CUSTOMER SERVICE
Wow! I had looked online for dozens of hours and looked at dozens of stores in Canada & the U.S. trying to find a beaded sash for my wedding dress. I walked in without an appointment and described what I wanted. Within minutes she had brought me exactly what I wanted (though, if you're trying on dresses --- you should make an appointment wherever you go, including here).
I loved Tima who helped me. She was reassuring yet honest like you would want a good girlfriend to be! Very nice since I was shopping alone. Man! Does she know her stuff. I overheard her helping brides and some teens trying on dresses, so this reinforced that she gets exactly what customers of various age groups want. Probably one of my fondest customer service memories of every sales person related to my wedding.
She was very respectful of my budget. Every other store I went to sized me up the instant I walked in w/ gimmicks like "oh that's a lovely ring" because they want to see how much I'm worth by examining the engagement ring. She didn't play games and treated each customer with dignity.
PRICE/QUALITY
The sash price was very reasonable: A few hundred dollars. Meanwhile all of the beadwork I had seen at the pricey Avenue Road and Woodbridge/Vaughan stores was done so poorly that I feared it would fall apart ---- and it cost anywhere from $500 - $1500. C'mon! Everywhere else I looked seemed to have beadwork that looked fine from a distance but was inconsistent or not tightly woven up close. The beadwork here was exceptional; I was even able to take it off the sash and sew it directly on to my dress. She helped me find an option that was sewn onto netting (mesh backing) so I could achieve this look.
AMBIANCE
It took me about 7 months to find this store.
It is NOT an impressive looking store when you see the small store window in this far-from-upscale mall. Their front area does not seem to have a huge selection, either. But do not let this fool you, they have tons of things they can pull for you. Just come w/ an idea or designer in mind.
PARKING
Abundant, free mall parking.
CROSS STREETS
Ellesmere Rd & Victoria Park
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE?
Yes. I didn't notice any steps in their store and the Parkway Mall has handicap accessible entrances.