopping for my bridal gown was super overwhelming for me. I had my team of bridesmaid & momma in town to help me find The Dress. After many beautiful dresses, my brain got lost in the lace, pearl, sparkle, tulle, etc. I tried on this breathtaking Alvina Valenta dress, but thought it was outside of my price range due to the original store tag still on the dress. I left the store, but couldn’t stop thinking about the gown, so the wonderful staff at The Sample Rack allowed me to come back in as they were closing to try on the dress again. Needless to say, I said YES to the dress and purchased it for 50% less than the retail value. I am very thankful for the patience and kindness of everyone in the shop! Thank you Sample Rack!!

After reading rave reviews for The Sample Rack, I called and scheduled an appointment with Carlene. She asked if I'd tried on dresses previously and advised me that if I found a dress I loved, I should purchase it today because it could be gone tomorrow, so to speak. Sample Rack was the last stop on my day of wedding shop appointments and boy did I save the best for last. I brought my mom and close friend along. Carlene recommended bringing a maximum of two people along since the shop is small. When we arrived, Carlene's wonderful assistants took care of us because Carlene was out sick. The shop is beautiful and caters to only one bride at a time (this ain't David's bridal ladies). We were treated with such respect, offering us water etc. They were so patient and even allowed my mom to help choose the gown (mom's choice was the gown I ended up purchasing). They worked to find a gorgeous dress within my price range that I'd love. No one said "oh you can always change this or that"... Read more as some other pushy shops did. They worked to find the dress I loved. I didn't want to take the gown off and became one of those weepy women from "Say Yes to the Dress" (don't judge me lol). I would absolutely recommend the Sample Rack for stunning and affordable designer gowns and the best service.

I was on a tight schedule and my wedding was in 3 months so i had to go for sample dresses. i did try all bridal store in Center city but i finally brought my wedding dress from The Sample rack. It was an awesome dress. i was in love with it since the time i wore it. I am not a perfect size and have big chest. they had a dress that fit me perfectly i only had to get it altered and i got some bling added to my dress by adding thin rhinestone straps. everybody loved my dress and i have seen the same dress on SYTD. plus i do not have to break a bank for it.

I cannot say enough good things about The Sample Rack! From my very first phone call with Carlene, I knew I was going to have an amazing experience here. On the phone, Carlene was so excited and made me feel like she really wanted to find me the perfect dress. I was put on a waiting list for a Saturday appointment, and a week later, Carlene called again to let me know that a space had opened up! When we showed up, I was surprised to find out that they only do 1 appointment at a time. This made me feel so special! The store is beautiful, and they have lots of absolutely gorgeous designer dresses. The dress Carlene told me about on the phone turned out to be THE PERFECT dress for me! I got a beautiful designer dress for less that half the price. I would not look anywhere else if you are in the Philadelphia area.

I could have no been more thrilled with my dress appointment at the sample rack! They fitted me in last minute on my trip to Philadelphia and allowed me to come back later that day after their last appointment to show my mom the dress. They gave me their full attention and made sure I had the best experience ever!!

Overall, I really appreciated my experience at The Sample Rack! I'll go with the more negative side first: the head consultant is kind of smothering. She has super strong feelings and ideas. She tended to dominate over the other consultant who was really supposed to be working with me. That being said, she was right when it came to my dress! She also basically forced me to dry on a couple of new dresses they had gotten even though 1 was WAY out of my price range and I didn't love the other purely because they wanted to see the dresses on someone. I didn't love that as much. I also didn't like feeling like my price range was "enough." The other salons we visited earlier in the day were definitely more comfortable as far as the personnel who were there, so if you care a lot about that, it's worth considering. The thing is, they rock at what they do and they did help me find my perfect dress. Now for the positive: The 2nd dress I tried on at The Sample Rack was it. We just knew it... Read more! It was the perfect combination of two dresses I liked earlier in the day and it fit my proportions really well. I did not feel rushed at all during the appointment and the consultants worked hard to find dresses in my budget and that worked with my super petite frame. Once I tried on my dress, they were very encouraging. They let me spend time in it, try on a couple of other dresses to confirm that was it, and then put back on my dress and let my mom and crew cry for a while. It was so great. And I love my dress!!