Do’s Formal

SARAH helped us and she was fabulous! I came here for my wedding dress (and it was 2 – 3 weeks before the big day… the one I ordered online fell through) and was a little panicked but SARAH was great! She helped with grabbing dresses, shoes, veils, etc and never seemed flustered or annoyed. But to say, all in all, every time I come here for whatever, the staff is very helpful! Plus, all the attire is beautiful. My brothers (who were in my wedding party) got their vests there in the exact color I wanted, and all their sizes (none of them are the same size) were there. Just a great place overall! Thank you so much!

«Complete tuxedo» set is now $ 179, not $ 149, with the big-​and-​tall sizes at $ 199. This includes:
* Jacket
* Dress shirt
* Pants
* Dress shoes (Oxford-​type, patent-​leather-​ish choices)
* Tie
These prices are to BUY, not rent. If you’re tailoring, they also press the jacket, dress shirt, and pants, so that when you pick them up, you don’t have wrinkles.
Basic tailoring costs an additional fee of about $ 10 for shortening jacket sleeves (total, not per sleeve), so that the dress shirt would peek out about ¼ inch from them; plus an additional $ 45 for hemming both legs of the pants (if the pants are in a big/​tall, larger size; smaller pants cost less to alter, but we didn’t ask). Frankly, we should’ve gone one street over, to Nikki Alterations on Maunakea, and instead shelled out about $ 7 for the same hemming of the pants legs, but sometimes, she takes a long time. These guys could do it inside of a week, rather than several weeks ($ 45−7=$ 38 less for pants hems, if you have the time to spare).
If you want an additional tie to add to the one in the set, then it’s $ 10 more. They show you more than a single tie, to match your jacket and dress shirt. They’re stretchy, sling-​around ties, not ones you need to knot (millennial ties, not old-​school).
Male dress shoes don’t seem to come in wides, so if your feet don’t fit width-​wise, the staff will size up, so you can still make the full set. This might or might not be a good strategy for your particular feet. If you’ve a bad back or knees, know that they’re cheap shoes – not a lot of orthopedic support or structure – but look shiny enough to pass for formal.
Good service by some staff more than others. If your particular helper is not being that useful (for instance, if she/​he doesn’t seem to be able to recommend or find the right stock, either right within the main store or in their room/​storage in the back), cast a side eye towards another staffer who looks more like they know what they’re doing, then informally flag ‘em over. The way their system’s set up, they want you to be able to get a nice range of jackets, shirts, and pants, within a few minutes of entering the store. It’s not a browsing store, but one where they want you to leave with the outfit purchased. The staff can work together if you call another salesperson over, though the one who’d first been helping you will probably get whatever commission or credit (if any?) that the store gets from your sale. A good salesperson knows stock and also functions as a stylist, putting matching clothes together to form an outfit, so look for this.
The management wants repeat customers and solid sales among local folk – they get most of their business from Hawai’i residents’ proms, formal (high school and military) balls, galas, and weddings, so they will allow this kind of teamwork among staff, if it makes you happy and well-​served.
If you give five stars on Unilocal and mention your salesperson by name, she/​he gains a bonus.
Not high-​end or designer formal wear, but it does the work for Hawai’i night-​time parties and celebrations, where, let’s face it, though the invite might say «black tie,» nobody cares if you’re wearing Armani or some generic, mass-​produced, Asian brand. They have larger sizes in the 50s and 60s (male jackets and pants), so that’s nice, too. Fast service, so you can be in and out in an hour, getting a full outfit with the minimum of muss and fuss.
If (1) you’re a non-​metrosexual local guy who HATES clothes shopping and usually passes the day in t-​shirts, shorts, jeans, Dockers, and aloha shirts; and if (2) your event is NOT full of snobby fashionista nitpickers, just attended by men who’ll be wearing a simple evening jacket and tie, or a basic tux-​based outfit, rather than something highly elaborate that looks like it was modeled out of mens’ wear ads in GQ or Vogue – then this is the place for you.

