Category Archives: Dress Advice

Why does a bespoke dress cost so much money?

*This post was originally featured on the English Wedding Blog*

Since I started my own business I’ve been confronted with two quite different opinions about my pricing strategy. Brides sometimes expect having a dress made for them to be cheaper than going to a bridal boutique, whereas other industry professionals have told me I’m undercharging (most of my dresses cost around £1800-£2500). A blog post by Olivia Bossert inspired me to explain what goes into the cost of your couture wedding dress.

1. Marketing

Any dressmaker that you hire has to first advertise so that you know they are an option. Very few people come to me straight from Google or my website, so a small amount of the cost of your dress is associated with how you found me in the first place. Whether that’s spending 2 days at a wedding fair, putting together a styled shoot for a magazine or blog or spending a little cash upfront on Facebook or internet advertising, this is a fairly big business expense for me. This is why referrals are so important to me and to other small wedding businesses, and why so many of us offer discounts to people who recommend their friends.

bespoke wedding dress price discussion with Ailsa Munro (3)

2. Consultation and fitting time

The point of getting a bespoke dress is that firstly, you get exactly the design you want. Sometimes it will take me two hours in a first consultation to get this completely right. Then there can be up to four further fittings to ensure the fit is completely perfect and that all the details fit and look right. Conservatively, I probably spend about 6 hours in consultations with every bride on the run up to the wedding day, and dressmakers need to charge for this time.

3. Experience and design

This is a slightly abstract concept, but creativity and experience are big factors in how your dress turns out, and that will factor into the cost of your dress. To try and explain it better, think about paying for a painting. Sure, the time and materials that go into it are a factor, but you’re also buying from a specific painter because you love their work and you want a piece of it in your home. You would spend more on a painting my an established artist than you would a home-painter. The same is true for a couture dress, you pay more to have an experienced atelier make it rather than your auntie on a sewing machine.

bespoke wedding dress price discussion with Ailsa Munro (2)

4. Pattern cutting and sampling

If you’re ordering from a pre-given selection of dresses (for example, if you want a dress that is exactly like one from my sample collection) this stage is shorter and your dress will come out a little cheaper. If your dress is completely bespoke however, your dressmaker will need to spend quite a bit of time pattern cutting and making a toile of the dress. A toile is a first draft of the dress in cheap fabric, that allows the dressmaker to see how the fit and style is going to work. The time and materials for this need to be factored into the cost of the dress.

5. The fabric

I think it’s pretty obvious that the cost of the fabric has to be factored into the cost of the dress! However, it is not by a long way the only factor. Halving your fabric costs (by going for polyester over silk) will not half the cost of your dress. I think it’s almost always worth stretching the budget for a completely silk dress.

6. Making the dress

This is the other obvious cost- the sheer amount of time spent making a high quality couture dress. Most of us are accustomed to buying off the high street, often clothes made in India or China where people are paid an equivalent of 50p a day. They also use fairly low quality, quick production techniques. This means it can seem a little expensive buying high quality garments domestically produced.

7. Rent on a workshop or studio

If your dress takes 2 weeks to make in the studio, the price of the dress has to cover the rent on the studio for those two weeks. Some small businesses can operate without premises, but often creative businesses need space for their tools and equipment.

So there you have it. This list is by no means exhaustive, I haven’t mentioned the wear and tear on machines or the cost that goes into packaging your dress, but I hope this list gives you a bit more of an idea of where the money you pay for your wedding dress goes when you choose to have a handmade item. It can seem like a lot of money, but in the wedding industry you really do get what you pay for; most of us are much smaller companies than you would usually deal with and we cannot afford to overcharge or disappoint even one customer.

 

Bespoke Choice

*This post first appeared on Pasties and Petticoats*

There is a test with jam samples in a supermarket. It says that when faced with too many choices, customers were ten times less likely to buy jam, because they were overwhelmed by their options. If you’re offered one of six, rather than one of twenty four, your much more likely to walk away with some jam.

