The Real Cost to Make a Wedding Dress

The Costs to Make a Wedding Gown -- Judge for Yourself

Can a factory in China make a dress and sell it for 10% of the original cost of a designer gown?  Anything is possible I suppose but I haven't yet met anyone who has been 100% satisfied with a website order from a knock-off factory in China.

There are real costs associated with manufacturing a bridal gown.  There's a limit as to how low prices can go -- given the amount of time and materials required to make the dress.  Here are some of the guidelines that control gown pricing:

1.  The Factory.  Factories that produce bridal gowns for name brand designers wouldn't consider jeopardizing their client relationship by selling directly to consumers.  They have much more to lose than they have to gain if illegal activities are discovered.   The factories that are involved in producing knock-off gowns generally are not equipped to produce bridal apparel.  They may be equipped to produce tennis shoes or T-shirts.  Therefore, the equipment required for delicate lace appliques and fragile fabrics isn't available.  The cost of the facility is part of the cost of the product.

2.  Staffing.  Bridal gowns are not constructed in the same way that blue jeans or T-shirts or sneakers are constructed.  The people who sew these garments must be experienced in handling laces and delicate fabrics, bodice boning, intricate inter-facings and linings, complicated bodices and elaborate hems.  Bridal specific experience translates into higher costs.

3.  Identical Copies.  It's virtually impossible to create an identical copy of a gown without having an original in hand.  In many cases, it will be difficult -- perhaps even impossible -- for factories in China to obtain the original gowns to create a copy.  More often than not, factories are forced to create patterns based upon ad photographs.  Ad photographs generally show only one view of a gown rather than the view from all angles.  Therefore, it's impossible for the factory to know exactly how a gown may look from the back or side.  Therefore, it's impossible for the factory to deliver an "identical" copy. 

4.  Labor.  Most bridal gowns require from 20 to 70 skilled hand hours to finish the gown.   Less skilled labor diminishes the quality of the product and generally requires more hours to complete the garment.  Lesser skills have an impact upon the way the gown is finished.  Additional hours add to the cost.

5.  Materials.  Bridal gowns are big dresses.  Usually they require from 10 to 50 yards of fabric -- depending upon the design and the width of the fabric bolt.  Bridal gown fabrics generally are more expensive than typical dress fabrics.  Even polyester fabrics can cost upwards of $30 per yard.  

Every item used to create the gown adds to the cost.  Lace, beading, zippers, interfacing, lining all have costs attached.  While it is possible to cut production corners, there are limits.  Even inexpensive lace trims can cost as much as $40 per yard. 

A designer gown is appealing because of the combination of fabric, lace, beading, and design to create a total look.  It's unrealistic to believe that inexperienced workers who are using the least expensive fabrics, laces, and accessories can deliver a finished product that even vaguely resembles a designer gown.

6.  Shipping.  As previously mentioned, it may cost anywhere from $50 to $150 to ship a gown from China.  While the factory may have a refund policy that sounds attractive, the consumer is responsible for shipping to and from the factory.  Shipping costs are not refundable.  Therefore, it may cost you $150 to receive the gown and another $150 to return the dress if you don't like it -- $300 in shipping on a $200 bridal gown.  The math doesn't work for most people.

Please accept this advice in the spirit in which it's offered.  If a deal sounds too good to be true, it generally is.  Don't be tempted by an enticing opportunity to buy a gown that is "identical" to any designer gown at a fraction of the cost.  The gowns are seldom if ever identical.   Lunch never is free. 

Don't buy a gown unless you can try it on -- touch it -- see the quality for yourself.  It isn't difficult to make even a hard decision when you know what you value.  A cynic will know the price of everything and the value of nothing.  Sometimes, it isn't worth the price for the value you receive.

The point in writing this isn't to tell you that bargains don't exist.  That isn't true.  However, you can't control something that you can't measure.  When you order an item as important as your bridal gown online, there's no way that you can control the factors that are important to you.