I have had three amazing experiences with Do’s Formal. The first two were in high school (2008 – 2009) where I purchased two different prom dresses that were affordable, BEAUTIFUL and came with free shoes. I come from a big family, and at the time my Mom was extremely relieved that she would be able to afford to buy multiple formal dresses for her various children without completely breaking the bank.
Most recently, I had to find a formal dress for a black tie wedding. I found out two weeks prior to the event that I would need a formal dress, and I’m not the easiest body-​shape to shop for. I’m curvy, tall, and gifted in the upper region. I can’t find things that don’t look completely inappropriate or are long enough at the stores most women can easily find things at. Needless to say, I was absolutely freaking out… how would I find the perfect formal dress for my complicated body type in such a short amount of time? I visited almost every place on island before remembering this absolute GEM of a shop located in the heart of downtown. Over a week’s time, I visited various Ross, TJ Maxx, Macy’s, Nordstrom Rack and Nordstrom locations. I couldn’t find anything I truly liked, or that fit well, and received ZERO assistance from employees (even at the «finer» stores).
After I came to my senses and remembered the great experiences I’ve had with Do’s Formal, I visited their shop on a weekday afternoon and was immediately given personalized help from one of their lovely sales associates. I felt like I was in a major department store in a movie because she was so HELPFUL, ATTENTIVE, PATIENT and COURTEOUS! I didn’t even have to tell her my size, or do some awkward measuring… she just knew. Everyone at Do’s Formal was extremely accommodating and I found my dream dress (exactly what I pictured in my head) in UNDER AN HOUR! I wish I had remembered Do’s Formal before spending days and days looking at other places that OBVIOUSLY don’t need my business (based on their lack of help).
Do’s Formal has dresses of all styles and sizes, they tailor in-​store, offer free shoes and have a great return policy. If you have any kind of formal event to attend, DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME at other places. Spend a couple bucks on parking in Chinatown and head on over to Do’s. You’ll be in and out in no time, and you’ll be more than satisfied with your purchase. I’ve purchased three dresses from them across 10 years and have been nothing less than absolutely satisfied with the item itself AND their amazing customer service.

Mahalo Dos Formal.
Late review but I had a great experience here. Trying on prom dresses can be a dreaded task. The girls here did an amazing job assisting my friend’s daughter in dress shopping for Prom. I swear she tried on over TWENTY dresses!!! The workers here were awesome. They assisted us and kept bringing more and more dresses.
Let me back up, when we first got there it seemed as though we would never find the perfect dress, not even after the first 10 dresses. The store was full of dresses and full of people trying on dresses too. The workers continued assisting us in finding the right size, right color, and right style of dress. They gave us tips and suggestions until we were finally down to a few great choices. And even after that they continued to bring out more dresses until she was sure that she made the right choice.
AWESOME SERVICE ladies… we love you.

When I went to Do’s Formal about a month ago I was looking for a suit. Sarah was the first associate that approach us and welcome us. She immediately helped us to find what I needed. She was the most patient and helpful associate. Ive been coming here for all our prom/​party/​event needs ever since high school. Even the owners are really super nice. They actually remembered us from when I went to prom. Will continue to go here for all our formal needs. Keep up the good work Sarah and Do Formal Team. Sarah you are Awesome.

ABSOLUTELY UNCALLED FOR! They have many prom dresses to chose from and won’t let the same school buy the same dress, which is great because who wants the same dress?! But it smells like cigarettes in the store because they probably smoke in it. Anyway, I ordered a BEAUTIFUL gold and white dress on Wednesday (because they didnt have any in stock) and they sounded so sure that it was guaranteed in their next shipment which was coming in soon. We put down half of what the dress cost and they said they would call when it came in, which was either on Friday or Tuesday. They called back on Friday saying they have no more white and gold dresses because they never ordered any. Total waste of time at this place and nothing is guaranteed here obviously.

I came back to Do’s for my senior prom dress this year after buying two dresses that I absolutely loved for proms last year. We spent a very long time in the store because there are just so many options for dresses! Carol was extremely helpful in finding many dresses for me once I chose a few in the style I was looking for. After a while, we found «the one.» I’m so excited to wear an amazing dress for prom again this year. Big thanks to Carol for all her help! Exceptional as always.

Carol was really helpful with bringing me different dresses to try on. I didn’t expect to get both of my prom dresses from this store but the prices were so good I said «hey might as well if I was going to pay this much for just one I can get two». I would definitely recommend this store to others and ask for carol if you do go in.

Joanna’s assistance was stellar. She was very patient and so helpful with lots of recommendations. What a gem in your organization.
Much Mahalo for helping me & my granddaughter.
Sincerely, Mrs Menor

Michael was great he helped us find 2 full tuxedos including shoes and ties… price was good service was excellent

I do not like the service here honestly. They have very unprofessional employees. My cousin came with me to go prom dress hunting and she was having small talk with one of the workers. My cousin brought up that she use to work at Callista (another prom dress store) and the lady who worked there started talking hella smack about her coworkers to my cousin. She told me she felt uncomfortable.
Another thing is that they will sell you prom dresses that looking like they’re falling apart for the whole damn price. I saw a really cute dress but it had stains on it and it looked ripped on a few sides of the dress. And they tried selling it to me for 400 $… What the hell. I even asked if they could order me a new one and they couldn’t do that for me.
And the last reason why I don’t like this place is because one year I tried finding my dress there (my first time prom dress shopping), I made a down payment and they told me the dress will arrive in 2 weeks. I waited for 3 – 4 weeks just for them to tell me that it was out of stock! Wasted a whole month waiting for nothing. So I took my money back and went to another store to look for another dress to wear.

Sarah helped my sister find a dress and she did an amazing job at helping her find the dress she wanted! Thank you!

