Unhappy with Alternations

[Deleted User]

I am not the skinniest person in the world.  When I found my wedding dress one of the things I loved about it was that it covered all my problem areas and looked super flattering.   I received the dress about a month ago and I went in for my first set of alternations.  The dress zipped well on it's own, but was just a little too big in the bust area.  The seamstress said not to worry, and pinned the cups and took in the sides of the dress.   I went back two weeks later and the dress was a disaster.  First, the seamstress had a hard time zipping me up in the dress.   Second, I had horrible, horrible back fat.  It was spilling over the entire back of the dress.  In the front, my boobs look smooshed.   This was never an issue when I tried the dress on before alternations.   The altered dress looked a size too small on the top.  

When I told the seamstress I was upset by the back fat issue and felt ugly in the dress, she told me a that it's normal for people to have a little hanging out.   I was not pleased.   I asked her to take out the dress in the back to allow a little extra room.   She said if she takes out the back, then the dress will not sit as well in the cup area and will fall down.

I said I would rather spend the day pulling up the dress than having back fat slipping out the entire back of the dress.    Is this normal?  Can you not take out the back of a dress without compromising the front?    I'm going again in two weeks to see the results of the alternations.   But, I'm worried, what if she doesn't fix it?   The dress is ruined for me now and my wedding is in a few weeks.   On top of that, the woman charges $300 for alternations.

OliveOilsMom

Knottie29408529 said:

I am not the skinniest person in the world.  When I found my wedding dress one of the things I loved about it was that it covered all my problem areas and looked super flattering.   I received the dress about a month ago and I went in for my first set of alternation.  The dress zipped well on it's own, but was just a little too big in the bust area.  The seamstress said not to worry, and pinned the cups and took in the sides of the dress.   I went back two weeks later and the dress was a disaster.  First, the seamstress had a hard time zipping me up in the dress.   Second, I had horrible, horrible back fat.  It was spilling over the entire back of the dress.  In the front, my boobs look smooshed.   This was never an issue when I tried the dress on before alternations.   The altered dress looked a size too small on the top.  

When I told the seamstress I was upset by the back fat issue and felt ugly in the dress, she told me a that it's normal for people to have a little hanging out.   I was not pleased.   I asked her to take out the dress in the back to allow a little extra room.   She said if she takes out the back, then the dress will not sit as well in the cup area and will fall down.

I said I would rather spend the day pulling up the dress than having back fat slipping out the entire back of the dress.    Is this normal?  Can you not take out the back of a dress without compromising the front?    I'm going again in two weeks to see the results of the alternations.   But, I'm worried, what if she doesn't fix it?   The dress is ruined for me now and my wedding is in a few weeks.   On top of that, the woman charges $300 for alternations.

If I were you, I would take your dress to a different seamstress.  I had a similar issue with the boob area being too big, since my dress was a corset, my seamstress just altered the boob area.  If you can, I would try to get some of the money back, but I wouldn't count on getting anything back.

Get recommendations for a seamstress.  Try your local board here on TK.  Or ask co-workers, friends, or even your facebook friends.  

JoanE2012

Find another seamstress in your area who is reputable and does good work.  You'll spend more money, but it'll be worth it to have a dress that fits correctly, looks good and you don't have to worry about on the day of.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the suggestions.   I'm getting my dress altered at the shop where I purchased it.  The shop has a really good reputation.  The seamstress isn't an employee of the shop, she's independent.  However, all work is completed at the shop.  

Should I talk with the shop owner?  What should I say?  Again, the seamstress isn't their employee, but they obviously have a business partnership.  

Also, I haven't paid anything yet.  Do you think there is a way I could negotiate half the payment.  She took up bottom which was fine, so I'll pay for that.    Also, do you get a pick your own bustle type?   She never gave me a choice and just said I had to have the one she picked.

pinupbride6189

Knottie29408529 said:

Thanks for the suggestions.   I'm getting my dress altered at the shop where I purchased it.  The shop has a really good reputation.  The seamstress isn't an employee of the shop, she's independent.  However, all work is completed at the shop.  

Should I talk with the shop owner?  What should I say?  Again, the seamstress isn't their employee, but they obviously have a business partnership.  

Also, I haven't paid anything yet.  Do you think there is a way I could negotiate half the payment.  She took up bottom which was fine, so I'll pay for that.    Also, do you get a pick your own bustle type?   She never gave me a choice and just said I had to have the one she picked.

I would talk to the shop owner and let him know your concerns. Things like this could cost him business in the future. As far as the bustle goes, it really depends on the type of gown you have. Some styles have multiple workable options, but some are pretty limited. It really just depends on the style of the dress and the length of the train.

Knottie1431649503

Knottie29408529 said:

Thanks for the suggestions.   I'm getting my dress altered at the shop where I purchased it.  The shop has a really good reputation.  The seamstress isn't an employee of the shop, she's independent.  However, all work is completed at the shop.  

Should I talk with the shop owner?  What should I say?  Again, the seamstress isn't their employee, but they obviously have a business partnership.  

Also, I haven't paid anything yet.  Do you think there is a way I could negotiate half the payment.  She took up bottom which was fine, so I'll pay for that.    Also, do you get a pick your own bustle type?   She never gave me a choice and just said I had to have the one she picked.

Just curious, I had the same exact problem, what shop is this?

OfftheMap27

Knottie1431649503 said:

Knottie29408529 said:

Thanks for the suggestions.   I'm getting my dress altered at the shop where I purchased it.  The shop has a really good reputation.  The seamstress isn't an employee of the shop, she's independent.  However, all work is completed at the shop.  

Should I talk with the shop owner?  What should I say?  Again, the seamstress isn't their employee, but they obviously have a business partnership.  

Also, I haven't paid anything yet.  Do you think there is a way I could negotiate half the payment.  She took up bottom which was fine, so I'll pay for that.    Also, do you get a pick your own bustle type?   She never gave me a choice and just said I had to have the one she picked.

Just curious, I had the same exact problem, what shop is this?

I was wondering the same!