Brautboutique Josy

Brautboutique Josy is a bridal and occasion-wear shop at Solothurnstrasse 90 in Grenchen, and every page of its website carries the same line: "Hochzeits- & Festmode von Grösse 36 bis 60", wedding and occasion wear in sizes 36 to 60. It sells wedding dresses, civil-ceremony outfits, curvy and maternity bridal wear, dresses for bridesmaids, mothers and guests, evening wear and accessories, and it has its own alterations workroom. The services page welcomes visitors to the "grössten Braut- und Festmodegeschäft der Region", the largest bridal and occasion-wear shop in the region, a claim that is the shop's own.

What the shop carries

The services page lists the range in one block:

• wedding dresses and "Raffinierte Standesamtmode", refined outfits for the civil ceremony
• dresses for the "Brautführerin", the bride's attendant
• elegant outfits for mothers and guests
• maternity designs "für das Fest mit Babybauch", for the celebration with a baby bump
• larger sizes "für etwas mehr Figur"
• party, cocktail and evening dresses
• accessories "von Kopf bis Fuss", from head to toe

The bridal pages describe styles ranging from romantic and classically elegant to sensual, from simple dresses to a full gown with a train, for church or registry office. The home page opens by asking the bride how she imagines her dress: decorated with delicate lace, figure-hugging with a close silhouette, with a daring low back, or elegant in an airy tulle gown. The shop promises to meet each of those wishes from its selection. The site does not name the designers or labels it stocks. The menu includes a "Kollektion" section, with a Kollektion 2020 link on the home page.

Large sizes and maternity dresses

Size is where the shop stands out. The large-sizes page says bridal dresses up to size 60 are kept in stock ("am Lager"), and that bridesmaids, mothers and guests with more curves will also find a large range of evening and occasion wear. Final adjustments for these dresses are made by the shop's own seamstresses.

The maternity page, "Schwangerschafts Brautmode", offers dresses for the bride with a baby bump, for church or civil ceremony, and says "Fachlich kompetente Schneiderinnen sorgen für den perfekten Sitz", qualified seamstresses make sure the outfit fits. For a bride who will be pregnant at her wedding, a shop that stocks maternity bridal dresses to try on, rather than ordering blind, saves a great deal of uncertainty.

Current reductions

The site advertises large reductions across the range:

• 50% to 70% off all wedding dresses
• 30% to 70% off the large-size bridal collection
• 50% off all maternity bridal dresses
• 50% to 70% off evening dresses and accessories

The site does not give the original prices, so the percentages do not say what a dress will cost. A couple should ask for actual prices by phone.

The alterations workroom

The services page calls the in-house workroom "ein weiteres Plus", another plus. Whether for a wedding dress or an evening dress, the shop's experienced seamstresses fit it to the wearer. At the first fitting the shop discusses the necessary and desired changes and the alteration prices. Alterations are charged separately, and to keep them "so tief wie möglich", as low as possible, the shop charges only cost price ("nur den Selbstkostenpreis"). Customers are also free to use a seamstress of their own choice.

Brides are asked to bring their wedding shoes and underwear to the fitting. After alterations, the shop stores the dress properly until the wedding, and it is ready for collection freshly pressed, with an opaque garment bag for transport and storage. For a bride traveling from farther away, that storage is useful: the dress stays in the shop until it is needed.

Advice for the fitting

A "Tipps zum Brautkleidkauf" section gives practical advice. Ideally a bride should come 6 to 8 months before the wedding to choose her dress, and should book an appointment so the shop has enough time for her. Brides without an appointment are also welcome, and the shop says it keeps a large selection in stock for weddings at short notice. For a quieter visit, it suggests a weekday appointment.

It asks brides to wear light, simple underwear and little or no make-up and no lipstick, to avoid marking the dresses. It recommends bringing 2 to a maximum of 3 close companions, and adds "Verlassen Sie sich auf Ihr Bauchgefühl – nur das zählt!", trust your gut, that's all that counts, noting that the more people see the dress in advance, the less the bride can surprise anyone on the day. Evening-dress fittings are possible at any time without an appointment.

Planning from abroad

The shop's own timing advice, 6 to 8 months before the wedding, gives a bride from abroad a clear target for her first visit, and the storage service means the finished dress can wait in Grenchen until she returns for the wedding. The large stock in sizes up to 60 also makes it realistic to choose and buy in a single visit, with alterations the main reason to come back.

Hours and contact

The published opening hours:

• Monday closed
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 14.00 to 18.00
• Friday closed
• Saturday 09.30 to 12.00 and 13.30 to 16.00

The phone number for appointments is +41 (0)32 652 57 89. The home page also carries a holiday notice for 28 September to 12 October, without a year, and warns "Kurzfristige Änderungen der Öffnungszeiten sind möglich", opening hours may change at short notice, so it asks people to phone before a spontaneous visit.

What the site leaves open

The site is in German only and uses the formal "Sie". It does not say whether staff advise in English, French or Italian. It names no designers and gives no original prices, only percentage reductions. It shows no e-mail address, so the phone is the published route. It says nothing about parking or public transport to Solothurnstrasse.

Who it suits

Brautboutique Josy suits brides who need dresses to try on up to size 60, pregnant brides, and families who want to dress the bride, the attendants and the mothers in one shop. The in-house alterations at cost and the storage until the wedding make it practical for a bride who cannot collect her dress at the last minute. The caveats are the limited opening hours, closed Mondays and Fridays, a German-only website, and no clear prices behind the discounts.