Happy Isles FAQ

SHOPPING WITH US

HOW CAN SOMETHING FROM HAPPY ISLES BE MINE?

The best and most complete way to shop with us is to book an appointment at one of our salons (Los Angeles + New York lets hyper link to our appointment pages?). We place incredible emphasis and priority on our IRL shopping experience. We hope you can come to see us!

 

HOW CAN I SHOP ONLINE?

If you can’t make it into one of our salons - we do offer purchases via Instagram DMs. Weekly, we offer a selection of featured items in our Stories. You can inquire about these items and purchase them via DM. *All Sales Final* Pieces can get scooped up quickly on IG. We recommend turning on your Story notifications so you don’t miss out!!

 

DO YOU HAVE AN ONLINE INVENTORY COLLECTION I CAN SEE?

We do not offer photos or a selection of our in-store inventory online. Our collection experiences constant turnover so it is not in our capacity to offer advanced inventory viewings.

 

DO YOU OFFER VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS?

We do not offer virtual appointments. 

 

HOW CAN I KNOW IF I’LL FIND SOMETHING I LIKE?

Trust the process and go off vibes. If you’re on the fence about booking with us take a look at our IG! While pieces you see there might be different than what you’ll find in store at your appointment it offers a great general sense of our vibe, aesthetic, and general offerings.

If you like what you see, we recommend that you book an appointment! If you’re looking for something very specific - we might not be the right fit. Please refer to our “Tips on Maximizing Your Trip to the Salon” for more helpful info!

IN-STORE APPOINTMENTS

 

DO YOU CHARGE AN APPOINTMENT FEE, AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Yes.

We charge a non-refundable $185 appointment fee for our standard appointment. This fee does not apply to your purchase.

We charge a non-refundable $500 booking fee for Archival Collection appointments, which does apply towards a same-day purchase.

A portion of our appointment fees are donated to social justice organizations. Some places we have donated to in the past include: SUMMAEVERYTHANG, Planned Parenthood, Marsha P. Johnson Institute, Asian American Legal Defense Fund, BLM Los Angeles, National Network of Abortion Funds, and Kindred Space LA.

 

HOW IS INVENTORY SPLIT BETWEEN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES?

We do our best to split inventory equally across both locations, considering a range of styles, sizes, and prices. Both coasts are curated with a unique assortment of gorgeous pieces – both bridal and non-bridal occasion wear.

Please note that our Archival Collection pieces ($9k and above) can only be found at our New York salon.

 

DO I NEED TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT IF I JUST WANT TO BROWSE? 

Yes! Due to the experience and style of service we provide at the salon, we only allow visitors by appointment. To respect the time of those in booked appointments, anyone who visits the salon without an appointment will be turned away.

 

DO I NEED TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT IF I’M NOT A BRIDE?

Yes! We believe all of our clients deserve the best Happy Isles experience. So whether you’re a bride or just shopping for fun – we still require you to book an appointment before you visit us!

 

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD I BOOK AN APPOINTMENT?

Our appointment calendar books out well in advance. We release appointment availability 10 weeks in advance on a rolling basis.

Our New York appointments tend to book extremely quickly. We recommend booking your New York appointment 2-3 months in advance.

We recommend booking your Los Angeles appointment 1-2 months in advance.

Please know that our booking calendar reflects our current availability. If there are no available appointments this means that the salon is fully booked. We recommend snagging the next available appointment as it populates.

 

DO YOU HAVE A WAITLIST? 

We do not keep a waitlist. We try our best to post same week cancellations on our IG stories. We recommend turning your story notifications on if you’re looking to book with us! You can also keep an eye on our booking calendar in case of any cancellations.

 

WHAT IF I HAVE TO RESCHEDULE?

If you already have an appointment booked with us and you would like to reschedule to another available date on our calendar, you can do so by utilizing the “Reschedule” button at the bottom of your Happy Isles Calendly confirmation email.

We ask that you reschedule more than 24 hours before your appointment date. Please note that if you reschedule your appointment within 24 hours of your appointment date you will be charged a $100 late-notice fee to the card provided at booking.

 

HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING TO MY APPOINTMENT?

Due to the nature of our physical space and to ensure the best possible experience, we have a STRICT TWO ADDITIONAL GUEST policy.

If you would like to bring more than two guests, a fee of $25 per additional guest will be collected at the start of your appointment.

