When did it become so difficult to get your hands on a good dress?
Let me explain.
This past week, I attended a fundraiser held at a retail boutique in mega-mall, South Coast Plaza. It’s a brand I like; I actually have several garments from this brand in my wardrobe – although I bought them secondhand.
Sadly, everything for sale that night was far out of my budget, but I tried on a few dresses anyway.
Both of these dresses fit fantastic – but that’s really because they’re based on classic silhouettes. There is nothing particularly special about either; they’re great because they’re supposed to be. That’s what a good dress does.
So, why the almost $300 price tag? I’m sure it’s because the company is operating at a large scale and has to cover a ton of cost. Garment manufacturing is expensive because it requires human labor.
I get it – good clothing ain’t cheap. And companies build their brand for the express purpose of establishing exclusivity, which they can leverage to demand a higher price point.
But I’m not really into wearing brands for brands’ sake. I just want to add some great dresses to my wardrobe. Which got me thinking, what if …
What if we could choose the style, color and pattern of what we wear, instead of brands choosing it for us?
What if we could have a truly original and unique wardrobes to wear for years, without constantly replacing clothing which falls apart?
What if we could add a few dresses to our curated wardrobes and keep the money in the local community by hiring someone to sew it for us?
Is it really so impossible? I don’t think so. It won’t be easy and it won’t be cheap, but I do think it will be worth it. Check out what I found.
Duplicating inspired versions of what we see in retail seems so empowering. Here, I found a Vogue dress pattern and turquoise ikat-ish linen online. Similar to what I tried on, but now it has my personal touch.
Or, how about this?
I’ve been lusting after this Dolce & Gabbana dress for weeks. I’m sure that D&G makes one heckuva garment, but a sixteen-hundred-dollar-dress just isn’t happening for me anytime soon. I found another Vogue pattern and this cotton/lycra fabric.
Why not take this sartorial matter into my own hands and create something super-special to wear? With a little bit of planning and research, we can be our own fashion designers.
Why NOT?
In the next few months, I’m going to be hunting down patterns and fabrics. To see what might be on the custom clothing menu for me, check out my dedicated Pinterest board.
PS – This is the final week of registration for March Style Camp! If you want in on that amazing feeling of knowing exactly what your style is, then you must check out my Style Camp page for more information.
I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am to Nicole for having me try out this program. No joke, it has been totally life changing and has energized me in all areas of my life. I found me. If you are at all interested in participating in this Personal Style Camp yourself I encourage you to do it now!!
- Sharon Garofalow, mom & blogger (read her entire review of my service)
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Nicole, you made my day with this post! This is exactly the reason why I am learning how to sew my clothes myself: I can choose the style, the fabric and – most importantly – the fit. Or I will be once I’ve mastered the skill.
Going to a local seamstress is a great idea. However, it’s not always easy to find someone who is as good as they claim and who understands what you want. Plus, getting a dress tailored can become quite expensive. Having said that, I’d rather spend 200 pounds on a custom made dress that fits than on store bought one that doesn’t
I’m glad you liked it, Andrea! Yes, being your own designer if you can sew would be wonderful.
My thoughts exactly . the challenge is 1) finding the pattern 2) getting it altered to fit correctly 3) finding the fabric you want ( most fabric stores are craft stores now a days) 4) finding decent seamstress and /or learning to sew well enough. altering patterns to fit is a giant obstacle for me….
Hi Barbara,
Yes, finding a seamstress is probably the toughest part. I found one through my Facebook network to make my wedding dress last year. She did an amazing job and we worked very well together – but I may have been lucky in finding her.
Also, try the internet to source fabric. Most will send you a swatch sample – check out the resources I listed in the post.
Thank you!
Nicole
This is a great post! It’s so hard to find all the elements that work perfectly (especially if you don’t want to pay $1,600 for a dress) can’t want to see what you come up with! I’m still having issues sewing pillowcases, so I’m not holding my breath for fashion!
Donna, I’ll bet you could find some great seamstresses in LA to make it for you!
Nicole, Have you seen eshakti.com? Base price on a dress is $50-70, customization is $7.50-15. They come with pockets and bra snaps whenever the style allows. Once you’ve made a purchase, they send monthly discount codes and gift codes, which can sometimes be combined. I’ve got a half dozen now and plans to get a few more.
That’s cool – thank you for sharing, Kathryn! I’m glad their dresses work out so well for you! I personally prefer a different style and silhouette, more slim skirts and less full – but I like the business concept and I LOVE that these dresses make YOU feel great.
I probably need to consider doing this. I used to sew my own clothes, but haven’t in ages.
I’ve never done it, but I’m sure it’s a major time-suck. Seriously, that’s why I hire someone to do it for me. Totally worth it.