The merchandise quality is excellent and they have a good selection of different corsets and waist cinchers. Their strength is in custom garments, for which they offer a good array of styles and fabrics. All of this sounds good so far, but there are a few other things to be aware of before entering Dark Garden. First, the prices are high. They?re not unreasonable for the quality of the garments. If you choose to buy something, expect to shell out some serious money. Second, for custom work, you won?t know the price until after all of the detailed decisions have been made. This makes sense, but there?s no heads up to say fabric corsets in this style range in price from X to Y while leather corsets in this style range from Y to Z. This puts customers in an uncomfortable situation if they don?t necessarily have a spare $1000 to invest in a custom corset. You will be asked to pay almost the entire cost of the item as a down payment. If cost is an issue, ask pricing questions right from the start. Third, it can take a very long time to get your item. You can pay extra to rush the order. However, no guarantees are made on the delivery date. My custom order took 6 months to complete. Fourth, the sales staff is very polite. However, they speak in a stilted, overly conscious fashion, which I sense is trying to evoke a sense of olden times. I?m sure some people find this very charming. I find it rather creepy. I?d rather be spoken to like a normal person than feel like I?ve accidentally stumbled into the Renaissance Faire and am trapped with a group of folks that take it all a little too seriously. Finally, if you order a custom garment, you need to pick it up promptly. They charge a storage fee if you do not pick up the item. Dark Garden is a great place for custom corsets, waist cinchers and related items; just go in prepared and you?ll have a positive experience.
Pros: Quality of workmanship, material and style choices
Cons: Time to get custom items, cost, lack of information prior to making choices
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