alterations?

cutie4420 · January 2011

Hey ladies! I am going next week for my first dress fitting and was just curious on how much alterations cost everyone? I know each place will be different, but I was just trying to get an idea. I will need about a half inch taken in on each side (torso only) and then about 1-2 inches hemmed and a bustle put in. thanks!

RecoveringActor · January 2011

How complicated is your dress? Is it lace.. or is there beading on the sides?

Also for the hem... is there some kind of trim along the bottom of the dress? Stuff like this makes it more difficult to alter, and it can make it more expensive.

cutie4420 · January 2011

yes, the bottom of my dress had a lot of detail so I am thinking this will be the expensive part!

here is my dress:

RecoveringActor · January 2011

It's hard to tell from the picture.... but that looks like a bias-cut dress, which may bring the price up. What they'll probably have to do is bring the dress up from the middle. What is the designer/style? I'll see if I can get a better look at it.

(I used to make costumes, and I sew, so I understand alterations. I don't do them... but I understand them, so I can at least give you an idea of what they're going to do to your dress)

Regardless... I'd definitely go to 2 or 3 different places to see their prices. The place where you bought your dress is most likely going to be the most expensive, but they'll have the most experience altering dresses that have a bit more work.

cutie4420 · January 2011

thanks so much for your input. I just wanted to have some idea what I was getting into before I go! I am so clueless so its much appreciated

here's a better pic of the dress. it just scares me that the whole thing had so much detail the hemming is going to cost a fortune!

http://www.weddingshoppeinc.com/pr/1372/21052?gdftrk=gdfV2619_a_7c732_a_7c2817_a_7c21052

RecoveringActor · January 2011

Okay yeah that's definitely a bias dress. Where that detail is JUST below the bust? That's where the hemline is going to be. I know that sounds really weird... but that's the next available clean seam other than the top of the dress.

There aren't any side seams (at least it looks that way) so it's possible that where the hem is going to be is also where they are going to take the dress in, unless there's a back seam.

It doesn't look like they'll have to take it apart, which is good news. But alterations are probably going to be a couple hundred dollars. I would guess between $200-$300. I could be wrong, but it's not likely to be under $200.

cutie4420 · January 2011

wow, I really was clueless

I actually have $300 budgeted for it, so hopefully its around there. thank you so much for your input!

never would have thought that you could hem below the bust! crazy!

RecoveringActor · January 2011

They do that to preserve whatever is along the bottom of the dress, especially if it's a scalloped edge. You can only take in/alter where there is a seam, and in some dresses it's all one piece... there is no seam. So they have to take it up from the bust line. There was one dress that I tried on that was like that. I didn't pick it because it would have been a pain in the neck to alter, and my FMIL is doing my alterations... so I wanted to make sure it would be fairly easy for her.

alterations?

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