Hi Brides-to-be,

I received a phone call from a bride, who didn’t purchase from my boutique, but wanted me to alter the dress she bought off-the-rack. The dress was too big for her, and she wanted a front split with glitter tulle added to the skirt.

Her seamstress couldn’t fit her in, so she sent me a photo of the dress asking for my help. However, I declined for the following reasons:

1.Difficult Alteration: Adding a split on a full circular skirt is difficult. While a split can be made on the seam of a panelled skirt, a circular skirt requires finding the correct grain to avoid rippling.

2.Complex Process: She wanted glitter tulle placed underneath the plain tulle, which would involve completely unpicking the skirt from the bodice, removing the zipper, and making sure the new skirt matches the original cut, especially with a split. Also, the glitter tulle was priced at $50 per metre, and she needed 13 metres, enough to make three skirts.

3.Size Issues: The dress was also too big for her, which would be a major alteration.

4.Cost Considerations: While she got the dress off-the-rack at a discount, the number of alterations would significantly increase the cost. An off-the-rack dress at a sale price should not need such major alteration, unless it was purchased for $500 or less. Otherwise, the cost for making it her dream dress would be almost a remake at over $1000.

The bride was disheartened by my decision and questioned whether she made the right choice in buying her dress. While I don’t enjoy turning a bride down, I need to be comfortable with my decisions and ensure I can sleep at night. I can only advise on what alteration and changes can realistically be made to a dress.

 This is a valuable read for brides considering buying off-the-rack to ensure they understand the potential limitations and costs of alterations.

 I hope the blog helps.

Connie xo