This presents a bit of a problem when you’re planning  a wedding – you’re faced not just with the massive, overwhelming selection of suppliers, but what if each of them also offer a completely personalised service?

I make bespoke wedding dresses, and it’s a point of pride to me that I can make you exactly what you want for your wedding day. I know this provides a lot of choice in comparison to buying off the peg and this can appear overwhelming, but don’t let this put you off. The benefits of bespoke are plentiful, just use these simple tips to help focus on what you want…

mariannebillie3

Image credit

What do you really NOT want?

If you don’t know what you want, tell me what you would do anything to avoid.

Some brides can’t think of anything worse than not being able to wear one of their comfy bras on their wedding day. Others tell me stories about weddings they went to where the bride couldn’t move, or dance, or eat, and want more than anything to be able to move and dance and eat on their wedding day.  Sometimes what you don’t want is more abstract – perhaps you don’t want to blend in with all the brides you see on social media. This is a great starting point for your dress, and you can keep coming back to it if you get swept away in wedding madness.

rachelrose01

Image credit

What do you want to be able to do in your dress?

It is so easy to have a clear idea of what you want and then be swept away by the fishtail or the massive train or the 7 tulle underskirts. But what looks amazing standing still in front of a fitting mirror might become a giant cramp in your wedding style when you’re trying to strip the willow (mostly Scottish brides), pick up your niece or do a wheelbarrow race (family traditions are weird). My advice is to think about the whole day, and what you’re really going to be comfortable, warm/cool and happy in. Most of us are not used to wearing big skirts and boned corsets for long periods of time, with the obvious exception of Shakespearean actresses, and would be much more comfortable in something less formal.

280a9622

Image credit

How much do you really want to spend?

The wedding industry is a place where you really do get what you pay for. So one of the really crucial factors to decide before you start shopping for a dress is to decide how much you want to pay for your dress. If you don’t want to spend more than £1000, you probably won’t be able to afford to have a train. If you want to spend less on your dress than on your ring (like my sister), that will limit you again. It will be easy once you’re trying dresses on to try and eek up the budget- and maybe having the veil of your dreams IS more important than having a photo booth, but make sure you know where the contingency money is coming from before you commit to a dress.

lottieettlingphotographyailsamunrodressmaker2016031

I hope that gives you a bit more direction, not just with your dress but will all the aspects of your wedding. It might seem like you don’t know what you want, and it may be difficult to articulate, but you will already have a fairly good idea of what it is that you want. If in doubt, a really good idea is to pick supplier who’s work you like and trust them to do their job. Getting your photographer or dressmaker to recommend other suppliers is a great way of making sure the styles work together cohesively.

lottieettlingphotographyailsamunrodressmaker2016032

Image credit

Why you should go Bespoke

Guest post written by me for Pasties and Petticoats about why YOU (yes, you!) should buy a bespoke wedding dress

Most people don’t even consider having a bespoke wedding dress made. I completely understand. My sister got married before I set up my business and it never even crossed her mind to have a bespoke dress. This was partly because she doesn’t consider herself particularly creative or arty, and didn’t think she would want to be involved in the process. We also assumed it would be much more expensive to have something made when, in fact, many of the dresses she tried on cost more than some of mine do.

I am convinced that everyone should have a dress uniquely designed for them at least once in their life. It is such a special process and when better to treat yourself than in the lead up to the most precious day of your life.

Merryn5

Choice

Boutiques often have hundreds of dresses, but all in very similar styles. When my sister went wedding dress shopping a few years ago, everything was strapless, and after five or six dresses they all started to seem like the same dress. She was very clear about wanting dress with an empire line and straps or sleeves (her only two criteria) but because that wasn’t the ‘in’ style, the shop assistants just kept bringing out more and more strapless corseted dresses and insisting she would love them. Spoiler: she didn’t!

One wedding photographer recently said to me  you don’t have many sample dresses, but they are each so different that it’s hard to narrow them down. And, of course, since every dress is individually designed, brides are free to mix and match details from my dresses or bring their own ideas to the table. If you want to stand out and get something memorable, or even just find something flattering to your unique shape, having something handmade is the best option.

