Handcrafted with Love

Top 10 Reasons: To Choose Silk Over Synthetic

Is there really a difference between silk and polyester?  YES!  Most commercial bridal lines use polyester, and it comes in a very wide variety of qualities.  Usually, to get the 100% silk gowns you need to go high end, but not always.  Here are my Top 10 reasons to choose silk over synthetic:

1.  The way it feels: not only against your body, but to the touch.  It's so much softer and nicer to feel against your skin.

2.  Photographs better:  silk catches the light from your natural setting or photographer's flash bulb so much nicer than polyester, and has a sheen that's not fake-high-beam-"prom"-y or cheesy.  It's luminous and beautiful.

3.  More comfortable:  silk lets your body breathe naturally, instead of holding your heat and perspiration in.  

4.  Easier to clean:  granted, some materials perform better than others.  And some stains just won't come out!  But overall, silks are much easier to clean and maintain than synthetics.  They don't pill, and breakage on the surface is rare (that fuzzy effect, ya know?) on most fabric types.

5. Longevity:  I've seen a lot of vintage gowns in the last few years, and the fabrics that hold up best over time are the natural fiber materials like silk and cotton.  If stored properly, they'll look  a million times better for your daughter or granddaughter to wear to her wedding.

6.  More value:  most manufacturers will lead you to believe that silk is more expensive than polyester...not necessarily true.  I regularly use silk priced at $2 and $5/yd, and the average price of the silk I use for my gowns is $10/yd.  Same as the poly, and a whole lot prettier!

7.  The Green Loop:  because silk is naturally derived, it's biodegradable.  Hopefully that fabric won't end up in the landfill, but if it does it will break down millennia faster than the polyester or synthetic material.

8.  Drape:  silk fabric drapes better than most synthetics, giving you a more flattering silhouette and letting it move with your body better.  And- bonus!- there's rarely static cling when you wear silk.

9.  Dyeables:  silk and naturally derived fibers are easier to dye, which will allow you to use and re-use that garment or textile as long as it will allow.  Polyesters and synthetics need special chemical dyes to change their color effectively, which are far more damaging to the environment than the natural dyes commonly used for silk and natural fibers.

10.  It's just plain pretty:  the sheen, the feel, the drape, the flow!  You feel like a million bucks when you're wearing it, and everyone notices it.  It's undeniably beautiful in all of its forms: no wonder humans have been coveting it worldwide for thousands of years!

Love,
Sara

Photos from the Field

I love it when my brides send me photos, it makes my day!

I just got a note from Shannon this morning, she was quick!  Her wedding was last weekend!!

Shannon brought this dress to me for an alteration...she got it at a sample sale from a shop going out of business, and it was literally 4 sizes to big for her.  She was near panic, because no one wanted to touch it- flat out refused to alter it!  But I like a challenge!

Actually the dress was remarkably easy to alter, we just had to remove all the bells and whistles before and re-place them after, no biggie!  And what a stunning dress!  Here's her little note:  What a sweetheart!  I had a great time working with you too, lady!

Love, 

Sara

"Hi Designer extraodinaire,      

Here are photos from wedding last weekend!!!Thanks for your help. Sara you did an 

AMAZING job with that dress...I had happily married women tell me they wish they could get 

married again just so they could wear that dress. You should win an award or something!"

                          

photo courtesy jillianphotopunk on flikr

(Fierce) Competition

Today I altered yet another gown "custom made" for a client by another Portland "custom designer."  

I remembered her from a consultation last fall, too!  Interesting.

Listen, I know there's competition out there, and I'm not bitter about that because we all have our own talents.  But this woman told me that she decided to go with this other woman because she was less expensive.  The trade off?  During the process she didn't want to say when the dress wasn't looking like what she wanted, because she didn't want to hurt the designer's feelings.  And, after going through fitting after fitting, still had to take it to me to get it altered to fit her right.

