This is the only shop on O'ahu offering bridal, formal, cocktail, prom, and pageantry gowns. Lisa, one of the employees, offered her help, expertise and a lifesaver. Wonderful having a genuine conversation! This location doesn't provide alterations. She highly recommended an alteration shop in Kahala that's open on the weekends. Good bye to these shops that are long gone and I miss their customer service for various occasions - Party Dress By Claudette on Pi'ikoi St, David's Bridal in Pearl City, BCBG Maxazria in Waikele. I searched high and low and asked employees at Nordstrom Rack in Kakaako, Nordstrom in Ala Moana, Macy's in Ala Moana and Pearlridge, Uniqlo in Ala Moana, Zara in Ala Moana, Saks Off 5th, Old Navy, Banana Republic in Waikele, Ross Dress for Less in Kahala with zero results. These are my reasons that I prefer to shop for gowns in person. Petite size needs some type of alteration(s) with common areas of adjustments in the length, shoulders, and so forth. She helped me select a few formal gowns while keeping in mind type of event and color(s). There's only one gown I found appealing that's befitting for my role. It was 50% off plus $9 extra off regular price. All sales and discounts final. read more

Always pleasant and helpful if you want help. Wide selection of clothing from casual to glamorous evening. Medium to higher value in pricing and quality of clothes. On the downside, if you decide to return something: merchandise credit only (2 year limit) I get why they do this, but dis like the practice. read more

Put some sparkle in your wardrobe... Calista is the place to find that special dress for any special occasion or just that dressing up your wardrobe the selections here are just uniquely special. I once came here with a bestie for her informal wedding dress something white and lacy but not a full on gown and though she didn't find one on that particular day she left feeling hopeful as the prices here was so affordable and there was so much to choose from here. Located in the heart of Kahala Mall this shop has been here for as long as I can remember always with racks filled with beautiful and vibrant clothing, the staff here is great to help you navigate towards desired type of items including some accessories, totes, hats and scarves. They do have a sale rack in the back but what a great unique shop that a will make any girl feel happier and that's beautiful. Thank you! read more

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This was the first stop on my daughter's prom gown shopping adventure She tried on 7 different dresses and didn't choose any because none of them "sparked joy" The lady working was really pleasant considering we came in about an hour before closing time and then didn't buy anything. She seemed pretty understanding They have a layaway option if anyone needs it - the signs say 25% down but I was told 50% when I inquired read more

Calista by Cotton Cargo - Women's Clothing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Appreciation from customer. Thank you for visiting the store Calista by Cotton Cargo. Mahalos! read more

Calista by Cotton Cargo - A great appreciation from one of the customer from Calista. Manalo! - Women's Clothing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Calista is a fave store of my mom's. They always have new merchandise coming in all the time. Prom dress central in the spring. I didn't know that they keep a list of dresses sold and which school it will be worn at so that duplicate dresses aren't worn and cause a potential cat fight. Lots of accessories to complete any outfit, from hats to earrings, to evening bag and shoes. Accessories need a place to be stored when not in use, and they have those, too. My very favorite thing in this store is the watermelon hat. Perfect for a summer picnic in the park. Sales associates are so friendly and helpful. They get a dressing room started for us while we peruse the sale racks. read more

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They assume your size for you. I'm a size 8 and wanted to try on a size 8 top in the fitting room, the lady with short hair there had the nerves to hand me a size 14 and tells me here try this size instead. Will never going back. read more

The service was excellent! They helped me pick out dresses to try on for a formal wedding event we're attending which was invaluable since it's a little difficult to see the style of the dresses through the protective plastic covering them. I found the perfect dress, sandals and scarf in one visit due to their suggestions. read more

A wonderful experience I love the accessories! So many pretty and shiny things for an affordable price. I'm not sure if she was a manager or the owner. She was such a sweetheart. She bundle my bracelet perfectly. read more

Calista by Cotton Cargo - $5.99 discounted bracelets! I love them they are so pretty! - Women's Clothing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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If you are looking for a prom dress, mother-of-the-bride gown, formal wear, or dressier clothing, then Calista is the store for you! Located in Kahala Mall, I usually only shop here when there is a sidewalk sale so I can get an extra discount on the clearance rack. You never know when a special occassion pops up, so you may as well got something you like while it's at a good price, right? I really like the Citron brand - except for the price. Ouch! It looks great, is comfortable, and is easy to care for. I can wear it to conventions or important meetings without looking too out of place. The sales people are quite helpful. One let me into a dressing room that was being used, but the customer was outside, taking her time making a decision. The other sales people have good suggestions as to how to accessorize your outfit and they have the shoes and jewelry right there to show you how it will look. So, if you have free time and want to shop in air conditioned comfort, stop by Calista - you'll probably find something you like! read more

