The Sewing Place

Wedding dress too short

Daffodil

Wedding dress too short
« on: September 02, 2020, 10:52:41 AM »
Hello All

I’m new and joined this forum as I would really value some help from all the expertise and passion I’ve seen on these boards.

I’ve been having a wedding dress made by a design company which is relocating from London to Salford and can no longer complete my dress for me. The most recent fitting was the first fitting I had done in the actual dress with the silk fabric. The dress is too short at the front and I asked for the hem to be taken down as my shoes were clearly visible. I have been told that the hem has absolutely no seam at all and that the only way of lengthening the dress is loosening the dress from the front seams (there is a zip in one of the side seams).  I believe that there is about 2cm in each of the front seams and the dress is too tight anyway (including at the back).

I am not by any means familiar with dress making and I’m worried that taking out the seams might not fix the length by very much, might be expensive to do, and might compromise the rest of the dress. I’ve attached a picture of the dress skirt in the toile just before it was made in the silk. I’d be very interested in having any opinions / advice / comments / signposting.

And thanks for your help.

Best wishes

Daffodil

maliw

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2020, 11:01:44 AM »
Did you try the toile on with your shoes that you are going to wear because if you did and the length was ok then it would appear that the silk has been cut too short ?
At leisure on the leisure penninsula

sewingj

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2020, 11:04:26 AM »
Calling @Sandra

Efemera

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2020, 11:20:28 AM »
I’d be very reluctant to let any seams out... it will probably show the stitch holes/ lines in such a plain fabric.
New shoes?

UttaRetch

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2020, 11:23:55 AM »
That would be a pragmatic solution.

Daffodil

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2020, 11:27:45 AM »
I was not wearing my wedding shoes as I had been expecting the measurements for the length to be taken in final silk. The hem was cut to short with no way of letting any hem seam down. Any other opinions on loosening the dress from the front seams (about 2cm in each of the front seams)?

My wedding shoes cost about £300 with no way of returning now and the heels are only 6cm. Any lower than this I'll practically be wearing flats and my posture would be different. I really hope that this isn't the only option  :(

fajita

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2020, 11:28:56 AM »
a design company which is relocating from London to Salford and can no longer complete my dress for me.
.............

This is shocking, really. I do hope you are pursuing compensation.

Daffodil

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2020, 11:36:46 AM »
The design company will not give a price reduction. They have the dress and want me to pay the full final installment before they release it for me to get a second opinion on what can be sorted out. I'm worried this might be wasted money if the problem can't be fixed.
« Last Edit: September 02, 2020, 13:02:20 PM by Daffodil »

Sandra

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2020, 11:37:15 AM »
 -< OMG you've called upon me as if I'm an expert.  0_0

I wouldn't expect there to be any hem allowance to let down, so I'm not surprised by them saying that, but I'm not sure about the dress lengthening by the seams being let out? I don't understand how that would work.
How much would you need/hope to gain in the length?

Good news...The seams will almost certainly get you a little extra room, if as you say it's a bit tight. There's a possibility of the old stitch holes showing in the fabric, depending on the fabric and how sharp or not the needle was that it's been stitched with. Even with gentle pressing it can sometimes leave faint stitch marks.

Is the length really that bad/too short?
You may have to consider lower heel shoes if the length won't alter as you'd prefer it. Disappointing, maybe, but not the end of the world...

It's a beautiful and elegant shaped dress. It's lovely.

Oh, I suppose I should mention that I've been altering clothes for the last 38 years but not specifically bridalwear, so I'm not talking complete rubbish.  :)

Sandra.
xxx

While I've been typing this there have been several other replies some of them saying bits of what I've said.

Also, I'm with fajita on her comment.

Goth Gardiner

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2020, 11:42:27 AM »
So the dress is too tight, too short, and the company is re-locating and so can't complete it anyway.  I am sorry that you are going through this.

It looks to me as if they have cut the dress far shorter than a 6cm pair of heels would account for and it should be possible anyway to let the dress out.

Seems to me that the company have made some serious mistakes here.  I'd be looking at the T&Cs and how you get out of your contract with them, rather than trying to get someone else to fix their mistakes.

But I am neither a professional, nor have I ever made a wedding dress. There are experts here who can give proper advice.
There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily

UttaRetch

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2020, 11:54:50 AM »
Cutting the dress too short is a serious error and should not have been done at the first fitting stage.  Further I don't see how their 'fix' is going to work.  I think you may have no alternative but to 'reject' the dress and seek compensation.

charlotte

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2020, 11:56:28 AM »
Are they suggesting you let out the empire waist seam (the curved one that sits under your bust) to give you more length? It almost seems not worth it for the minimal amount you will gain but you will be able to judge that. If you make use of the seam allowance on the bodice the seam will end up in the wrong place, so really you only have the seam allowance on the skirt pieces to play with, which is probably less than 2cm.

If I were fitting you I would have made you try on the toile with the right shoes - as you note it will change your posture and therefore the fit - so that's another black mark for the company in my book!

Did they offer a full service (including alterations)? And now they are making you pay the full amount for a dress that is not fully finished? That's appalling.

charlotte

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2020, 11:59:02 AM »
A couple of extra, non-sewing related thoughts:
Do you have wedding insurance? Might be worth looking into whether you can make a claim through that.
Did you pay anything by credit card? If you paid more than £100, even if it wasn't the full amount, you may be able to make a claim under Section 75 of the 1974 Consumer Credit Act.

Ohsewsimple

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2020, 12:04:28 PM »
Oh dear what a situation to be in. 
I agree with @Sandra.  A hem on this sort of dress wouldn't be wide.  Releasing side seams won’t alter the length unless it is so tight it will all fall a little.  And I wouldn’t want to mess with silk as it does show holes easily.   Perhaps releasing the empire seamline might give you a little length but not worth bothering with and the holes in the silk would scream at you!   Not sure how professional these people sound to me.  Tbh when making garments any fittings should be done with the client wearing the exact underwear and shoes that will be worn on the day.  It makes a huge difference.  It is not possible to know if a garment is going to fit properly otherwise.  If this is the toile it looks to be a bit tight to me anyway. 

Are you sure it is too short?   You don’t want it so long that you catch your shoes and  trip on the dress! 

Can you look at their terms and conditions?   I’m not sure I’d want to pay for something that in my opinion hasn’t been done properly from the start. 


sewingj

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2020, 12:17:28 PM »
I do understand how upsetting this is.  My mum made my dress - back in 1978 - and it was too short but couldn`t be lengthened.  I borrowed flat shoes from a friend.  It was not ideal but the fact is that no-one else noticed so please don`t despair if this ends up being your only option