After seeing the dress, I know that my prices were higher for two reasons: the first being I don't use synthetic materials, only natural fibers like silk, cotton, bamboo, hemp, etc., and they tend to be a little more expensive.  The second being I take the time to do the pattern work according to the measurements and proportions of each individual body.  I spend a lot more time on the dress, a lot more on the materials, but I wouldn't do it any other way.  I'd rather put my name on a true work of art and design than cut corners to book more clients.

I guess you get what you pay for.

Who would have thought my downfall in this industry would be quality over quantity?

In the mean time, keep 'em coming!  I'm happy to showcase my talent in other ways, even if it is for a last minute alteration.

Love,

Sara

"Vintage Restyling" Basics

With the economy the way it is these days (ya know, in shambles), a lot of women are choosing to go a more economical route and purchase a sample gown that needs some work, borrow a friend's gown, use their mother's or grandmother's gown, or purchase a gown from a vintage shop and having it restyled to look a little more modern.  The cost of your gown from one of these methods is much less than making one from scratch, not to mention it has a lot more sentimental value and the potential to be much more meaningful when you reflect back on your big day.

If you're considering this option, here's some guidelines to see if the gown you're thinking of using is going to be as economical as you'd hoped, or if it's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

First, please try the gown on.  This may sound like a no-brainer, but many people think that it's going to be reworked anyway, so it'll fit no matter what.  Try the gown on, and see where it does and doesn't fit...you do want it to fit in one way or another, or else you may be looking at a very costly restyling.  Is it fine in the bodice, too tight through the hip?  Was the original wearer short waisted, something that you're not?  Is it too short?

All these things aren't necessarily a death wish for the gown, but these are things we're going to talk about during our first consultation, and some may be able to be reworked fairly easily, while others will be more of a challenge.

Next, think about what kind of look you're going for:  do you want to stick primarily with the vintage look you've already got, or do you want to make it a little more modern?  Are you going for something simple, or are you going to dress it up with jewelry and accessories?  Getting an idea of your look as a whole will help us focus on the most important parts of the project, and help us decide which ones to fudge.  

Even though we won't be creating a dress from scratch for you, it's good to bring photos of gowns you've found yourself eyeing over the course of your wedding planning.  This will give us an idea of what you may be thinking of, although you may be finding it hard to translate at this point.  For example, when we had our first consultation, Leah (below) brought images of dresses that she liked elements of and wanted to incorporate into her gown:  an angled armscye, the flare of the skirt, the back neckline.  Even though our final dress was merely an inspiration of many different looks, we were able to incorporate all of these elements that she loved to create something truly unique and beautiful.

Before we begin cutting, however, I'll always ask what your gown's original wearer thinks.  I won't ask to interview them, but I want you to keep in mind that this was once loved by someone else, and they may still feel very attached to it.  If they don't want it to change drastically, we could be very limited in what we do, and you may even want to go a different route.  Most people offer up their gowns and relinquish all rights, but we want to be sure so we don't start down a path that we can't finish.

Lastly, I always suggest having a picture of the original wearer in the gown as it once was displayed at the wedding, to pay homage to the history of the dress.  Of course, if you found your treasure at a vintage boutique you may not know it's history, but I think it's nice to give a little nod to the past.

As far as budgeting goes, it's important to have one in mind when you approach a seamstress to take on your project.  High or low, doesn't matter, but it will (as always) give us an idea of where to get creative, and where to simply get the work done.  

Hope this helps!

Love

Sara

Pricing and the Etsy Phenomenon

I've been struggling a lot lately with my outlook towards my job, my business, and this industry.  So many thing come into play, and I know a lot of it is the stress of being in the peak season and waist deep in production.  

