Handcrafted with Love

FAQ: Designer Knockoffs

Sorry, ladies.  This isn't the secret post to find those cheap ass designer knockoffs so you can have your cake and eat it too.  Just the opposite.  

As a custom designer, I frequently get requests for price quotes.  Of course, of course.  Price quotes, over the internet, to someone I've never met and a dress I have no clue about.  Today I got one that went something like this:

"Hi Sara.  I tried on a (name brand) gown and I totally love it.  How much would it cost for you to make it?  Can I choose my level of service, and can we just do this Package B (not full custom), and add fabric? Thanks.  Love, Bride You've Never Met."

Oooookaaaaaaay.  A few things:

- You don't really get to choose your level of commitment from the beginning.  I will tell you what our options are once I know what kind of dress we're making.  Which brings me to my next point:

- What dress?!?!  I have no idea what dress you're referring to.

- Just because I'm not a big designer, doesn't necessarily mean I'm cheap.  I have over 20 years sewing experience, use the best materials I can find, and make every single dress myself, by hand, just for your cute little body.  That's a hell of a lot more man hours than a mass produced gown, not to mention minimum wage in Oregon is over 8 bucks, not your standard $100/month wage overseas.  So, it probably won't be any cheaper.

- I am a custom designer, not a knocker-offer.  Not a factory worker in China.  Not a home sewer in my living room with my daycare in the backyard.  I have a degree.  A lot of experience.  I've got mad skills.  Let me use them.

- eBay.  

- Don't try on gowns outside your budget.  PERIOD.  This is the only reason why I ever get these requests.  If you can't afford it, don't touch it.  General rule.

I know a lot of custom designers wouldn't have been too diplomatic with this request.  I know a couple that would not have even responded to the email.  The truth is, we're taken for granted. In this WalMart world, every bride is the most special bride of all and we all need to forget about running businesses and give them what they want.

NOPE.

My humble advice to this bride and all others:

- SET A BUDGET.

- STICK TO IT.  Don't even, seriously, don't even touch a dress outside your budget unless you're prepared to adjust your budget for it.

- IMPROVISE.  That style is probably not exclusive to that designer.  Do some research and find something comparable.

- BID.  EBay is now your best friend.  I've seen a lot of beautiful once worn gowns pass through that were purchased on eBay.  Go girl.

- BE REALISTIC.  You don't need to spend $4K on your gown.  You don't even need to spend one singular K. Figure out what's most important.

Because, seriously, I'll know the difference, but nobody else will.  

Sorry for the straight talk, but someone's gotta do it.

Shop responsibly.

Love, 
Sara

Similar Posts:

You Get What You Pay For

FAQ: That Dress Will Cost How Much?!?!

Book Review: One Perfect Day

 

One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding by Rebecca Mead.

 Last night I plowed through this book!  It is really interesting, I'd say a must read for anyone skeptical about all that "Wedding Budget" and "Wedding Timeline" stuff.  It covers the creation and promotion of the wedding industry over the last 15 or so years (it was written a couple years ago), everything from the birth of the Wedding Coordinator, the Diamond Engagement Ring Conspiracy, and a comprehensive history of the wedding dress and its retailers today...among other things.

As a wedding professional, a lot of this stuff was not exactly new, but it was very interesting to see behind the scenes in different parts of the industry: photography, destination weddings, and home goods in particular.  It also made me realize that I'm a true wedding skeptic living in a professional wedding world...I don't think I'm supposed to admit that!

Portland brides will love this book, especially if you're not a "bridaly bride" or a "non-traditional" bride, or any of the other things we call ourselves to emphasize we're not gonna wear a ballgown and have a hundred thousand butterflies released at the ceremony.  It's a guide to navigating the industry, and The Bridal Industrial Complex.

Read!

Love,
Sara

Repair Service

This year I started offering a complimentary repair service to my brides...I realize now that I wasn't quite clear, so I thought I'd post it here!

If your custom gown gets damaged or somehow slightly injured on your wedding day, give me a call and we'll set up a time to get together and check it out to see if I can repair it for you for free or if a dry cleaner will do the trick.  Many girls like to get their gowns cleaned before bringing it back to me, just to cover all their bases, which is just fine!

If you have any questions about the condition of your gown or just want to set up a time to repair those few tears, just drop me a line!

Love,

Sara

Caring for your Custom Gown

We're rolling into the end of the season very quickly, with the end in sight for this batch of dresses.  I've learned so much this year, not only from my experience watching these gowns grow and change on these bodies, but in the dozens and dozens of alterations that I've done this year to supplement my work.  Most notably the infamous mermaid pleated Vera, but that's for another post.

Here's the take-home information I send with each of my bridal clients as a guide to care for their investment.

 Dry clean only!  I've had great results with the eco dry cleaners here in Portland, so chemicals are no excuse.  That silk we used is very high quality, and water distributed unevenly can leave spots.  Additionally, there could be stains on there that aren't visible- like makeup or the body's oils- but may oxidize over time and be impossible to remove.  Most importantly, your dress has layers of fabric on the inside, and even though the chances are it is a silk or natural fiber, it may have a different shrinkage rate than the outer gown...resulting in puckering and wavy seams.

