UPDATE: Just a b*tch

so, any busty babes out there waiting for a gold and purple andalusian costume from dahlal, you may be getting a bra much smaller then you thought -
dahlal now has your correct bra.

[bintbeled]

Originally Posted by *maria*

Good news! Just got off the phone from dahlal. We think they put my bra in with someone else's skirt and their bra in with mine.
So, they are sorting everything out, otherwise, I will have a new bra made.
So, I'm a happy customer....

Now I'm picturing a boobalicious dancer opening *her* package from Dahlal and trying to squeeze herself into your bra... oh dear.

So glad this story has taken a happier turn!

[SamiraShuruk]

Yay that it's all working out.
I don't do custom orders for a specific event or date- it's just too dicey.
I've done a few custom order Pharaonics through Dahlal and have always gotten them with the time frame they told me to expect. This year I know I ordered on the last day of their sale (February sometime?). I was expecting it the beginning of June and got it right about then if not a little earlier.

[ErikaOH]

Well, I'm still soooo frustrated.

I called Dahlal again today. They told me she was in Egypt and meeting with Madame Eman in person, and would be bringing back some custom orders to the US with her, but of course they could not confirm that mine would be one of them. She's expected back in the office on September 27th. I told them I would be contacting them on the 27th and if my custom order was not in the batch that was brought back to the US, that I am canceling my order and want a full refund.

It is ridiculous that I ordered this costume on FEBRUARY 15th and STILL have not received it - nor any information on when I really might have it. They say 12-16 weeks for a custom order, well, 16 weeks would've been June 7. So, if...and I stress IF it comes back to the US with her on this trip, I will still have to wait about another 2 weeks for it to get through customs, which will make it 34 weeks total until I actually receive it.

To me, that is unacceptable (even if they do keep giving me the excuse that they had a couple of festivals over the summer that pushed everything back -- back by months????).

This is the first professional costume I have ordered, and the first order of anything ever from Dahlal. Needless to say, I will think twice (or three or four times) before ordering from them again in the future!..

I'm still waiting on an Eman from April 5th myself.

[Nepenthe]

well my update is that I called on 8/24 and heard it was in quality control and that I would get it next week. Card still hasn't been charged and no sign of it. I wonder how long quality control takes?

[latriamou]

i haven't heard from audrena as to my order. i need to call her again, i had a missed call from an iowa number... i ordered it in march, so this is about 6mths... bella doesn't take this long.... sigh...

[latriamou]

ok, i got a hold of her. i ordered the costume in green.. apparently it's not possible to get green lycra in egypt right now. SO she is making it for me in teal and it should be in end of october. sigh....

oh, my dress from bauchladen has been in quality control now for 1 1/2 months.
It's a BS story.
I ordered that in March.

Dahlal is on her way to Egypt with my big purple bra and getting it re-done, and is also meeting with Eman.

[Zsuzsanna]

Seems like there must be something going on with Eman?

[mahira-michelle]

Originally Posted by *maria*

silver's awesome too. I have a silver one and a copper one. They really are the most versatile, work horse type costumes ever.....

I love my great loops. I got a gold one second hand and it still looks great! I just got my black one and it's drool worthy. I ordered it in March or April (I can't remember it's been so long) and it finally came this week. I would love to see a pic of the copper!

[jasani]

Finally got my Great Loop but the bra rib strap is too long and the belt is 48 inches - I told them 42! Argh! This is the second time I have ordered an item custom made from Dahlal. I will not make that mistake again.

BTW I'm still waiting for some costumes to come from bauchladen back in March, they still are not in. The woman, Victoria, who I have been in contact with said that there was a small fire in the back of the building and that she was on a Holiday and would let me know if MY costumes were damaged. Not very encouraging.

Next, Sim Moda Evi. We'll see how that pans out. Eman and Bella are too much of the "Diva Costumers" and as much as I would like to have one of their costumes, they are way too expensive for me.

[mish_mish]

Originally Posted by latriamou

ok, i got a hold of her. i ordered the costume in green.. apparently it's not possible to get green lycra in egypt right now. SO she is making it for me in teal and it should be in end of october. sigh....

The great Egyptian green lycra drought of 2007! I know you guys are totally right to be frustrated but a green lycra drought is still kinda funny.