I feel like I can't focus the appropriate amount of energy towards running and promoting my business properly, because I have to focus so much on the actual work.  Funny, right?  The business suffers because of too much work.  That's what happens when you're a one-woman show.  I'm pulling 10-15 hour days sewing sewing sewing away, and it really wouldn't be that bad if I didn't have to do all those other things that running a business entails:  answering phone calls, replying to emails, following up on leads, checking in with clients for timelines and setting appointments, meetings with clients,trend research, market research, textile research, ordering materials, consultations with new clients, thinking of new designs, trying to make new designs (gasp), keeping up with industry news, keeping up with industry professionals...that's a full time job in itself.  Instead of being happy to do one or the other, I get overwhelmed and stressed out.  Too much work, not enough hours in the day.

So, the business suffers.  Of course, what business would there be without the work, the projects?  So right now I focus on getting these projects out the door, and I'll worry about the business in a few months.  With each dress taking up between 30 and 70 hours of my time, it's no wonder I don't have time for all the other crap.

Today I reevaluated my pricing structure for the line.  I've had a lot of interest in the dresses, but not a single trigger pulled.  Even though I feel like here in the real world (not internetland) my prices are extremely competitive and reasonable, online they seem overpriced.  So, I revisited every style, revisited all of my notes from the samples, and repriced some of the styles.  There's no way to tell if the price is what's not moving them, but hopefully this will tell me.  What I found was that some were priced too low, some too high, and some right on.  At least from my calculations...

I was inspired to do this because of a number of articles written over the last year on the Fashion Incubator blog.  A few points that have been haunting me:

- Etsy products are priced at wholesale (with no minimums)

- Etsy prices are undercutting the retail market

- Some pricing structures do not include materials (really??)

I feel fortunate to have gotten my degree in apparel design, so I've had the classes to help me figure out how to price my products.  It seems ludicrous that one wouldn't include price of materials into their calculations, but apparently it happens.  When I price my gowns it looks like this:

(price per yard x yardage used)+notions like zippers/thread/etc = cost of materials

number of hours to put together dress x hourly rate I would pay someone = cost of labor

cost of materials + cost of labor = wholesale cost of the dress

wholesale cost of the dress x 2 = retail cost of the dress, i.e. my Etsy pricing.  Which, as you can see, is not what I would price them for wholesale.

I have my wholesale cost built into the price of the gown, that way if I ever get an inquiry, I don't have to rethink my entire pricing structure to try and make a wholesale order happen.  Eventually, I'd like to move outside of Etsy to sell my gowns, so I've had to think like that all along.  I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority, after looking around and seeing that girls doing similar things are selling their wares at bargain basement prices.

But that's just the thing, they're selling.  Clearly the demand for handmade products is contingent on the lowest price available, making me think that Etsy just might be the WalMart of handcrafted products.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

So, we'll see how this works.  In the meantime, I'll just keep trying to survive.  This has been a tough year for everyone, and I've found myself with an internal battle on how to stay happy doing what I "love," and still paying the bills.

With love,

Sara

PS  I price my custom slightly different, since it's a more involved and completely different process.  Instead of marking up for wholesale and retail, I work it like this:

(price per yard x yardage estimated) + notions like zippers etc = cost of materials

number of hours estimated for fittings/meetings/correspondence/production x (what I would pay someone + overhead costs like electricity/rent/machine maintenance/etc) = cost of labor

cost of materials + cost of labor = where I break even

where I break even + 30% markup (i.e. what I take home from each project) = estimated cost of custom project

Some people might think a 30% mark up is a lot, but consider that what you're buying retail usually has a 400% markup from what it costs the manufacturer to break even, I think it's reasonable.  Besides, that means what I end up taking home from a project after breaking even is on average $100-$400.  And, hopefully, a pile of wicked images from the wedding day!

FAQ: What to budget for your dress

First, I'd like to preface this post with another FAQ:  When to order your dress.  I don't have enough on this one to warrant an entire post, but I cannot stress it enough:  order it yesterday!  Look, 6 months is the average lead time for getting your dress in the door of the shop you ordered it from.  6 months!  From the day you order it until you see it!  That's a long time!  Then you need a couple of months to secure time for alterations!  Order it yesterday, the dress should be the first thing you cross off your list, besides (of course) the date.