If you know ahead of your appointment that you plan to bring additional guests, please let us know, and we can complete the extra guest charge in advance.

 

CAN MY FRIENDS TRY ON DRESSES TOO? EVEN THOUGH I’M THE BRIDE AND/OR THE ONE THAT BOOKED THE APPOINTMENT?

Yes, absolutely! We allow one person in the dressing room at a time to ensure each guest receives the proper attention and assistance from our stylists.

If you expect to have three or more people trying-on during the appointment – we recommend booking two full appointment slots back-to-back to ensure there is enough time for everyone to have their moment.

 

WHAT IS YOUR HOLD POLICY?

Still need time to think after your appointment? If you would like to put a piece on hold, we offer a 24-hour hold with a $300 deposit towards the piece. If you decide not to proceed with your purchase after 24 hours the hold fee/deposit is non-refundable.

 

DO YOU DO ALTERATIONS? ARE ALTERATIONS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?

Alterations are not included in the price of your gown and are not offered in-house.

However, we will gladly recommend you to a talented and trusted tailor!

 

CAN I BRING MY DOG TO THE APPOINTMENT?

We ask that you kindly leave pets at home.

 

CAN I BRING CHAMPAGNE AND SNACKS TO MY APPOINTMENT?

We ask that you kindly refrain from bringing outside food & beverages to your appointment. We provide bottled water.

 

IF I AM A RETURNING CUSTOMER, DO I HAVE TO PAY THE $185 APPOINTMENT FEE TO MAKE ANOTHER VISIT?

If you've already had an appointment with us and would like to return, please email  with our Director of Operations, kate@thehappyisles.com. She will assist in populating an appointment for you to book via our online calendar. A Return Customer Appointment is a non-refundable fee of $25.

Return Customer appointments are available at our Los Angeles & New York salons.

SALON POLICIES

 

WHAT IS YOUR RETURN AND/OR EXCHANGE POLICY?

*All Sales Final*

We have a strict no-returns/exchanges policy.

This applies to purchases made in-store, as well as those made through Instagram. Please be certain of any purchases made at the salon or online.

 

WHAT IS YOUR APPOINTMENT CANCELLATION POLICY?

While we understand that things happen – due to the high demand for appointments as well as out of respect for our team – we require at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule your appointment with us.

If you cancel or reschedule within 24 hours, the card you provided at booking will be charged a non-refundable fee of $100. This policy pertains to no-shows as well. Thank you for understanding!

 

DO YOU DO RENTALS?

We do not offer rentals.

 

WHAT IS YOUR CONSIGNMENT POLICY IF I DON'T END UP WEARING MY DRESS AND/OR IF I'D LIKE TO BRING IT BACK AFTER I WEAR IT?

We are happy to offer consignment for clients interested in passing their Happy Isles purchase along to the next lucky lady!

As long as your HI piece is in the same condition as when you purchased it, we will make it available for sale at the same price. Once the piece sells, you will receive 50% of the sale price.

If this interests you, please email our Director of Operations, Kate, at kate@thehappyisles.

 

WHAT IS YOUR CONSIGNMENT POLICY IF I BUY A DRESS AND WANT TO RETURN IT QUICKLY AFTER PURCHASING?

First and foremost - *All Sales are Final* Please only make a purchase that you are certain of! This saves everyone a lot of heartache.

Our policy has no exceptions. We will not refund your item. This applies to purchases that have never been worn and even purchases that have never left the salon.

If you truly want to move on without your purchase, we accept pieces back on consignment per our consignment process listed above.

For more questions about consignment, please email our Director of Operations, Kate, at kate@thehappyisles.

ARCHIVAL COLLECTION

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REGULAR APPOINTMENT AND AN ARCHIVAL COLLECTION APPOINTMENT?

Our HI Archival Collection Appointment is exclusively offered at our New York salon. It includes access to our rotating Archival Collection (items priced from $9,000 to $30,000+).

This collection features 5 - 10 extremely rare, documented, couture, and collectible heirloom pieces*To maintain the quality and condition of these pieces, they are only available for try-on during Archival Collection Appointments.*

The appointment fee for an Archival Collection Appointment is $500. This fee is non-refundable but may be used towards a same-day purchase.

If you have a budget of 9k or above – and plan on visiting our New York salon – we recommend booking this appointment to take advantage of the breadth of the entire collection. Please note that Archival Collection Appointments will also have access to our regular salon collection.

