The Sewing Place

Wedding dress too short

Daffodil

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2020, 12:31:05 PM »
Thanks for all the replies. I paid with Paypal, which doesn't have Buyer Protection for bespoke items. So I can't claim back this way. I also don't have wedding insurance. If I do pay the final instalment, I might be left with a wedding dress I can't use / am not happy with and be hundreds of pounds poorer.

My wedding got postponed from April this year to May next year, and the company is saying that they will not and can not postpone fittings to the later date. They relocated during lockdown. I think that they did not want to do the contracted three fittings as they had to make a trip to London to do them. And so they hemmed the dress in the hope that the first fitting in the silk would be the last.

How usual is it to hem a wedding dress of this type with no hem at all? Is it usual to rely on the length measurements of the toile to go straight to the silk (with no hem) without having a fitting in the silk first?
« Last Edit: September 02, 2020, 13:39:20 PM by Daffodil »

Goth Gardiner

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2020, 13:34:18 PM »
Oh dear Daffodil, you seem to have got yourself in a bit of a pickle here with no credit card protection and no wedding insurance to back you up.  Do you have a written contract with the design company or a set of terms and conditions?

To answer your specific question while we wait for the experts to come along.  I wouldn't leave a dress unhemmed, and to turn up a hem I would need at the very least 1cm.  I wouldn't trust a toille I made for myself for very precise measurements or to make the hem straight - the silk will hang slightly differently to the toille fabric and I was taught that you need to let a complete dress hang for a few days in case the fabric drops. 
There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily

UttaRetch

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #17 on: September 02, 2020, 13:42:37 PM »
To answer your question abou the hem @Daffodil, it is likely that yours will be a tiny, narrow hem and consequently there will be nothing to let down.

As far as the contract is concerned, the salon has not fulfilled its side and you should not be expected to pay for an unsatisfactory garment.  I suggest that you get to more fittings before the company shuts up and heads north.  I would also take someone with you to take photographs.

Greybird

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #18 on: September 02, 2020, 14:54:55 PM »
I think you need a letter from a solicitor holding them fully responsible for any additional cost/ruin of the dress/cost of any possible replacement garment - whichever are applicable. If you have household insurance, look to see if you have Legal Expenses cover. If so, go through them down the legal route. This is just the sort of situation that the cover is intended for.

Daffodil

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #19 on: September 02, 2020, 14:58:38 PM »
Thanks so much - I hadn't thought of household insurance. I will give that a try.

Missie

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #20 on: September 02, 2020, 15:01:04 PM »
Personally, whenever I've made wedding dresses, I do the hem as the final fit, with shoes.  I always allow at least an extra 5cm beyond floor length for the hem (and I usually ask a rough guide of heel height when making the toile).  However, that is just what I do.

The way I see it, you have 3 options:

Take them to small claims court to get back your money (which will incur cost, hassle and no guarantees you will actually get your money back) for failure to fulfil contract

Pay for the dress, get the width sorted (although as mentioned previously, the stitch mark could still show) and wear flatter shoes

Or (and I'm just putting this out there as a possible solution) ask them to provide some extra fabric, which could be sewn to the lining making look like a 2 layered skirt (and do this all the way round), but it will depend on how short it is.

Personally, I think the tip of your shoe should be showing as a wholly full-length skirt (ie completely to the floor) is extremely difficult to walk in and it will cause you problems in getting around.  It's not quite clear to me how much of your shoe is showing.

Goth Gardiner

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #21 on: September 02, 2020, 15:08:13 PM »
To add to Missie's suggestions:

Ask them to remake the front panel(s) with new fabric. 
Ask them to purchase new fabric for someone else to remake the front panel(s).

And negotiate over the final price as they won't be doing final fittings.

There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily

Daffodil

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #22 on: September 02, 2020, 16:04:49 PM »
I really appreciate all of the advice. Thanks so much. I hadn't thought of the idea of redoing the front panels. I very much doubt that I'll get them to do a thing. They just want payment now are refusing to negotiate anything.

Could anyone guess-timate how much it would cost to get the front panels done again and how much fabric (width 140cm) would be needed? I imagine I would have to pay extra for the fabric and the work.

UttaRetch

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #23 on: September 02, 2020, 16:39:28 PM »
This business sounds like a shocker.  It was the one who made the mistake and it should put it right at NO cost to you.  However, that is clearly not going to happen.  Frankly, I would seek legal advice.  You can usually get an hour's 'free' advice from a local firm who will draft a letter to send to the company OR send one on your behalf for which you may have to pay. 

Whatever you decide, don't delay because once the move to Salford has taken place, it will be much harder to resolve matters.

Sandra

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #24 on: September 02, 2020, 17:29:49 PM »
Just popping back to comment that I'm very surprised that the hem was done without you having done a final fitting in your shoes.  :S
It all sounds a bit of a last minute rush to get the job done and get the money in the till before their relocation.

Hope you can get something sorted.
Good luck.

Sandra.
xxx

Goth Gardiner

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #25 on: September 02, 2020, 18:16:46 PM »
It all sounds a bit of a last minute rush to get the job done and get the money in the till before their relocation.
Or going out of business.
There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily

Daffodil

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #26 on: September 02, 2020, 20:31:32 PM »
Thanks so much for all of your support.

Can anyone give any advice on where can I find a reputable dressmaker / tailor? Is there a directory or association that checks / accredits the trader?

Thanks

Daffodil

Catllar

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #27 on: September 02, 2020, 20:37:03 PM »
What a bummer! I've often had to alter flamenco dresses that are cut with this shape and it's true that if they are a tad tight then letting out the princes seams will cause the whole thing to drop but not by enough to cover a pair of shoes and yes, you'll get holes where the seams were stitched.

  Apart from having new shoes there is a radical solution that might work - whether or not you'd like it is another matter. Consider shortening the front even more to make it look like a design choice, hi-lo hem and graduate it back into the bata length.

 If you have any more fabric  - a lot of fabric -   you could add an underskirt attached to the skirt seam where it joins the  bodice  at the hip ( I think you have a seam across the skirt/bodice junction?) If you mimic the shape of the top skirt it will avoid the petticoat look. Just an idea.  I'd be furious in your situation though.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Kwaaked

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #28 on: September 02, 2020, 21:15:05 PM »
I know I recommend an inch off the floor for bridal gowns for walking.  Most don't wear heels ever except for the wedding (a few wear tennis shoes for the actual wedding anyway), and it covers a few things.

Sewingforfun

Re: Wedding dress too short
« Reply #29 on: September 03, 2020, 11:51:31 AM »
What a complete nightmare.  Weddings are stressful enough as it is, much less everything you're having to deal with. I'm seconding the you want your shoes to show a little so you don't tread on the dress and fall over or rip the bottom with your heel. Plus if you paid £300 for the shoes and they are totally covered, what's the point in paying £300 for them?? Surely you want to show them off.

Re getting your money back, or a discount - you should go to PayPal's Resolution Centre. They have excellent buyer protection clauses, so much so that the seller is often at a disadvantage because they operate a "buyer is usually right" policy.  Your purchase isn't as described - you were promised 3 fittings and a dress the right length, and that hasn't happened. That ought to come under their "significantly not as described clause". Link is here.
Dancing too much and trying to remember sewing is for fun! Used to be CarolC.