The Dress: An "Obvi"ous Decision

When it came to finding the perfect dress, I had to consider a few criteria:

1. Staff Helpfulness-- Obvi definitely won out in this area. Because Antoinette actually worked in her own store, she demonstrated a higher knowledge of the product. She appeared eager and proud to show off the clothing that she had ordered herself while the ladies at Dress Barn simply hung back and let me shop.

2. Price-- Dress Barn is certainly cheaper, especially with the number of sales and promotions the chain offered. Obvi is not unreasonable either; its prices certainly do not come close to the high end designers, but for the shopper on a budget, it's more practical to shop at Dress Barn.

3. Style-- Although both stores seem to be targeted for young women, Obvi would appeal more to a 20-something crowd than Dress Barn. Carrying designers like Miss Me Couture and Double Zero, Obvi offers brighter colors and more flirtatious styles. Dress Barn carries clothes that you would wear to the office, not to a party. Personally, I like Obvi's clothing much better, but I would not feel comfortable wearing a purple strapless dress to work.

4. Selection-- Dress Barn is bigger and carries more items. Also, Dress Barn offers more sizes. Many of the dresses at Obvi simply come in small, medium, and large. This can be frustrating for women who fall in between these sizes.

Overall, I loved the originality of Obvi's dresses and valued Antoinette's advice and fashion sense. However, being that I tend to be a more practical shopper in terms of both style and price, I would probably go to Dress Barn for my day-to-day needs. For a special occasion, though, the choice certainly seems "obvi"ous.