02:29
Faizan
Whether you are buying a wedding dress off the rack and paying thousand of dollars for a custom design, the most frequently asked question involves the time it will take to alter the dress. For that matter, the same question is nearly always asked about bridesmaid dresses, Maid of honor gowns and any other article of clothing that will appear as part of the wedding ceremony.
No simple answer
There is no easy answer to the question "How long will it take?" Each dress is different and each client has her own specific issues. The only way to get a truly accurate time estimate is to stand in front of a seamstress while wearing the dress you need altered. But there are a few factors that can help you estimate whether your alteration request is going to be a simple four-week job, or a multi-month nightmare.
Style of the dress
Generally speaking, the more complex the style of the dress, the longer the alterations will take. Heavily beaded dresses take much longer than a simple dress with few extras. Having a dress with a train can also add to the alteration time, since the train may need to be changed along with the dress fitting.
Complexity of the alterations
Simply altering a hem line is a relatively simple matter. Combining that alteration with a change of straps or letting out of the bodice complicates the procedure and can add hours to an alteration. The changes can also be complicated by a number of layers or the type of fabric.
How many fittings
Bridal consultants will tell you that you should try to purchase a dress that nearly fits you. The more changes that need to be in order for the dress to fit you perfectly, the more time it will take for all the alterations. The average number of fittings tends to be three or fewer. More than that, and the alteration process can stretch into months of fittings and refittings.
Backlog
No matter how skilled the seamstress, there are a limited number of hours in a working day. The best shops often have backlogs of work that can mean a delay of days or even weeks before they are able to start your alterations. While the alteration schedules can be moved a bit to accommodate emergencies or favored clients, the reality is that there is a fixed amount of days it will take to work through any backlog in the shop.
Experience matters
While doing a good alteration doesn't necessarily require the services of someone who has been in the business for 20 years, extensive experience altering dresses can lead to a better finished result in a shorter amount of times. A seamstress with experience typically may require fewer fitting sessions to get it right. She also has experience dealing with the last-minute problems that inevitably pop up during the fitting process. An experienced seamstress might also have tackled your problems in the past, which means she may already know of some work-around solutions that will spead up the process.
No simple answer
There is no easy answer to the question "How long will it take?" Each dress is different and each client has her own specific issues. The only way to get a truly accurate time estimate is to stand in front of a seamstress while wearing the dress you need altered. But there are a few factors that can help you estimate whether your alteration request is going to be a simple four-week job, or a multi-month nightmare.
Style of the dress
Generally speaking, the more complex the style of the dress, the longer the alterations will take. Heavily beaded dresses take much longer than a simple dress with few extras. Having a dress with a train can also add to the alteration time, since the train may need to be changed along with the dress fitting.
Complexity of the alterations
Simply altering a hem line is a relatively simple matter. Combining that alteration with a change of straps or letting out of the bodice complicates the procedure and can add hours to an alteration. The changes can also be complicated by a number of layers or the type of fabric.
How many fittings
Bridal consultants will tell you that you should try to purchase a dress that nearly fits you. The more changes that need to be in order for the dress to fit you perfectly, the more time it will take for all the alterations. The average number of fittings tends to be three or fewer. More than that, and the alteration process can stretch into months of fittings and refittings.
Backlog
No matter how skilled the seamstress, there are a limited number of hours in a working day. The best shops often have backlogs of work that can mean a delay of days or even weeks before they are able to start your alterations. While the alteration schedules can be moved a bit to accommodate emergencies or favored clients, the reality is that there is a fixed amount of days it will take to work through any backlog in the shop.
Experience matters
While doing a good alteration doesn't necessarily require the services of someone who has been in the business for 20 years, extensive experience altering dresses can lead to a better finished result in a shorter amount of times. A seamstress with experience typically may require fewer fitting sessions to get it right. She also has experience dealing with the last-minute problems that inevitably pop up during the fitting process. An experienced seamstress might also have tackled your problems in the past, which means she may already know of some work-around solutions that will spead up the process.
Posted in: Choose Wedding Dress