Anyhoo, back to the budget.

A lot of brides when they're first starting their search set a tentative and loose budget, based on their budget for the wedding.  Industry standards state that the attire for the bride AND groom should be 10% of the budget, so that's the first thing you should take into consideration...your man!  But back to you...

When you're out shopping for a dress, pretend like you're shopping for a car.  A new car.  Straight from the factory, right of the dealer's floor.  You know darn well that the price on that sticker is not what you're going to pay for that vehicle.  Well, the dress is the same way.  Decide on the budget for the dress, then consider subtracting $500-$1000, because that's what you'll end up spending in addition to that price tag.  

Here's how it might break down, or, all the things that could spike the cost of that lovely ensemble:

- Rush Fees:  sure, 6 months lead time sounds like a lot.  So does 4.  The truth is, many manufacturers will charge a rush fee to get it to you in less than 4 months, sometimes they'll charge it for less than 6.  This fee could be $150, or it could be a percentage of the dress price.  In any case, be sure that you have the salesperson call to confirm a ship date, and be sure that there won't be any surprise rush fees that you hadn't anticipated.

- Alterations:  duh!  Everyone thinks of this, but instead of "price shopping" for your alterations, just budget it into your dress cost.  Alterations are so difficult to estimate, but if you have several layers of fabric, beading, lace, or an extra long train on your gown, your alterations could cost you a pretty penny.  Please please please find a reputable tailor or alterationist in your area, and budget between $150 and $500 for those alterations.

- Extra Length:  If you're taller than 5'8", chances are very very good that you'll have to order extra length for your hemline.  Most manufacturers will bet that the average woman will not be taller (and they're right), and won't waste precious material to accommodate taller women unless asked to.  Prices vary, but I would expect to pay $100 at least, more for expensive materials and depending on the manufacturer.

- Custom Measurements:  I know this sounds like a BS fee made up by manufacturers to get your cash, because custom measurements doesn't mean you'll get out of alterations (you'll probably still need them).  But if your sales person suggests custom measurements, please listen.  They may take a custom bodice measurement from "hollow" to waist, especially if you're short waisted or longer waisted than the sample.  They may take "hollow" to hem, especially if it's a lace dress or one that's hard to hem...this will save you a ton of money in the long run!  Or, if you have a major size discrepancy from the girls to the booty (like yours truly), they may have you pay extra to get a little bit better fit.  UGH.  It can range from $100 and up, depending on how intense the dress is and who the manufacturer is, but if you're spending money here, it's less in the long run.

- Extras:  They can add up!  Petticoat?  $75.  Bustier to suck the tummy in and hold the ladies up?  $125!  Body smoothers, especially for fitted gowns:  $60-180.  Dry cleaning: $150.  Preserving the gown: $150.  See what I mean?  Make sure there's room in your budget for these extremely important items!

Then, of course there's the shoes, the sash, the bolero, the vintage brooch from that estate jeweler...Ay ay ay!

I don't need to tell you all those things add up fast.  Let's do a little experiment...

Take this amazing and fabulous dress from Jim Hjelm:

Love it!  I have no idea what this dress retails for, but if I had to venture a liberal guess, I'd say $2500.  WOAH!  I know, way out of most budgets, but this isn't your money, this is an experiment so calm down.

So, we start with the dress.  $2500

You were really good about getting started early, so there's no rush fee.  Yay!

You are, however, long waisted, so you had to get a custom measurement from "hollow" to waist (the hollow is that cute little soft spot between your collarbones).  $100

You don't want to get caught holding the bill for that alencon lace hem, so you decide to do a custom "hollow" to hem measurement too.  $250

The dress comes in, and fits pretty good.  You got a big ol' Greek booty, so it's a little loose in the bodice, and the skirt needs to be taken in a touch to flatter your figure a little more.  Oh yeah, and the straps are a little long.  $125

Couldn't wear a regular bra 'cause the back is so open, so you just bought that stick'em bra from Nordy's:  $40

Thigh smoother, just so you won't worry about it:  $60

Dry cleaning after the wedding (decided against preservation and opted for an archival bag instead) $175

Total Cost to you: $3250, and that's without shoes and accessories.

