Alteration Cost

ddoane

I have yet to order my dress, I found a dress I like but am now considering having one made so I can have the corset back I always wanted and zero buttons on the back.  What is the average alteration cost?  I need to figure out a price comparison.

artbyallie

Prices will vary depending on where you live. And frankly, adding a functional corset back to a dress that doesn't have one is going to be potentially as expensive as buying a whole other dress. And I am a bit confused. You say you're considering having one made but then talk about alterations. A custom made dress would be bespoke, whereas alteration refers to having work done on an existing dress like a hem, a bustle, etc. Any kind of custom design is going to be expensive because of the work involved. Post the dress you like and no doubt one of the posters here can find you something similar with a corset back.

ddoane

I was looking for the typical cost to add to the price of the dress to see if I can have one made within that budget.  I do not like the back of the dress at all.  Finding another dress had been hard because I want the dress to be Platinum color.  Thats why I am considering having it made.

marie2785

Some designers (alfred angelo being one) will offer you the option to have either corset, or zipper backs. Its worth looking into.

artbyallie

And have you already tried on the color? I was 100% positive I was getting an ivory dress... until I went to the store and tried them on as well as white. And the white looked way better on me, so it's what I got. You should also try on that style, if you haven't already. Most of us end up with way different dresses than we initially fell in love with.

ddoane

It is an Alfred Angelo dress and I tried it on in Platinum.  I absolutely loved the color and the dress, but not the back.  I have someone working on a price via pictures and email and a meeting with another designer next week.  The back may not be a deal killer but if someone can come close I will go with having it made.

atlastmrsg

It's a good thing you're meeting designers.  Next thought--if you do have it made, use caution when ordering from China.  While the prices are great, the finished product is usually disappointing.  There are plenty of tales of woe online about wedding dresses ordered from China that come in and look nothing like the photos.  I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for.

ddoane

Both dressmakers are local, I would hope they are not sending it out I will confirm that.  I really would like to give the job to someone local if possible but not if its going to be a disaster. 

Dignity100

To have an existing dress altered:
From what I saw to have a dress altered to have a corset back put in instead of a zipper it ranged from $45-75 in my area. 

I'm not sure how east/hard it would be to have the buttons removed as they might have snag/scar the fabric where they are pulled off.

My alteration costs were $155 for a hem and a bustle.

To have a dress custom made - no idea.

lovesclimbing

It does really depend.  I paid about $60, if I remember correctly, for hemming, bustle, taking it up slightly at the shoulders, taking it in at the waist, and yanking some stitching at the waistband to get rid of a pucker. Granted, it was a simple dress with a single-layer skirt, but I understand that was INSANELY cheap.

ddoane

Thanks everyone, the appointment was a disaster.  I have nixed the Platinum idea, dropped some weight so maybe another visit to a dress shop will be successful.  

[Deleted User]

Sorry the appointment didn't go as planned. I'm not sure if you still want information on average alterations cost. I live in a large urban centre and my dress was lace so these prices are high. I paid $350 for bustle, taking it in at the waist, bringing the straps up, adding a little bit to the v-neck so that it wasn't as low (this was complicated because of the lace), and adding cups.