Staying on budget
Alterations don’t have to cost a fortune, really!
When shopping for your dream dress, alterations are usually the last thing from your mind. But with a little bit of fore-thought and planning, you can land a gown that you love AND won’t cost you a fortune in alterations.
Choosing the right gown for your shape, size, and budget will help keep alteration costs low. So how do you do that?
First, understand what makes alterations more expensive:
Hemming- A full skirt, multiple layers, lace border, beading, and horse hair edging all are more time consuming, and therefore more costly to alter than say a simple straight crepe gown with a rolled edge hem.
To keep costs down, look for a gown that’s not too full, doesn’t have multiple layers, and doesn’t have a lot of lace and beading that needs to be relocated.
Size adjustments- Most often, when a gown needs to be adjusted down or up multiple sizes ( for example taking a size 18 down to an 8) the gown needs to be taken in in multiple areas, not just the side seams. This means removing and replacing the back zipper and usually buttons in addition to the usual work done on the side seams. If the gown has sleeves, it also means resetting and repositioning the arm holes and sleeves, buttons and some lace. The bodice may also have to be separated from the skirt to allow the skirt to be taken in as well and perhaps shortened. Yes, it’s essentially like re-making the entire gown!
To avoid this, try on gowns that can either be ordered in your size, or are no more than 4 sizes different. And keep in mind bridal sizing usually runs small, so if you’re a 10 in street clothes, you’ll be closer to a 14 in bridal.
The Embellishments- When altering, any lace or beading that is located in an area that needs adjusting will have to be removed and reapplied; a painstaking long process. Therefore, look for gowns that have minimal lace and beading covering the side seams and/or at the hem line.
Other aspects that add to cost- A longer, fuller train will need more bustle points than a simple shorter train, and so will be more expensive (and complicated) to bustle up. Customizations like adding sleeves, lowering the back, dipping the front lower or raising the neckline higher will be some of the most expensive “dress surgeries.”
Also, consider your body shape. Have a large heavy bust? Avoid strapless gowns that don’t have enough structure unless you’re okay with adding straps. Otherwise, you’ll be paying extra for your seamstress to add boning and structure to compensate for what the dress is lacking.
The sales consultants at most bridal stores truly do want you to leave with a gown you love, but they’re not all trained on how a dress is altered, so when in doubt, schedule a consultation with a seamstress before saying yes to the dress to avoid any unexpected surprises.
Cheers!- Robin