[jody]

For those who ordered from Audrena, she has a huge shipment on the way. Mine should be in there, as well as most custom orders from the last few months. Also, Audrena called me and let me know she has a new setup with Amira: Audrena will only accept 30 custom orders to be delivered each month. She says when you custom order, let her know what month you want the costume, and she promises to have it by then. When she reaches 30 delivery requests, she will no longer accept a delivery for that month. So I guess that means, if you want something for Rakassah, order it for Feb, and you should have it by then. At least that is how she explained it to me.

ah, a small fire! wonderful.
I've been hearing the "in quality control" and/or "vacation" bulls&it now for months.

[jasani]

I sent Marta a message. I hope to get some kind of a reply soon.

[badriya_al_ahmar]

Originally Posted by Zsuzsanna

Seems like there must be something going on with Eman?

During my eternal wait for my Sophisticated Assuit (you guys are complaining about mere months--it took over a year for that costume to arrive on my doorstep, and when it did, the dress was cut wrong, requiring a couple more months of turnaround time for repair!), I was told by a person at Dahlal that Eman has basically become too popular for her own good and that they are having a lot of trouble keeping up with demand. Still, that doesn't excuse her from not hiring more helpers, or raising prices to reduce demand, or just being flat out honest about how long it will take to get a costume made.

Originally Posted by jasani

I sent Marta a message. I hope to get some kind of a reply soon.

I did too. I want my money back or a costume this week or I am going to file a complaint with my credit card company.

I just hate being lied to.

[jasani]

What did she tell you? She told me there were two small fires in the back of the house and that they were running an inventory of what they had. She said she would get back to me. I paid via paypal. I'm going to give them another month. I sent "Victoria" an email stating that I wanted status soon. She did not reply to my email yet. She usually takes a couple of days.

Yeah, regarding Dahlal, I've waited about nine months to get a costume. It was an assuit dress and it was custom order. What arrived wasn't what I had expected. I think I'm going to stop ordering custom made and just buy off the rack at workshops and shows. The wait is such a pain in the ass!

[lizajuk]

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

During my eternal wait for my Sophisticated Assuit (you guys are complaining about mere months--it took over a year for that costume to arrive on my doorstep, and when it did, the dress was cut wrong, requiring a couple more months of turnaround time for repair!), I was told by a person at Dahlal that Eman has basically become too popular for her own good and that they are having a lot of trouble keeping up with demand. Still, that doesn't excuse her from not hiring more helpers, or raising prices to reduce demand, or just being flat out honest about how long it will take to get a costume made.

I think you have hit the nail..now I really like the lady and her sister, they are total gems but I think they have become so much in demand with their wondrous designs. I was with 2 dancers on Sat who had fabulous dresses and neither was happy. One as it was nothing like she ordered and soooo complicated to wear and the other felt the quality was not good enough by a long chalk. I have to say though my turquoise dress is fabulous material and design wise, I had to do a fair bit of fixing of the bra/top of dress. To be fair when one is not being fitted in person this is difficult for the designer. Custom made wedding/evening dresses would require your presence in the dressmakers by the minute!
I would imagine that they are overwhelmed: the demand for Eman's designs is incredible.

Ah Dahlal...I ordered in June and have been told my Elegant Illusions should be in the next batch..it then of course has to get back across the pond!
Again they are dealing with designers so far away. I cna imagine it is a nightmare so I am patient 'cos when I (eventually)got the last Amira from them it was a fantastic fit.
The designers will have to deal with dancers visting in person who want to take the costume home with them and I imagine that becomes a priority!
I wonder if years ago the Egyptian designers ever thought they would be selling so many costumes to such far flung places.

I'll just pass this by you again..I wrote on the Bella and plastic thread...oh that Abla! Now it may look well not exactly the height of BD fashion but it is so well made, so substantial, such fabulous quality. I doubt we will see the like of her costumes again ..or will we? Please!!! Retro just might do what it says!

I did not get a response from Victoria over at Marta/Bauchladen.
I know they take a few days.
I was supposed to have the costume at the END OF MAY.

[jawahir]

i have to wonder why you guys keep doing this to yourself. why not just buy of the rack like someone else says. then you know it looks great, and it fits and you love it. i don't get paying $800 plus for a costume that is supposedly custom designed and you don't know what you are getting. and then you get it 9 months later and it's a big disappointment. i don't get how you can do it again after one time of that happening. after reading all this i have decided never to order custom off the internet. i will get all my costumes from swap meet or vendors at workshops or whatever..