The Sewing Place
The Emporia => A bit of a 'do' => Topic started by: Daffodil on September 02, 2020, 10:52:41 AM
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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
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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 ?
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Calling @Sandra
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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?
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That would be a pragmatic solution.
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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 :(
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a design company which is relocating from London to Salford and can no longer complete my dress for me.
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This is shocking, really. I do hope you are pursuing compensation.
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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.
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-< 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Thanks so much - I hadn't thought of household insurance. I will give that a try.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 (https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/ua/buyer-protection).
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Don't mess about, get legal advice and send a letter.
Even though it is a bespoke item it is faulty. They either have to repair the dress (replace front panel)or give a full refund.
Consumer Rights Act
https://www.gov.uk/accepting-returns-and-giving-refunds
Don't delay with this sort of thing, it's best to get it sorted sooner rather than later.