Russell's Elegance

Russell's Elegance is a formalwear shop at Rue du Midi 12 in Yverdon-les-Bains, in the canton of Vaud. It sells and rents wedding dresses, evening and cocktail dresses and suits, for women and girls as well as men and boys, and it runs an alterations service. The site's own tagline sums it up as sale and rental of wedding dresses, evening dresses and suits in Yverdon. The owner named on the About page is Marlene R. Alcántara.

Three services: sale, rental, alterations

The About page sets out the business in three short blocks.

Vente (sale). Wedding dresses and evening dresses for girls and women, suits for boys and men, and in the site's words a "vaste choix pour tout budget", a wide choice for every budget.

Location (rental). "Location de robes et costards, faites-vous plaisir pour un événement spécial et ceci à moindre frais": dress and suit rental, to treat yourself for a special occasion at lower cost. Rental covers both dresses and suits, so it is not only for the bride. A groom, a best man or a guest can rent too.

Retouches (alterations). "Trop court, long, serré ou large ?" Too short, too long, too tight or too loose? The shop says its clothing alterations service will take care of it.

A blog post on choosing a wedding dress, published on the shop's site in 2019, repeats the rental point from the other side: stick to your budget, but know that the shop has rental dresses for more modest budgets.

The owner's approach

Marlene R. Alcántara writes on the About page that, with the support of her family and those close to her, she was able to realize the dream of opening a boutique. Her stated aim is to accompany brides "avec amour, joie et bonne humeur" (with love, joy and good humor) and to find the dress that best suits each bride's figure. She puts the inclusive point plainly: "Peu importe votre morphologie, chaque femme mérite de se voir à sa juste valeur dans sa robe", whatever your body shape, every woman deserves to see herself at her true worth in her dress. The homepage says the same in practical terms: the shop wants to offer dresses suited to your personality, and there are more choices in the boutique for every body type than the site shows.

The team description is short: passionate and dedicated, available to help you choose and adapt the outfit you want. The site does not say how many people work there.

What the site shows about the stock

The homepage is divided into Femme, Homme and Enfant. Under women it shows wedding dresses for sale and rent, cocktail dresses and evening dresses; the cocktail section promises sparkling, sophisticated, elegant or understated dresses for big occasions, with more to see in the shop. Under men there are suits, and there is a section for children's dresses and suits, which matters for a wedding with pageboys or flower girls.

On brands, a news post headed "Venez découvrir la collection 2026!" says the shop has worked for several years with labels such as White. A "Marques représentées" heading appears on the homepage, but no full brand list is written out.

A few dates from the news section

The news posts give a sense of the shop's history. In September 2019 the shop celebrated its 5th anniversary at the Grand Hôtel des Bains in Yverdon, with a fashion show, cocktails and customers and friends, and the post says clients there are listened to and pampered. The homepage also links a press item in Femina about Marlene opening the shop. More recent posts, from 2025, announce a book by the owner, "Découvre-toi, femme de valeur", available in the boutique, and a perfume called SOY. They are side projects; the dresses, suits and alterations are the business.

Opening hours and appointments

The site lists opening hours and marks them "sur rdv", by appointment: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 09:00 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 18:00, closed on Wednesday, and Saturday 09:00 to 14:00 without a break. The anniversary post adds that the shop is available every day by appointment. For a bride, booking ahead is clearly the expected route.

Contact is by phone on +41 24 426 03 38, by email to info@russellselegance.ch, or through the contact form.

Advice from the shop's blog

The 2019 blog post "Mariage : 10 conseils pour choisir sa robe" gives the shop's own view of how to buy. The points that matter most for planning: many dresses take four to eight months to produce if they are not already in the shop, and after that you still need time for alterations and accessories, so start early. Buy in your current size, since a dress that is too big is easier to adjust than one that is too tight. Decide your budget and your wedding theme before shopping, and keep your group to two or three people whose opinion counts most.

For couples coming from abroad

The whole site is in French. It does not say whether consultations can be held in English or German, so an English-speaking couple should ask by email before traveling. The site gives no directions, public transport information or parking details, only the street address in Yverdon-les-Bains.

What the site does not settle

• Prices. Neither sale nor rental prices are published, and there is no indication of budget tiers beyond "tout budget".
• Rental terms: how far ahead to reserve, how long you keep the outfit, deposits, cleaning, and what happens if it is damaged.
• Alterations: no prices and no turnaround times.
• The full list of brands carried.
• Languages spoken in the shop.

Who it suits

Russell's Elegance suits a couple in western Switzerland who want to dress more than just the bride in one place: bride, groom, guests and children, with the choice of buying or renting and alterations done by the same shop. The rental route is the obvious draw for anyone on a tighter budget or who needs formalwear for a single day. The owner's emphasis on every body type is stated clearly, not in passing.

The drawbacks are the French-only website and the lack of any published prices or rental terms, which means an email or call is needed before you can judge whether it fits your budget. Couples coming from abroad should settle language, rental conditions and timing in advance.