I wasn't even in the market for a wedding gown, but I wanted to see what all the talk/fuss was all about.
IIRC, there was quite a line on the street to get in; once they opened the doors the crowd surged forward...pushing, shoving. Pure mayhem. Once inside women were stripping to their underwear, trying gowns on. They seemed to come in teams; one of the team would hold a armful bundle of gowns, another one trying them on. If someone else's hand landed on the hanger at the same time as another....a tugging-shouting match ensued. It was a riot.
I remember getting out of there as fast as I could. There was a lovely shop in Copley/Back Bay; can't recall the name...Priscilla? Not sure. They had B&W photos on the wall off some of their famous customers they dressed. Jackie Kennedy? Much more civilized, when they had a sale. Fair bargains.
Later Filene's opened outlets ....using the *basement* branding for deep discounts. I went to one locally in West Hartford, CT, nothing like the original. Boston's je ne sais quoi could not be replicated.