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We had a wonderful experience with Lisa at Kahala Mall . My mother is 85 and they were so patient and fun helping her pick out some special items for a wedding . I really appreciate the good customer service ! Thank you Lisa !! read more

Excellent customer service all around, especially Megan who diligently listened and assisted my daughter select dresses to try according to her preferences. There were lots of options. This mama and daughter walked away happily with a dress for prom. I have no doubt it was a successful search due to Megan's assistance. Mahalo! read more

Had to find a dress for my two girls for my wedding!! Looked everywhere from downtown Chinatown ward Ala Moana Center and then to kahala mall . Finally walked by and thought hmm I should just take a look as I was running out of options. And when I walked in I was surprised as to what they had ! They have a variety of little girls dresses and junior gowns to sundresses bridal gowns mother of the bride outfits and so much accessories I was BLOWN AWAY!! Staff was really helpful and I explained I have a 9 year old and a 12 year old that I wanted them in white dresses and to kinda coordinate but not look too match match look . And They delivered they had so much different looks to choose from !! I am so happy and I recommend this place to anyone having an event and needing a dress !!! Thank you staff of Calista!! You made my day special and girls looked so GORGEOUS!! read more

Calista by Cotton Cargo - Women's Clothing Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was recommended to come here from their store in Chinatown. I went in looking for a simple white dress that I could get altered for my wedding. After hours of searching, my friend was able to find a cute dress and I tried it on and such. I love my dress. I had to order it in my size, so I had to wait about a month or so. once my dress came into the store, we were able to go pick it up. The store was able to call me and give me updates and keep me updated. They ladies there are very kind and helpful. The lady was very nice enough to help me figure out how I wanted alterations or add ons. I also bought a hat here and I love my hat. I wear it everywhere! Although this place is quite pricey, it's a cute little spot to find cheaper dressy clothing and items. read more

I've purchased one dress that I absolutely loved, had a decent experience with the sales woman. Tried going back twice and had horrific experiences since. I went back a few months ago and the sales woman (different than the first time) was so incredibly rude. My husband actually noticed it too and suggested we look elsewhere. Today, I decided to try again as I had seen a dress style in the window I liked. went to get a dress for holiday photos. I pointed out a dress to share what type of style I liked but was open to others as well. The sales lady (again not the same as the first experience) was rude as well. Mumbling to the other sales woman about me and then saying they didn't have my size. I hadn't even said my size once so I was a bit surprised by her bold assumption that they didn't carry my size. I tried on the dress they gave me, even though it wasn't even remotely like the style I said I liked besides that it was long. I didn't like how that one sales woman made me feel, nor how she spoke to me. So I walked out even though I was more than willing to purchase a dress and accessories right then and there. For reference, they absolutely carry many dresses in my size, as I saw them on the rack plus I've lost weight since the last dress I purchased from them. read more

This place was our last resort to finding my daughter's prom dress and within 5mins she found the one. I can't remember her name, Lisa I think I heard someone call her, was such a great help! She even helped find her sandals and accessories! She was so kind and made our last resort experience great! read more

So this is a continuation of my last review. So I get my daughter's dress back and was told that the reason the 1st alteration wasn't so good is because the seamstress that normally does the alterations had some things going on with her husband so she had her mom do the alteration instead thinking that she could do it. I was told that the seamstress has been doing this for 30 years. Well you would think if she was doing this for 30 years you would have an excellent job done. This is what it looked like after the 2nd attempt at alteration. Still crooked and the seam at the ends isn't even matched up. I guess this lady doesn't take any pride in her work. So sad. It's all about the money. And the worker had the nerve to tell me "well we did take care of it". Like it was my fault the 1st job was so junk. I shouldn't have had to have the alteration done twice to begin with!!! read more