Maymie6

Maymie3

Fit

This might seem like an obvious one, but since most of us have never had anything tailored to fit us we can’t appreciate how much of a difference having something fitting us properly will make. Not only will it be much, much more flattering, but it will be much more comfortable. How any times have you had an item of clothing that you love, but it gapes a tiny bit at the front, or pinches under the arms, or just sat ever so slightly wrong on you? This is your wedding day – you don’t have to settle for less than perfect. A well made dress will not need as much corseting or heavy fabric as a store bought dress, so you will be much more able to move, eat, dance, and get carried over the threshold at the end of the night.Maymie

Demelza8

Budget

As I mentioned before, bespoke dresses have a reputation for being prohibitively expensive but this absolutely does not have to be the case. Since you are having a dress specifically designed and made for you, it can be designed within a certain budget. You can pick styles and fabrics to make something that is affordable for you rather than being stuck with the flat rate prices of dresses in shops. You will know that every penny is being spent on making something perfect for you, rather than the closest approximation you could find to what you actually wanted. What’s more, when you buy an off-the-rack dress the price you pay does not include alterations, so you typically have to add another 10% to the price in order to have the dress fit you properly. With a bespoke service this is of course included, so once you have agreed on a price you know that there will be no hidden costs.

Demelza5The personal touch

Supporting local designers is immensely rewarding as there is a personal element to the process that is absent when buying an off-the- rack dress. A huge part of the fun of having your dress made for you is the relationship you develop with your dressmaker. There is something really special about meeting someone and knowing that they are the only person who is going to be involved in the designing, pattern cutting and making of your wedding dress. I fall in love with every dress I make and have been lucky enough to develop close friendships with many of my brides.

Billie2

Addison5

The experience

This really ties together all the previous points, but I really believe that other than getting the perfect wedding dress, a big part of the fun of going bespoke is being able to enjoy the whole process. From the initial consultation where you get to be personally involved in picking the fabric, lace, cut and design of your wedding dress, to seeing it grow and being updated at every stage, it’s so much more magical than waiting for your dress to arrive in from China.

guidebridalfabric1

5tipsforbuyingbespoke

Bespokeprocess

Beginner’s guide to Bridal Fabrics

guidebridalfabric1

As you go through the process of buying a wedding dress one of the most important factors that will define the look, feel and cost of your dress is the fabric that goes into making it.

There are two main defining characteristics that go into bridal fabric- fibre (what it's made from) and weave (how it's structured). Not all fabrics are woven, some are knitted, like the jersey fabric in t-shirts, or 'non-woven' like the fabric in your makeup wipes. It is very rare to find these in bridal wear so I won't be focusing on them here.

Fibres are loosely grouped into organic or inorganic, meaning their source is either natural or man-made. Natural fibres, like cotton and silk, tend to be softer to touch, drape more gently and more breathable to wear. They're generally the better option, but they are often more than twice the cost of man made fibres like polyester or viscose.

The second factor that has a big influence on the appearance of the fabric is the weave structure. Slightly more technical, this simply refers to the way the warp threads (that run along the length of the fabric) relate to the weft threads (that run from side to side). So in a standard weave, weft fabrics go over one, under one, over one, under one etc along the whole fabric, giving a nice smooth fabric.

Some useful ones to know:

  • "Satin" refers to a weave structure in which one set of threads goes over 4 or 5 of the other direction before going under one and repeating. This results in long 'floats' which make the fabric shiny and smooth. You can have satin made from polyester or from silk, and the difference can be really noticeable.
  • "Chiffon" is very fine, translucent fabric that I use quite a lot in my work. The silk version drapes beautifully and feels magically soft, and I would absolutely recommend it for the bride, but bridesmaids can sometimes get away with using polyester.
  • "Tulle" is used to mean anything like net. Pure silk tulle is generally unpopular because although it has a beautiful drape, it's denser than it's synthetic counterparts and less good at adding volume to the dress.

