I ordered a dress for my son's wedding 3 1/2 months before the wedding; 3 1/2 days before the event I still did not have a dress that fit me properly. The date the dress was promised by salesgirl Dawn came and went without hearing from the shop. I called and was told the dress would be here the next week. I had to call again the next week and the dress still wasn't in. I expressed concern that it was getting very close to the wedding and was told not to worry. The dress finally came in the next week in the wrong color and the wrong size. The staff talked to the manufacturer and told me the right dress would be in the next week. I was given a FedEx tracking number and when I used it got a message that there was no such number. Called the store and oops, sorry, they meant DHL. Dress finally came in in the right color but two sizes too big. Alterations were begun, 10 days before the wedding. I went for a fitting and found a bill attached to the dress for more than $300 in alteration charges. The shop owner, Ellen Stirling, told me she would give me 20% off of alterations because of all the aggravation I had been caused. I told her that was not acceptable because if the dress had come in in the right size I would not need all that work. She refused to take off the charges saying even if it was the right size it would need "tweaking." Went back for second round of alterations and hem and the dress finally looked good. Went back again to pick it up after the hem was done, tried it on and the bodice, which had been fine the fitting before, was puckered. The seamstress made three more attempts to fix it and still couldn't get it right. I finally had no choice but to take it as it was as the wedding was in 3 1/2 days. Dawn blew incredible smoke at me telling me it looked perfect, awesome, etc. as if I wouldn't notice the flaws if she kept throwing around insincere compliments. This dress was very expensive and I certainly expected better service than what I got. No one kept track of the original order, the staff did not realize the wrong color had come in, the owner never apologized and did not come to my final fitting to see how it turned out even while knowing how upset I was. I would never shop there again. read more

The Lake Forest Shop, "The Shop", has new ownership, and Lauren and Tracy are amazing. The dress fitters and alteration ladies are top notch! Everything is professional and welcoming. My daughter and I have such fun finding ALL the needs we are looking for our upcoming events. They can cater to anything from casual to as elegant as you could want or need! They will customize, and can serve all ages from mature teens to any age beyond. This place is the new, newest, HOMERUN on the North Shore! Easy to find in the Market Square in Lake Forest. read more

I feel like I'm being judged every time I walk in the store. Plus I can see paying $750 for a dress you wear once, but $4500? I can't justify it. There are people in need everywhere'. It's excessive. read more

I have been shopping here for several years. I have been in the shop three times since it changed ownership. What used to be a friendly staff has become has become indifferent to the customer, starting with the owner. Apparently there are two but I don't know one from the other. The merchandise is very good and caters to a younger customer. Prices are relatively reasonable. I will continue to shop there, but I suggest that the arrogance be toned down. read more

Who exactly are they trying to cater to? $860 for a plain white blouse is outrageous for anyone, I feel like! Even if you're looking just to spend money for no reason... We were looking for a mother-of-the-bride dress, but the saleswoman working there explained to us that this season (late December/early January) is between seasons. In February, she said, there would be a show with all the designers and they'd be able to do some more custom designed work. But some of the plainest dresses I've seen were close to $2000. Sure they were formal, but they looked really quite like a lot of bridesmaid dresses we've seen that were 10% of that price! I feel as well like they misrepresent their selection online, with all the designers they list there. They didn't even have that many dresses when we went to the store! Plus it seems like you might need an appointment from the information on the website, which is just not true. It's just a store. A beyond-expensive store. read more

I got my wedding reception dress altered here and they did such an amazing job!! My dress arrived late so I only had 2.5 weeks left for alterations and they made it happen! They have decades of experience and it really showed -- my dress was initially a bit big on me but after the first fitting, it fit me like a glove and despite all the twirling and dancing during the reception, my bustle stayed intact. Granted it was a bit pricier than other places but there was no rush fee. I don't live close to the city so I'm so glad I was recommended this place by my dress shop because parking is easy to find (really matters when you have to carry a heavy dress) and they were so accommodating to my schedule. All the ladies there are so friendly and understanding and I really enjoyed working with them. read more