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I originally wanted to shop at the town location but they were closed. No date on when they will reopen & to visit there Kahala location. So before making the drive out to Kahala, I wanted to call to see if they had the 50% off formal dresses sale. The lack of phone etiquette should've gave me an inclination that in person service wouldn't be any good. Didn't sound pleasant or interested over the phone. Made the drive down anyways. Walked into the store, tried the hand sanitizer 2x which was out of sanitizer. Walked in, walked pass the counter to get to the formal wear & the cashier seemed more interested in her boxes/behind the counter then greeting potential customers. Looked through the black long formal dresses. Didn't have a huge selection of black style dresses. I found 1 potential but I didn't even wanna bother asking to try it on because the dress was a 5/10 for me. So I hung the dress back up & we walked out. Was probably in there for 5-10 mins. No greeting upon walking in, no if you need any help let me know, no if you want to try it on let me know & no thank you, have a great day upon leaving. It was as if it was a self service store & I don't want to feel like that if Im gonna pay over $100 for a dress. Sorry Calista but please do better. read more

I'm sitting on the floor in my living room eating popcorn, still in my workout clothes, with hair color in my hair. Then my husband texts me with an invitation to the Heart Ball. I'm like WTH?! I text my girlfriends asking exactly how fancy is this event? I own $12 tube dresses, rompers, bikinis, and workout clothes.... that's it! She tells me I need to go to Calista's in Kahala. Cool, I'm in Kaimuki... perfectly convenient. When I got to the store I honestly thought this wasn't gonna be it and I would have to drive to Ala Moana and walk around to every store, then find shoes etc... what a hassle! The sales ladies are super nice and helpful. We pulled a few dresses and right away I found it! I think it was the 4th dress I tried on. I was so excited! They had shoes for me too. I got it altered, and picked it up the next day. Boom! Done! Thank you everyone at Calista... my dress was amazing and a hit! read more

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Words can not describe how happy I was with my Wedding dress from Calista Kahala Mall.. I am from Australia and when I decided to get married in Hawaii my mother and nanna came across Calista whilst they were on holidays. I contacted them prior to coming over to Hawaii with some dresses that I was interested in and they had them there waiting for me when I arrived! I chose to be a periwinkle bride to be different and the colour was just perfect for my big day! I have the dress altered a little and taken up and when I went for the final fitting it had been pressed also.. totally impressed. I highly recommend the store and staff Kind regards, Mrs Lee Champion read more

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I've bought my prom dresses, graduation dresses and now my wedding dress from this shop. It's a local store with some really helpful ladies working in it. They have a nice selection and will be honest with you about how the dress looks. I've never felt pressured to buy anything when I'm here and have always left with a wonderful item. read more

What a wonderful shop. You can find an outfit for any occasion. The staff is incredibly helpful and really understands how to help you find an outfit that makes you look your best! I can't wait to wear my dress to my daughter's wedding this summer. read more

I had a wonderful experience at Calista yesterday! I came to look for a prom dress and ended up finding the ONE! Everyone here was so kind and helpful. All of the employees made me feel comfortable and made my prom dress shopping experience so much easier. I'm so thankful and would 100% come again! read more