Hopefully these basics will help you navigate the world of wedding dress shopping and given you some insight into the bridal industry! I'll be writing a follow up blog on the three most commonly used types of lace and I'll also be explaining why I prefer to only use organic fabrics.

Bespokeprocess

Guideweddingsizes

instabridalzen

Sizing in Wedding Dresses

Guideweddingsizes

Or "Are you sure this is a size 12"

It seems like it's fairly common knowledge that wedding dresses "run small" compared to high street shops. I want to quickly explain where this impression comes from, why my samples are the size they are, and some quick ideas on how to keep your sanity while being manhandled into a very tight dress by a sales assistant on what is supposed to be a happy day.

First of all- it's important to remember that sizes are just numbers. They help the industry codify bodies, which come in all shapes and sizes and heights and proportions, into roughly 6 standard sizes. The system is imperfect, not least because it appeals to the side of our brain that wants to put things in boxes and say "okay so if I'm a size X I must look like Y", or worse "I can only be happy if I'm a size X" This brings about what is often referred to as "vanity sizing", where high street shops make their sizes fit a slightly bigger body in order to make them feel good and therefore buy the product. Of course, once one shop does this there's a lot of pressure on their competitors to do the same- why buy size 14 jeans from here when you fitted into the 12s next door. The lower end of the fashion market, the fast fashion we wear most days, is more guilty of this than higher end fashion. Similarly, within the wedding industry the high street dresses like Monsoon bridal or Phase 8 run truer to their casual fashion equivalents, while the bigger designers often work to vintage patterns, before the gradual growth of vanity sizing.

I think small sample sizes are one of the areas the wedding industry really let's itself down. Quite often very normal sized women will say to me that they haven't been able to try on a single dress that does up. When I first started my collection I made all my dresses a size 12 or 14 sample, and over the last few months I've had to slowly tailor them down to size 8s so often for models there is no longer any point in me making samples in any other size. The issue has been that I underestimated the role styled shoots (like the one on Pasties and Petticoats or b.loved) would play in advertising my business. These are generally organised by the photographer, who will usually give me a choice of size 6 or 8 models. One of the main reasons the corseted look is so in fashion right now is that it's one of the easiest styles to adjust the sizing of, by lacing it tighter, saving the designers a lot of time doing fittings on models and then ultimately brides.

How to keep your sanity while being manhandled into a very tight dress by a sales assistant

  1. Ignore the sizing. If possible, don't even look at the number in the back of the dress. If the sales assistant says the number out loud, pretend it is American or European sizing and that it means nothing to you. It bares so little resemblance to the sizing you're used to that this shouldn't be hard. Focus on the dress not the size.
  2. Be kind. Don't say anything about yourself, your body, or the way you look in a dress that you wouldn't say to your friend if she was trying wedding dresses on. I stole this trick from Amy Poehler and I think it's brilliant. Don't say the word fat. Don't point out your bingo wings. Focus on the positives, but be honest about what's not working. I use this in every area of my life. 
  3. Go bespoke, so you never have to assign a number to your size! Obviously my favourite tip is to have something tailored to you so that it's never a "size 12", it's a size YOU. You are not a number. You are beautiful.

 

InstaHateShopping

Bespokeprocess

instashoppin1

The Bespoke Process

 

BespokeprocessPeople are often a little intimidated by the idea of buying a bespoke wedding dress, to take the stress out of it I've outlined here the three basic steps towards having a bespoke wedding dress made for you.

1.design

I've got all sorts of tips on how to pick the right dress for you, from getting involved with the design to picking the right dress for your shape. The first stage of the process is picking someone you're happy working with and then having them design you your perfect dress. This is usually done in one complimentary meeting, but you may need a follow up to go over specific colour or fabric swatches, particularly if you're not getting married in Ivory or you're picking lace. Once the design has been finalised a 50% deposit is taken.