The difference:  $750!!!  Ouch!

See what I mean?  Work those things into your budget, remember all those little extras at the end, and you'll remain (relatively) stress free!

Phew!

Love,

Sara

Ordering FAQ: Sizing

Every woman knows that women's sizing is messed up:  where some stores you're a nice even 10, others you're a 16, yet others you're an 8.  What's up with that?  Your body doesn't change day to day, store to store, right?

I hear it's because back in the day, "they" who decided what to do about women's sizing thought that women weren't clever enough to remember all the numbers, just like the boys.  Thanks, gentlemen, now we get to remember a different number for every store we've ever shopped at...God forbid they change their sizing chart!

A client of mine this morning came in all ablaze about an article she read about vanity sizing.  I don't know if this one is the one she read, but it gives a pretty good description about the phenomena.  It's been happening for years, and finally is hitting women in the mainstream who (apparently) haven't been paying attention.  I have a vintage dress from the 60s labeled as an 18 that fits like a glove, a pair of pants from the Gap labeled as an 8 and are a perfect fit, and Calvin Klein shorts labeled 12 that are a little tight!

In a nutshell, vanity sizing is when a manufacturer decides to change its size chart to give a little flattery to the wearer:  a 12 will become a 10, an 8, maybe a 6.  A 6 will become a 4 or a 2.  After all, each manufacturer uses their own discretion to decide who their target customer is, and what size that customer will want to be.

Bridal sizing is notorious for it's use of "anti-vanity" sizing (my term, just made it up!), meaning most women are horrified to learn that they need to order a size or two up from what they normally wear just to squeeze into their wedding dress.  Some women will even stubbornly go against the manufacturer's suggestions and the recommendation of the salesperson and order their "true" size, only to find they have trouble zipping it when it comes in or, worse, convincing themselves they've porked out and need to lose 20 pounds before the wedding.

STOP THE MADNESS!!  What does it all even mean?!

Nothing.  Nada.  It doesn't mean a thing, honey!  When it comes to clothes for women, we should be used to the fact that the number inside the garment is going to change from place to place, even though our bodies don't.  Just because the number goes up (or down) doesn't mean anything!  Personally, when I take measurements for a dress order in my shop, I use a size chart that I think is pretty on target with what I would like to see for myself (that is, I've labeled myself the perfect "10", and it's staying that way!), but I don't tell my brides what size I'm going to put together for them.  As the designer/seamstress/salesperson I know that I have a very small chance of a positive reaction, and the number is just a way to categorize.  The only reason it's important to me is to know that I need to make it large or small enough to fit a person's body into it.  So, I take the measurements, write them down in their file, note the silhouette of the dress to myself, and make up the size that matches closest.  

Let me ask you this, which do you think is easier to achieve:  Making a dress bigger to fit you?  Or, making a dress smaller to fit you?

It's waaaaaaayyyyyy easier to make it smaller, so suck it up, order the size the manufacturer suggests, forget about the number inside of it that holds no real meaning and remember that the significance of it is all in your head.  Sure, we've all been programmed to think it means something, but it doesn't.  Besides, when you're walking down the isle, dancing at your reception, and loving on your friends and family for sharing in your big day with you, what they're going to notice is how well it fits you, and how amazing you look.

And that, ladies, is all about your tailor.  Find a good one!

Love,

Sara

Custom Dressmaking: Your First Consult

Now is about the time I start getting inquiries and doing a lot of consultations for the following summer/bridal season.  Here's a little sneak peek into what to expect from your first consultation, and how to know if custom might be the right option for you.

First, I find that most women that are interested in a custom dress fall into one of two categories:  either they know exactly what they want and don't want to burn themselves out by looking for their unicorn, or have tried on way to many dresses and just like elements of each of them.  If you don't fall into either one, you've probably found what you want and love off the rack...lucky you!  

