Attire & Accessories Forum

Seamstress messed up my dress!

I bought my dress a few months ago from an outlet. It fit perfectly except the bust was a little big and the skirt was a little long. I loved the shape (trumpet) and fabric (organza and satin) and the cut was really flattering on me. I took it to a local seamstress the dress shop recommended and was confident she knew what she was doing. My final fitting was last night, and when I put on my dress, I had to fight back tears. Not only are the proportions all wrong, but everything from the bodice to my knees looks like a shapeless, baggy sack. My stomach is flat, but in this dress, I look 3 months pregnant. The zipper in the back sticks out a good three inches, as though I have sprouted a tail. I had to point these things out to the seamstress after she said, "Oh, it looks so great!" She is supposed to be fixing these problems and I am supposed to pick up the dress tonight, but I am feeling doubtful she can fix the problems she made without ruining the dress and fabric quality. What do I do if I am not happy with the quality of her work? Do I have to pay her? She made the bodice fit well, and the skirt is the right length, but everything else looks like Crap. AND my wedding is in two weeks. Help!

Re: Seamstress messed up my dress!

  • If it still looks awful when you go back to pick it up I would try and take it to a bridal salon and see if they can turn it around for you. It might cost you an arm and a leg and that's if they'll even do it.. but if you were to share your story with them they would hopefully help. Most places can turn around alterations pretty quick if they have to! As far as paying her that's touchy.. if you're not happy then I understand why you wouldn't want to. Maybe you could pay half? It's up to you and how you think she would react if you told her how upset you were.

    Good luck, I hope it comes out okay!
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  • Cortney1982Cortney1982 member
    1000 Comments 5 Love Its
    edited May 2012
    I feel you, I'm in a similar situation.  If the dress doesn't get fixed I would refuse to pay her and since she ruined the dress, the right thing for her to do is refund you the purchase cost of the dress in small claims court if necessary.  Meanwhile purchase an emergency backup dress immediately.  That is what I did, and looks like what I will be wearing.
  • Oh, and do you have any pictures of you in the dress before she messed it up?  That might help your case.
  • I went back tonight and tried it on. It fits quite a lot better than it did, but the fabric just looks so worn out. There's definitely still a bubble in front, and the front seams don't line up anymore, which is really noticeable because the top layer of my dress is organza. And the back zipper still sticks out a little. Overall, it's just not as smooth or elegant as it was before. I'm hoping that steaming may help, and I'm having someone look at it this weekend to see if its repairable.

    I did pay her because there was a drastic improvement in one day in terms of shape (even though it's not the same flattering shape), and I honestly, honestly feel she did the best she could, but she should have been honest about her abilities instead of blatantly lying.

    I also called the dress shop to let them know they should remove her from their list. They're offering me a discount on a new dress with them.

    As for photos, I have ONE photo of me in the dress in the dress shop, and I tried taking new photos today, but I'll have to put it on and have someone take the photos. I also have the original marketing photo from the dressmaker's website.

    Just FYI, this is what it's supposed to look like: http://www.foreverbridals.com/images/310206.jpg
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_seamstress-messed-up-my-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:8183e8ce-f732-44b2-84ff-66461bfd29daPost:8fc10f6b-3d3e-4140-a68e-70ae361a8f80">Re: Seamstress messed up my dress!</a>:
    [QUOTE]Oh, and do you have any pictures of you in the dress before she messed it up?  That might help your case.
    Posted by Cortney1982[/QUOTE]<div>
    </div><div>Great point!

    </div>
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_seamstress-messed-up-my-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:8183e8ce-f732-44b2-84ff-66461bfd29daPost:8fc10f6b-3d3e-4140-a68e-70ae361a8f80">Re: Seamstress messed up my dress!</a>:
    [QUOTE]Oh, and do you have any pictures of you in the dress before she messed it up?  That might help your case.
    Posted by Cortney1982[/QUOTE]<div>
    </div><div>Great point!

    </div>
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