This day and age clothing comes mass produced by companies. Most are made from Asia mainly China. It does not matter if it is a name brand clothing it is produced somewhere where raw materials and labor are cheaper compared to what we have here in the States.
Some of us that don’t want to spend a lot of money on clothing that we are going to only wear once, being a bridesmaid and purchasing a bridesmaid dress is a good example. To be able to save money some bridesmaids purchase their dress online. There are tons of website that offer affordable dresses.
This time I just want to talk about the seamstress point of view when it comes with alterations. I want to give advice on how you can look your best during a special occasion you are going to attend without sacrificing your budget.
- Hire a local seamstress around your area.
After you purchase your outfit, whether on a local boutique, a store or online, most of the time even you get your correct size, there are always something to alter. The length, strap, boddice area are some that mostly need alteration.
When looking for a seamstress/tailor, it is better to look locally, seamstress that serves your neighborhood. It is convenient and I guarantee you that it is a lot cheaper than a boutique price. People that had alterations before are posting online whether they are satisfied of not with alteration, happy customers leave good reviews for being satisfied, same thing with unhappy customer that leave negative review. Consider a seamstress that has good reputation.
- Call and ask for a quote.
Ask price ahead of time on how much it will cost for an alteration. Most of the time a seamstress cannot give exact quote because each dresses are different. However, first fitting most of the time is free and your seamstress can give you quote on how much your alteration will cost. Alteration cost varies with what alteration you need. Hemming for example is not just a simple task. It is time consuming and needs a skilled seamstress to work on those delicate materials. It is not as easy as cut and sew.
If you question, why you have to pay outrageous amount of money for just hemming. “I pay a lot less on the dress”, some comment people would say. Remember the item you have, whatever price you pay is not related on how much time a seamstress would work on the dress. No matter how expensive or cheap your dress it is the same amount of working time needed. Hemming an inch to even 12 inches off a dress is the same amount of time to spend.
- Avoid expedited fee.
Weddings are mostly planned years in advance. Guests are already invited ahead of notice. To avoid expedited fee purchase your dress as soon as your invitation was received. Try it on and see what alterations needed. Some boutique charges expedited fee if the wedding is a month or more down the road. If that is the case find one that will not charge expedited fee a month or so before the wedding to do the alteration you needed.
Time flies by quickly before you even know it the weeding is just a week away. If there is only one or two seamstress/tailor servicing the neighborhood, they get busy with the amount of work they get. So do not procrastinate, book your appointment to avoid expedited fee.