The Sewing Place

Customer to blame for dress being cut too short

Daffodil

Customer to blame for dress being cut too short
« on: April 22, 2021, 10:41:57 AM »
Hello All

A few months ago I started a thread about my wedding dress being cut too short before I tried it on. I have a different set of questions and so thought it better to start a new thread. You can find out more here: https://thesewingplace.org.uk/index.php/topic,10934.msg195892.html#msg195892

If anyone is willing, it would be so helpful if you could PM private message me with your honest thoughts on (even one or two) of following. The person I had been working with would answer ‘yes’ all of these points and says that they are reasonable and standard practices in the dressmaking industry. I’m trying to get a clearer unbiased understanding.

1.   Would you ever rely on the length of the calico / toile sample to cut the bottom of the silk dress (with no hem) before the silk dress has been tried on?
2.   The dressmaker relied on the calico for the length of the silk dress. She told me I had put on weight which is why the silk dress seemed shorter. I did not put on weight, but if I had, is it true that one dress size larger would make the hem about 5 to 7cm shorter?
3.   If the customer did not make comments in person at the first fitting in the silk dress (because she was fighting tears!), but emailed the same day asking for amendments, would you refuse a further fitting? (Three fittings were contracted).
4.   If a customer’s body shape changed, would you refuse further fittings? (My shape was not noticeably different but she’s claiming it was).
5.   If you relocated during lockdown before you completed the job, would you expect full payment and ask the customer to get the job completed elsewhere at her own expense?

It would also be helpful to know:
6.   If a wedding was postponed due to lockdown, would you agree to postpone your services? How many months do you think is reasonable to postpone your services for? Or would you negotiate a price reduction for some of the fee for services not used (e.g. fittings / amendments)? Or would the customer still need to pay the full fee even though the dress is not complete?
7.   How many fittings in the silk dress would your quote include?

Thanks so much for your help. Your answers to even one or two of these questions would be so useful.

Daffodil