To me, this stage is the most fun part of the process but it actually scares a lot of brides off bespoke, and they end up choosing off the peg something that is almost  exactly what they're looking for, or in the worst case scenario (like my sister) picking the least bad option available. My advice with bespoke is to stay the course and have a little faith- there will be plenty of opportunities to amend details as you go along.

2.toile

The next stage is for me to go away and make the pattern for your dress, and then to make it up in cheap fabric for you to try on. This process gives me an idea of how much fabric I'll need to buy, lets me see how well the pattern I've made fits you and gives you the chance to really visualise how the finished thing is going to look on. When you try on the toile it can be difficult to see past the cheap fabric, but if there are any big problems (you've completely changed your mind about the neckline etc) now is the time to raise them!

3.fit

I will require you to attend several fittings, usually in the 2 months leading up to your wedding. At the first, the dress is made in the final fabric in order to check the fit again. Often the stress of a wedding means brides change size slightly, and this fitting allows me to accommodate for that. Once we are happy with the fit, the final details will be added, such as lace applique or the scallop on your hem, and the dress will be ready to take away.

5tipsforbuyingbespoke

instashoppin1

AddedOhlala

How to find a wedding dress when you hate shopping

My sister and I couldn't be less alike in some ways. While I talk about, think about and design wedding dresses all day long, when she got married several years ago shopping for the dress was one of the most stressful parts of her wedding planning (Clearly if I had started my business things would have been different!) I asked her to pick some top tips for people who hate shopping.

hateshopping1
Image by Stuart Brampton

Shopping for your wedding dress can be a really fun experience - you get to try on beautiful dresses and feel like a princess. Who wouldn't love that? Still, there are people who absolutely love going on shopping trips and then there are people like me who just want it all to end so we can go home and read a book. I've been dragged kicking and screaming to the shops in the past because I had completely run out of clothes. But I promise, even for people like me, buying your wedding dress can be something which you will remember fondly. This is how I made it fun:

  • Take one or two trusted friends with you - not more

Going wedding dress shopping with a big group of people including your family and all your bridesmaids is great for some people and I'm not trying to say that they are wrong. But if you're the sort of person who finds shopping physically and mentally exhausting, the last thing you're going to want is loads of people bombarding you with opinions and options. Just keep it small. After having been dragged round several places unsuccessfully by my mum and sisters, I ended up taking just my husband-to-be and very quickly found a dress that we both loved. Everyone was scandalised that I had let him see the dress before the wedding but in the end, his opinion was most important to me and isn't that what matters at the end of the day?

  • Have an idea in your head about what you want - but be open to other possibilities

I was clear from the beginning that I wanted an empire line dress that hung from the shoulders, but I did try on a variety of other styles before settling on one that I really loved. It's important to try out a few different shapes because you might find that something suits you really well that you would never have thought of. In the end I got an empire line dress that hung from the shoulders, but trying on other styles confirmed to me that I was making the right choice about that. And the neckline I ended up with was different from what I thought I wanted, because once I tried it on I discovered that I liked it better.

  • Don't be afraid to be picky

I mentioned that my first dress shopping trip was unsuccessful. All the places I visited seemed to have a very limited variety of styles which they seemed to expect me to just fit into even though none of them were me at all. I didn't want a strapless dress but everything seemed to be strapless. You don't have to compromise on this - you want to feel completely comfortable with your dress on your big day, and it's perfectly ok not to just get one that's the best of a bad lot. Getting your dress made for you bespoke is a really good way of making sure you get the wedding dress of your dreams.

  • And lastly, just relax and have fun! This only happens once!

 

Bespokeprocess

instashoppin1

5tipsforbuyingbespoke

5 Top Tips For Buying Bespoke

5tipsforbuyingbespoke

I recently started working with the West Country Wedding Planners based in Exeter and they asked me to write down my top five tips for their brides on buying a bespoke wedding dress. It was hard to narrow it down, but to me these are five ways to get the most out of the dress buying journey.