The Lake Forest Shop - My bustle stayed intact despite all the twirls (and there were a lot) during our first dance - Women's Clothing Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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I'll go ahead and first put it out there that I'm not an old money north shore lady in my 50s. I think that $800 is an insane price to spend on a sweater, even it was woven from the hair of an alpaca that was hand-plucked by virgins holding a single pair tweezers. Or whatever story justifies a price tag like that. Anyway, places like this just make me uncomfortable. The staff at the Lake Forest Shop also struck me as almost entirely bonkers. Most seemed unhappy at least, and definitely a little off. However, if you need a fabulous gown on short notice and won't shudder at an astronomical price, this is a place you can go to get that done. Alterations and all. My mother picked out the dress that she wore to my wedding off the rack at the Lake Forest Shop on September 2nd for a wedding on September 18th. She tried it on 3 times, held it for 4 days until I flew in, and then had me see her in it before she bought it because of the sticker. (I was thinking something with a motor in it should come with the dress.) But to be fair, my mom has not looked that good in a dress since her wedding to my stepfather. She looked just bangin'. The dress took 15 years off of her, easily. I think she deserved to spoil herself like that. She's earned it. My mom is petite, so they had to bring up the skirt and tighten the neckline around her back, but nothing major. After my mom picked up the dress, she got a frantic call from her alterations specialist about a thread. When she talked to alterations, she told her to bring back the dress. This was the Wednesday before the wedding. My mom was busy all morning with runs to the airport and getting her hair done. I took back the dress when I was supposed to be getting my marriage license. Turns out there was a miscommunication, and nothing was wrong with the dress. The ladies at the front desk were laughing about it as if it were funny. That just ticked me off. Maybe some people who come into that store have nothing but time on their hands, but that isn't me, and it definitely wasn't me the week of my wedding. They supposedly found something with the zipper they wanted to fix, though, which they did in 15 minutes or so. If you're LF and proud and need a fabulous dress, this is definitely a store for you. It's just not quite the store for me. read more

This is my first review ever for any place or service. Dawn and Natasha were absolutely amazing! As the mother of the groom finding the perfect dress that was elegant, not dowdy or riske was definitely challenging. Other boutiques tried talking me into dresses that were either out of my price range, not the color I wanted or telling me I looked great when i didn't feel that way. From my first call to The Lake Forest Shop, Dawn took my information down, researched my designer and emailed me the same day with information. During the trunk show, all staff were helpful and accommodating. Once my dress came in, there was a sense of nervousness because I had lost a dress size and concerned about the alterations. I cant say enough great things about Natasha! she was the best, she listened to me and what I felt was needed for make the dress look great. She added her input to make it even better. there were multiple alterations needed but all was completed according to my schedule and on time. I received so many compliments at my sons wedding on my dress. Thank you Lake Forest Shop:) read more

I think the other reviews are unfair. This is an expensive store- they don't have to apologize for that. They also do sell things in a variety of prices, including a great selection of well fitting pants below $300. They're also very willing to send out for additional sizes and colors they don't have in stock. If you're a tough fit and you're willing to spend the money and the time to find something that works for you, this store can be a big help. If you think some of the more expensive things are outrageous, well, don't shop here. read more

I was recommended to The Lake Forest shop for wedding dress alterations by the bridal boutique I purchased my wedding dress from. I came in for my initial appointment on Feb 15. During this appointment, we discussed altering the bust area and me returning in April to do my second fitting since I planned on losing a few pounds. I gave permission to begin alterations but asked them to give me a call with rough estimate of how much alterations would be. Again, they were suppose to already have the first set of alterations done by April 6 for the second fitting. When I got there on April 6, no alterations had been done. Both associates working (who were also there for my first fitting) advised that they didn't start alterations because they wanted to confirm pricing with me before beginning. The problem is they didn't call me until a week before my second appointment to confirm estimate. They advised they called three times but no voicemail was left. I even called a week prior to appt to change appt time due to conflict in which they could have confirmed estimate with me then. Again, one of the associates confirmed initial conversation of moving forward with alterations. Needless to say, I went to the second appt on April 6 for nothing. My time was wasted, especially given I live in Atlanta and flew in only for the purposes of my second appt. They weren't accommodating at all and the tailor even made a comment about her not being held responsible because she was 'just the tailor'. There was no sympathy especially when my wedding date is May 25. I had to basically find another tailor who could do my alterations in now a short timeline. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYONE TO GO TO THIS PLACE FOR ALTERATIONS OR ANY OTHER SERVICE.They lack communication and care for their customers. I am disappointed in a place that presents themselves as a high end boutique in a very affluent area near Chicago. If you expect customers to pay 750+ for alterations, then service and care for customers should defn be one of your top priorities! read more