If I could give this place negative 1000 stars, I would. I HATE this place, because of them, I'm screwed less than 1 month before my wedding, and NO DRESS. Let me tell you what happened... Back in July, I stopped by to shop for a dress for my reception. I find a gorgeous dress, but it's 1 size too big. And because it's late July, they told me that companies stopped making those dresses to order because prom season is over, so I had to buy what was in stock. I wasn't sure I wanted to alter it, but to make the sale, the SA (an older white Sales Associate) told me that the owner, Gilda, would give me free alterations. Great! I love the dress, it was absolutely perfect! I go back to the store to try on the dress to make sure I really want it. As I'm standing in front of the mirror, the SA holds the dress at the strap, and the sides, saying they can take it in and assures me that the length will be shortened and the loose beads will be fixed so it's perfect for my reception. So I get it. And the SA wrote and highlighted on the receipt that "gilda will give free alterations in oct." in case she forgets. That's EXACTLY what she wrote, she DID NOT write "gilda will give free alterations in oct BUT NO HEMMING, HEMMING IS NOT AN ALTERATION, AND WILL COST MORE MONEY". Fast forward to last week, I call to schedule the fitting for the free alterations as promised, and the owner Gilda says she never promised such a thing. That hemming is NOT ALTERATIONS and she will charge me $50 to hem. But the straps and taking in the sides would be free. Then she accuses me of MISUNDERSTANDING, that she NEVER gives free hemming, she is not making any money blah blah blah! I paid full retail for the dress, so she is making money, but that really is irrelevant because she told her SA that she would give me free alterations to close this sale. And last I checked, HEMMING IS ALTERATIONS. She is a greedy person willing to make false promises to make a sale, and once she gets her money, she doesn't care about what she promised, and tries to find ways around her promise to make more money. She said she would help pay part of my hemming, and I would only pay $30, but it's the principle! SHE PROMISED FREE ALTERATIONS, NOT $30 HEMMING, $30 is NOTHING TO ME, BUT IT'S THE PRINCIPLE! YOU CAN'T SAY 1 THING, AND TRY TO FIND EXCEPTIONS AND FINE PRINT TO GET AROUND WHAT U PROMISED. Now less than 1 month to my dream wedding, I'm here scrambling and stressing and very upset over this. She has ruined what is suppose to be a very happy time in my life! I filed a complaint with the BBB over this disgusting business practice and she agreed to give me a refund, which isn't what i wanted because I love the dress. I returned the dress today anyways, and am here now with no reception dress. I would've been ok if she would just give me the free alterations (INCLUDING HEMMING) as promised, but she rather give me a refund than keep her original promise. Now she has robbed me of 2 months to find a dress and caused me a whole lot of stress with less than 1 month away to find another dress! read more

Whoa. Found pants and sleeveless shirt on $15.99 rack. Went to buy and told items wrongly placed. Showed staff same items on rack. Staff changed sign in front of me to $19.99 and told me pants were $34.99, not 15.99. I think store should rethink sales racks and use dots on price tags to denote changes in price. Have shopped here since it was Cotton Cargo but not anymore. read more

My daughter and I visited Calista to look for her first prom dress. Calista has a wide selection of gorgeous prom dresses in many colors and styles. My daughter actually found her dream dress here but it was twice the price of what we had budgeted. :( The saleswomen were very nice and helpful, making us feel welcome. They weren't at all pushy, which was nice. I would definitely return in the future. read more

My mom and I were looking for her mother-of-the-bride dress and are SO happy that we chose to visit Calista! ALL of the ladies were so welcoming and helpful and they put together exactly what we weren't able to find anywhere else. We'll definitely be bringing Grandma here to work with this amazing team once again! Thanks Calista Kahala!! read more

We walked into this boutique as our first stop for a prom dress. It ended up being our only stop! The customer service here was supreme! The woman who helped us picked out the perfect dresses, checked to see if anyone from my school had the same dress, offered jewelry suggestions, and set me up with an alteration appointment. There was no pressure to buy just super helpful. I will definitely be going here again next year and recommend this shop to anyone looking for formal attire. read more

I recently visited Calista for a prom dress for my daughter. We found the perfect dress there but it was Ashley that made our experience enjoyable. I'm telling you, this lady has a ton of patience. My daughter is very picky (like her mom) but Ashley kept bringing her dresses until she found the perfect one. I'm telling you, the lady is a saint! They do alterations too and when we picked up the dress it fit perfectly. My daughter looked like a princess. We were so happy, we ended up buying another dress. My daughter is one lucky girl. Two proms, two beautiful dresses and the confidence to know she will be looking amazing. Priceless! Thank you Ashley and Calista, we will be back! read more

I was in need of a champagne promdress that was shiny but not over done and still sexy yet comfortable and elegant.. and Calistas has an awesome selection! I also like that they wont sell a dress in the same color to another person that is attending the same prom, so thoughtful! I needed alterations done because some of the beading came undone and it was too long for me. When they called me to pick it up, the hemming was done, and some of the beadind was finished, but a big secrion on the back wasnt done, and i pointed it out, and they kindly took it back for another week to finish it up. Just got it back the other day and its perfect! Also found matching shoes at the store (that were really decently prices), so that was a plus. Overall great experience. read more

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This shop is odd. It has borderline tacky dresses. I thought when I first entered the store - the dresses were mainly for beauty pagents. A lot of bling on them and not sure where you would wear these to? I'm not sure of the other dresses but some of them are just "off" fashion wise. 100% nylon with kinda tacky designs or borderline like you would find these dresses in Florida. The hats are kind of cute and the little satin bags. I just can't make heads or tails of this place. It's kind of fun to look around and marvel at the stuff they have in there even if you'd never puchase anything. The lady who manages the store is super nice and when I had gone in there to buy a sun hat for my mom, she was really helpful. read more