My top five tips for buying a bespoke wedding dress

1. Get inspired

Unlike walking into a shop and picking something out, with bespoke you have a real opportunity to be involved in the design of your dress. Get inspired by wedding magazines and Pinterest, start collecting images and see if there's a common theme - maybe they all have sleek skirts or use a lot of lace. Remember that inspiration can come from anywhere and you have the chance to be very personal - maybe you could include details from your mum's dress or from what you wore on your first date? Think about your favourite thing to wear and why you love it.

2. Consider what you want to be able to do in the dress

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life - you do not want to be uncomfortable. If being able to run up the church steps, dance, or cycle away on a tandem is important to you, make sure you're picking a dress you can move in. This also applies to choosing your undergarments and shoes. It might be a good idea to skip the tightly laced corset and killer heels and opt for Spanx and shoes you can comfortably walk down the aisle in- remember that it's a wedding day and you're likely to spend more than 12 hours in your outfit.

3. Chose your designer carefully

It is important to find a designer who you like personally and whose style suits your vision for your wedding day. You will have quite a few appointments with this person, and spend a fair amount of time together in the run up to your special day. Look at their previous work online, and definitely meet them before committing. Once you've found someone you want to work with, trust them. It can be a challenging process waiting to see your dress finished, be patient and trust that you chose this person for a reason.

4. Leave plenty of time

Ask your designer what the turnaround for their dresses typically is. From most bridal boutiques the order time is about 6 months. With dressmakers it can be shorter, but too close to the wedding they may charge a rush fee. It's also not unusual to be charged a little extra if you lose or gain a lot of weight in the run up to the wedding; since the dress is being made specifically to fit you it can cause a lot of extra work. Remember to go to fittings in the underwear and heels you plan on wearing on the day, as they can also have an effect on your posture and body shape.

5. Take one kind, trustworthy friend

In your first meeting with a designer you should be getting a sense of what they do, what you want, and maybe trying on a few samples. It is likely that you will walk away with a pretty clear idea of what dress you will end up with. The temptation is therefore to bring along all your bridesmaids, sisters and mum. This will mean that rather than focusing on what you want for your day and from your dress, you are worried about their opinions and them getting bored. There are plenty of fittings which your bridesmaids can come to, and the final fit (where you pick up your dress) is the most fun one for them to attend. Leave them at home and bring only your kindest, most trustworthy friend.

instashoppin1

Bespokeprocess

Demelzabutton1

What to wear shopping for a wedding dress

 

Shopping for a wedding dress is a little different to your typical shopping experience- a little preparation can go a long way to smoothing out some of the wrinkles and meaning you have a really lovely experience.

instashoppin1

  1. Wear whatever underwear you plan on wearing on the day

First of all, this will help you understand how the dress will hang on you on the day. Spanx have the ability to change a dress from making you feel a little lumpy to it fitting you perfectly. I would personally recommend Spanx over a boned corset, because you wear it for a long time on your wedding day and you want to be comfy. Make sure whatever you wear is nude so that it doesn't shine through the dress.

Secondly, since wedding dresses can be a little tricky to get into, you may need help from the woman in the shop (hi!). I have seen just about everything, from super sexy thongs to sponge bob square pants briefs. Both could be a little embarrassing in front of a woman you've just met.

  1. Wear shoes a similar height to what you want to wear

This seems like a fairly obvious one. The height of your heels can have a big impact on how the dress looks, and is useful if you need to be measured that you know what height your shoes are. If they are too uncomfortable to go shopping in, they are too uncomfortable for your wedding! Wearing them to few fittings might also help wear them in, and save you blistered feet at the start of your honeymoon.

  1. Tie your hair up

Most brides wear their hair up, so even just having it in a sleek pony tail gives you a better idea of what you might look like on the day. It is also much cooler, and trying on dresses can get quite warm.

  1. No foundation

While people often say wear a little make up so you feel good about yourself, I have to say this is a dressmaker's worst nightmare. No matter how hard you try, you end up getting a little orange makeup on the clean white samples. It's the number one reason for me having to retire sample dresses from use. Mascara is enough!

5tipsforbuyingbespoke

InstaHateShopping

Bespokeprocess