PRICING

 

WHAT IS THE PRICE RANGE OF YOUR PIECES?

Here at Happy Isles, we strive to provide a selection of highly curated vintage pieces for the special moments in your life. Pieces at our salon range in price depending on designer, provenance, condition and rarity.

Our semi-formal and formal vintage bridal whites fall between $1,800 - $7,400. You can expect a range of major designers, as well as lesser-known and collectible vintage labels.

For bridal showers and surrounding bridal events, we offer a range of more casual options starting at $895 and up.

Non-designer vintage partywear ranges between $695 - $1,400, while formal vintage designer pieces fall from $1,800 - $5,400.

Our Archival Collection ranges from $9k - $30k+. These pieces are available for try-on with a special Archival Collection Appointment at our New York Salon.

SIZING

 

WHAT SIZES DO YOU CARRY? DO YOU HAVE LARGER SIZES?

We do our very best to curate for a range of sizes. The majority of our collection falls in the size 00-8/10 range. Options are available but more limited in size 10/12 (measurements: bust 38" waist 32" hips 41"). If these are your measurements, we hope that you will come to see us with an open mind regarding style and decade. Our trusted HI stylists will be there for you to offer their expert eye and tailoring suggestions.

If your measurements go beyond the above, we may or may not have a selection for you at any given time. Due to the nature of vintage as well as our quickly moving inventory, it's nearly impossible to make promises about what we have in the salon day-to-day.

“ONLINE” SHOPPING & INSTAGRAM

 

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO SEE HAPPY ISLES' INVENTORY ONLINE WITHOUT BOOKING AN APPOINTMENT?

Check us out on Instagram! Because of the rate at which our merchandise flows in and out of the salons, we do not post gowns on our website for purchase.

If you’re unable to visit us in person yet but want to take a peek at what we’ve got - keep an eye on our Instagram @happyisles_salon. We post try-on stories once a week of pieces that are available to purchase via Instagram DM.

We are happy to answer additional questions about any items you see on Instagram. If you’d like to purchase an item, we will email you an invoice to be paid. Please note that invoices must be paid within one hour of receipt, or the piece goes back up for grabs. Once paid, we will ship directly to you! *All Sales Final*

All items shown in our IG Highlights section are currently available. To inquire about one of those pieces, DM us!

We respond to DMs Tuesday-Thursday.

We post about 15% of our inventory on Instagram. The best and only way to see our entire collection is to book appointments at both the Los Angeles and New York locations.

 

DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?

Yes! Please provide an address for a shipping estimate when you DM us.

STYLIST FAQs

 

DO YOU ALLOW FOR STYLIST PULLS?

We allow pulls-for-purchase with vetted stylists. We are available on a limited case-by-case basis for other projects. Please email our Director of Operations, Kate, at kate@thehappyisles, to fill us in.

Please note that we need at least 3 days notice for stylist pulls.

 

I AM A BRIDAL STYLIST; HOW SHOULD I BE IN TOUCH?

If you are a bridal stylist shopping for a client and have not worked with us before, please email our Director of Operations, Kate, at kate@thehappyisles with some information about what you are looking for including your client's budget. From there, we can offer a time slot for a quick stop at either of our locations so that you may take photos.

If you want to book an appointment for your client, please do so online through our regular booking portal.

 

DOES HAPPY ISLES OFFER BRIDAL STYLING SERVICES? CAN YOU SOURCE SOMETHING SPECIFIC FOR ME?

We do not offer sourcing services. Happy Isles styling services are COMING SOON…

If you are shopping for multiple bridal events, we recommend visiting us more than once via our Return Customer Appointments. We recommend waiting three months between visits to the salon to ensure a fresh inventory turnover.

VINTAGE ACQUISITIONS

 

DO YOU BUY VINTAGE AND/OR VINTAGE WEDDING DRESSES?

Yes! Please see the “Vintage Acquisitions” section or contact our Director of Operations, Kate, at kate@thehappyisles to learn more.

COLLABS AND TRUNK SHOWS

 

WANT TO COLLAB?

Please email us at digital@thehappyisles.com with more information about your project.

 

WANT TO HOST A HAPPY ISLES DRESS-UP PARTY OR TRUNK SHOW IN YOUR CITY OR AT YOUR HOME?

Please email us at digital@thehappyisles.com to learn more about our packages.