It's like helping the girlfriend pick out a dress for the prom. Later we'll go down to the florist to order a corsage and a boutonniere to match her dress. The girlfriend enjoys browsing their sidewalk sales. She's purchased a number of really nice looking dresses from here at really inexpensive prices (sometimes as low as only $20). Most of the dresses are in the dinner and evening wear style, but they have everything from flirty to classy. Pretty much whatever you need to look like one fancy socialite. We've never had any issues with service. In fact, I don't mind hanging around this area because there are seats and tables. Not to mention that it's central to almost all the food stuffs in the mall. read more

I bought my prom dress here & they said it was supposed to come in from alterations in a month. Then a month passed & they called me to pick it up. My mom & I went there & they told us they don't have it yet. We then called the alterations & they said it was done & sitting in their shop for a while already, but no one came from calista to pick it up. Overall, they have a nice selection of dresses. read more

If i could leave a 0 stars i would. We bought my mom's dress for my wedding but we needed to have alterations done. Looking at the 2 options (take in from the side or pull the two shoulders up because the dress was too big. The seamstress said it was a better idea to pull in from the sides which was her recommendations which was what we went with. My mom went to try on the dress after the alterations and its still too big and the seamstress said that we told her not to fix the shoulders because it was too expensive which we never said. When i called to ask what was done she was very rude to me saying that i and my mom told her we didnt want to pay for the shoulders to be fixed. She basically called us a liar. We were very clear as to what we wanted done. So my mom goes to get the dress and its still too big. The seamstress tells me it took her 7 hours to fix the sides and now its going to cost me about $30 on top of the $40 i already paid to alterate it. She told me "its not worth my time to fix the dress." The dress didnt even look like it was altered at all. So now we have to wait another month and she had the nerve to say "its not worth my time." How rude. Its the dress my mom is wearing for my wedding and you gonna say such a rude comment. Id rather get a full refund including what i already paid for the alterations and take my business to a store who actually cares about their work and customers. Id never recommend this place ever to anyone nor would i trust any clothing that is of importance to their seamstress. What a shame. So rude. read more

I love that they treat you like family 100% customer satisfaction thank you Lisa an Gilda for making my 2 girls prom ready you guys are awsome read more

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An abundance of beautiful clothing that's appropriate for us local wahine, special occasion, work and casual wear too. I find their prices very reasonable, for the quality. read more

This store is amazing! The choices for a wedding gown and the courteous help was perfect for our bride. We recommended Calista for just this reason. Camille needed a dress for a beach wedding and it turned out incredible. Gilda is the owner and her store is conveniently located at Kahala Mall and is our absolute favorite provider for gowns and reception attire. They sell everything that is pretty! I DO HAWAIIAN WEDDINGS recommends them to all of our brides. Please stop in. You will be happy you did :) read more

Came here for my prom dress and super happy with the outcome! Ended up getting two dresses because I loved it so much and surprisingly not that expensive either. They're super helpful and have a lot of options. First glance of the store it dosen't seem like a prom dress store, the dresses are all in the back. However, when I came to pick up my prom dress some of the alterations they promised weren't finished. Upon asking why, they said it wasn't possible to alter the beads, but instead of calling us to let us know they waited until we came to pick it up. It made it a little difficult because I had prom two days later but other then that they have an awesome selection to choose from! read more

This store was amazing!!! Having been to a few other formal dress stores across the street and few blocks away, this was great. Each individual dress was in its own bag. (Other stores had the dresses free for all sick 9 to each other, rhinestones snagging the dress next to it. Etc. ) This store was organized, friendly attentive staff and great prices. The quality of dresses was great and amazing conditions. read more

we came here because my friends needed a prom dress. the staff starts off as friendly for the most part...a couple of them were consistently rude. my friends spent HOURS trying on dresses and my friend fell in love with one. throughout the try on process they asked us what high school we went to (i won't say) and we kept telling them. at the end when my friends finally ready to go up and buy it, they say "oh...someone from your school already bought it". she was of course very upset bc they could've told us that 3 hours ago bc they knew what school we went to. classic psychology method used in sales it's called foot in the door phenomenon: getting a person to love the idea of something, before revealing a flaw in it. very disappointing. read more