This is by far my favorite store to shop for formal wear!
PROS:
— They have a large selection available in store and they can order other styles from catalogs.
— The personnel are always happy and eager to help you find the right dress for the occasion.
— Good on pricing!
— Often have sales or deals during prom season.
I have seen this store grow, and it is not doubt due to the quality of people that own and manage this store. I have purchased numerous dresses here, and have never had a bad experience or any issues with my purchase, which includes the alterations. I will definitely be going back anytime I need formal wear.

No. No… Nooo… Disorganized, terrible customer service, and NOTHING in stock. They gave me a MAGAZINE to shop through. I would have to order the style/​color. They have unusual colors.
Go to Calista across the street. Trust me.

I said yes to my wedding dress here. Sarah was soooo helpful and I’m so thankful for her. She made it so much easier. Along with my wedding dress, she gave me discount. They had good deals where the prom dresses were buy one get one free until December 30, 2015. My sister ended up buying her dress there and Sarah continued to help us. She is amazing! And so is everyone there.

Was looking for a place with a great selection of dresses in a variety of styles and colors… and this was just the place for me! There have tons of dresses from which to choose, and the staff (esp. Christy) was very helpful. I told her that I was looking for a long gown that was classy, yet a little on the sexy side, for a military ball. She found multiple dresses and kept bringing me more to try while I was in the dressing room. After a couple of trials, we found the perfect dress!
They also offer alterations there in the shop for what I consider to be a nominal/​small fee ($ 50), and they even gave a military discount of 15% on both the dress and alterations. I will definitely use their services and peruse their selections for all of our future functions.
The only reason I didn’t give them 5 stars was because they didn’t have a semi-​circular mirror to offer multiple views of the dresses from one stance. However, the first dressing room did have mirrors on three of its walls, so I was able to get a better feel for the dress than from a single mirror.
Would love to post a picture of the gown I bought, but I won’t have it from alterations until mid-​week. GREAT JOB, CHRISTY!!! Thank you!
Lynn

I went to dos formal to look for a gown to wear for military ball. Luckily, «LEN» helped me out to find which ones are goin to fit me and looked nice on me. I’ll definitely come back to this store for the next military ball. Great customer service. 5 star for Len.

I would like to take the time to thank Do’s, from the bottom of my heart.
Their service was nothing short of graceful and accommodating. They listened and looked at the ideas I brought in and then the magic begin.
Its rare we go for the 1^st dress we try on but immediately and as soon as we saw it, it was hard to top!
The good thing about it is you right the number for the dress down in a composition book they have which make sure your dress won’t be duplicated at your event.
And let me tell you, this dress could NOT be topped. My evening was amazing and the compliments I got were coming left and right.
Thank you Do’s! I highly recommend you!
Mahalo! !

Do’s Formal offers a whole suit for $ 149. It includes a coat, pants, you can choose between a neck tie or bow tie, and undershirt. We were greeted right away. She asked for my waist size and color scheme. At one point two workers were helping to assist me. They were really nice and courteous. I wish I remembered their names.
* There are tons of prom dresses
* They also sell wedding dresses
* Accessories
* Children formal attire
It’s located at the corner of north king street and smith street. Near the restaurant the Pig and the Lady.

DO NOT GO HERE!!!
–The first time I came in everything went well, one of the workers were nice and helped me grab the dresses i wanted to try on, I picked out a dress, bought it and had to get it altered so we had to leave it there. The lady told me it’ll be ready for pick up on the 14^th.
–I came back on the 14^th and told them I was here to pick up my dress, I waited for a while as one of the workers were looking for it. She came back and talked to the manager and she looked at us gave an attitude and said «well today is not the 14^th» which it was lol. Then she called the seamstress and apparently the seamstress FORGOT to alter my dress because it was hiding under a pile of other dresses. Therefore my dress was not ready for pick up! They gave me a $ 10 refund and said I could pick it up the next day.
–I went back and my dress was there and ready to be picked up. The alteration was fine BUT my dress was dirty! I did not pay $ 366 for my dress to be dirty. I asked the manager if they could clean it and she just said «we can try. This is silk so I don’t think the stains can come off» so I said «ok so what if it doesn’t come off?» She said «well like I said we can try but we don’t know if it can come off» she did not offer any discount, refund or opportunity to exchange. She was just going to let us leave with a dirty $ 366 prom dress. So I left my dress there for them to «try» and clean it. The manager said I could come back 2 days later to pick it up.
–2 days later I called first thing in the morning to ask if it was ready. I was on the phone for a while waiting for the worker to find my dress then she comes back on the phone and tells me she’ll call me back when she finds it. Still no call back!
Poor customer service, I don’t even want my dress anymore but I can’t even get a refund or exchange because they are just too cheap and don’t care about their customers once we buy a dress. I rather get my money back and find a dress somewhere else