Do it by mail. Who says you have to order a bridesmaids' dress from a bridal shop? The best bargains are often from mail-order catalogs such as Talbot's (which also has its own stores; call 1-800-882-5268), Bloomingdale's by Mail (1-800-777-0000), Spiegel (1-800-345-4500) and Chadwick's of Boston (1-800-525-6650). Another key advantage to mail order: returns. Get in a size that doesn't fit? A flaw in the dress? Most catalogs have a ''no hassle'' return policy that makes exchanges a snap. Contrast that with some bridal retailers whose attitude when something goes wrong is, ''Tough -- even if all the sizes are wrong, you ordered those hot fuchsia dresses with butt-bows on a non-returnable basis, honey.''
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