  When you're ready to store it, take it out of the plastic bag I send you home with.  It's been cleaned, but for storage it's best not to leave it in plastic or hanging from its shoulders.  Chemicals can leach from that plastic bag, resulting in yellowed fabric, and over time the fabric can distort and become unwearable if it's left hanging.  The best thing to do is to lay a 100% cotton sheet on the floor.  Place your gown on top of the sheet, and fold the sheet over the gown so it is fully enclosed.  Then, fold the wrapped gown into thirds lengthwise, and store in a box- cardboard or a chest is just fine.  

Follow these steps and you'll have an heirloom ready for your daughter, in great condition and begging to be worn or reworked!

Love,
Sara

Top 10 Reasons to Go Somewhere Else!

                              

Okay Okay, it's a bit of a hostile title, but blogging experts say you've got to get 'em interested with controversy from the get-go.

This post is to outline those instances when you may want to cross "custom dress design" off your list as an option for your bridal gown.  

1.  Your timeline is too short.  Custom gowns take time, honey, and sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day to get to all the dresses we want to.  If you're looking in the peak of the "season" (May thru September), you'll be hard pressed to find someone with enough time on their hands to get the project done and up to snuff.  My general rule is minimum 12 weeks, but even then it's a tough call.  Set up a consult, be honest and up front about your timeline from the start, and we'll see what we can make happen!

2.  Your dream is too big for your budget.  So you want to look like a cross between Celine Dion and Princess Di, but you've only got a few hundred bucks for the gown?  Start on Ebay, or Etsy, but please understand that just because it's local and it's handmade doesn't mean it's going to fit into the tiniest of budgets.  Sometimes it's actually more affordable to go with the dream dress off the rack, even if it is hard to swallow.

3.  You want beading galore.  Beading is very time consuming!  There's a reason why it's done overseas, you don't want to pay me to take all that time to put every little tiny bead on there!  Trust me, it's tedious work.  Although, I can refer you to a beading enthusiast, if need be!

4.  You just can't splurge on that (insert designer here) gown you tried on at the high end boutique down the street, but you really really want it!  The truth is, that Vera Wang gown is actually priced fairly for the amount of work and quality of materials that went into making that gown.  Many times, if I can nail the style for you, it won't feel quite right...and there are a million reasons why!  Those reasons are all on the inside of the gown, the things you don't see but that you can just feel when you have it on.  It's really hard to reproduce that feeling for you, and chances are if I can do it, it won't end up costing you much less.

5.  You have to have that material.  I have a lot of resources at my fingertips, but sometimes that duchess satin you want is just plain out of your budget, and out of mine.  National brands have the buying power to order hundreds of yards of material at a time, so manufacturers will not only give them the best bang for their buck, but they'll make it to their specifications.  

6.  You can't spend more than $300 total, for the entire ensemble.  For some reason, people think that custom is going to be cheap! (Actually, it's either real cheap or real expensive...)  Now, it doesn't have to be crazy expensive, but I really do find it insulting when someone brings me a picture of a dress from a national chain that retails for $195, and wants me to make it for half that price.  I am not a factory worker, and this is not China.

7.  You don't know what you want.  You've seen a ton of dresses, and they all look the same...just, not quite right.  If you don't know where your ideas are going, it's going to be really hard to define what you'd like for me to make you.  If you have the time, take a few more weeks to really narrow down what you're looking for, then if you're still thinking custom, give a girl a call.

8.  You don't have room in your schedule for fittings.  This is a big one.  We won't just take your measurements, and see you in 6 months for an alterations fitting.  I'll want to see you every few weeks to make sure the process goes smoothly, step by step.  If your life is jam packed with work, school, community dodgeball, volunteering at the mental hospital, and planning your wedding, I have a feeling it's going to take a lot to get down to the studio for a couple hours every few weeks.  Scheduling problems tend to be the most frustrating, on both ends.

9.  You can't imagine the final product without seeing it first.  I understand!  Everyone's brain works in different ways, and you're in good company.  Most girls walk out of the dressing room their first muslin fitting with a look of utter regret, because what we start with is nothing like what we end up with.  If you just can't possibly imagine what all those pieces together are going to look like, and the sketch I've worked up for you doesn't help, we're both going to have a heck of a time trying to get through the process stress-free.  Usually I can help ease that stress a little bit, but we all have our limits.

10.  You're not comfortable in your own skin.  This is by far the most important one.  The fittings you'll have to endure are by no means unethical or degrading, but they can feel that way to someone who is not comfortable with their body!  The most difficult part of the fitting process is getting the pattern shapes right on the bodice, meaning I spend a lot of time up close and personal with your puppies.  No feelsies, but I need to get in there to get the shape right, same with through the hip.  If you're not comfortable with a professional all up in your grill to make your dress fit you right, it's best just to cut out that tension and get something off the rack.

Hope this helps!

Love
Sara

  

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

(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