The first consultation is really all about brainstorming.  Questions I may ask you are:

- Where is your wedding?

- What kind of party is it going to be?  Semi-formal?  Beach?  Destination?  Black tie?

- What kind of overall look are you going for?

- What is your budget for the dress?

About the dress:

- Which part is most important: flow of fabric, neckline, silhouette?

- What are some of your favorite pieces from your own wardrobe?

- What kind of style do you feel most comfortable in, or think you'll feel most comfortable in?

- Any fabric preferences?

Questions you should ask your dressmaker are:

- Will it be difficult/time consuming to incorporate these elements into one dress?

- What kind of materials would work for this design?  

- What can I expect for a price range?  What will effect the budget most?

- What will the process be like?

- How many fittings can I expect?

- How often will we schedule fittings?

- What is included in the price of the dress?  

- Will I be responsible for materials?

You should also come to your initial consultation armed with images from magazines, websites, or catalogues.  Whether you like the whole dress, the feel of the dress, the fabric, or just one element of the dress, having a picture in front of us will help avoid confusion.  I even recommend bringing pictures of gowns you don't like, just so we know where NOT to go!  

Please Please Please bring your budget to the table during this initial consult as well: if your budget for that lace dress is $600, I will be able to explain to you why I can't make it for that price, but I'll also be able to point you in the right direction so you're able to get what you want without going over budget.  Conversely, if your budget is several thousand dollars, that will open a lot of doors for creativity and some really unique details and materials that perhaps we hadn't considered yet.  

For instance, I have a bride who fell in love with a particular fabric for her gown.  With this material, the dress price quoted was several hundred dollars over her budget.  Because I know her budget for the gown, I was able to explain to her why it was higher than she needed it to be, but also what alternatives she had to lowering that price and what she could do to work within her budget.  That way, she's armed with the tools to make an informed decision: splurge on the fabric she's in love with, or compromise on material to stick within her means.

The most important thing to be aware of when you're in your initial consultation is how much time you're going to be spending with this person:  think 5-15 fittings, around 45 minutes or more each time.  You'll want to feel comfortable not only in your designer's ability to put the dress you want together, but also to feel comfortable speaking openly with them about your likes and dislikes.  Ultimately, you want to feel like they are someone you'll want to spend the time with over those next few months, because if you don't like them now...well, you know!  

I have recently started doing mini e-consultations as well, as a preliminary consultation to give people an idea of what to expect from the process.  I'll have them send images to me via email and give me an idea of what they like and dislike about each gown, then form a very loose budget range to kind of give them an idea of what to expect.  This year, it's all about budgeting and efficiency, and I've found a lot of brides are very receptive to the preliminary e-consult.

That's it for now!

Love,

Sara

Love June Wins Oregon Bride Magazine's Best Custom Designer 2009!

                                                                                     

I'm so excited!  I wish I could have made it to the Awards Reception at the Aveda Institute, it looked like so much fun!  

Congrats to all other vendors that won, including our own Event Cosmetics and our dear friend Evrim Icoz!

AND, guess who's gown made the cover!?  

Here's what they had to say:

"Brides often approach Sara Temme, owner of Love, June, in her North Portland shop with multiple pictures saying, “I like this sleeve, and this neckline, and this skirt.” It’s Temme’s pleasure to put the puzzle together and, like Tim Gunn says, “Make it work.” When it comes to the construction of the gown, Temme is an old-school couturier: She does all the handiwork herself, spending between 25-50 hours on each gown. That’s what we call made with love."

Run along now, and buy the issue, I'm doing the same!

Love,

Sara

My Stunning Leah!

Just got my photos in from Leah's May wedding in Escalante, Utah!  Look how amazing she looks!

Thanks to Chris Richards of Chris Richards Photography: Tucson, Arizona for the beautiful shots!!

love,

Sara