My New Car

After many years I finally was able to afford the car of my dreams.  It was extremely expensive, is beautiful to look at and the interior is plush and elegant.  The carpet and seats are luxurious.  I get great enjoyment out of driving my car. The ride is out of this world.  I wash it and clean the interior every week. 

The other day my neighbor called to ask if I could take her to the store because she didn’t have a car.  “Sure”.  I said.  We agreed on the day and time.

When she knocked on my door I was surprised to see that she had brought her mother, two sisters, three toddlers and a grandma with her.  I was more than a little surprised because she had not asked and at the very least I thought she would know I didn’t have car seats or sufficient room for all those people and myself in the car. 

I grabbed my purse and the car keys and we walked to the garage.  “Would you all please take off your shoes in my car?” I muttered as one of them opened the back door and the toddlers climbed in like monkeys and started jumping on the back seat. I gasped under my breath as one scrambled from the back to the front seat and I watched a dirty shoe make a deep mark on the fine leather my arm rest.  Someone muttered something about taking off shoes but they got in with shoes still on ignoring my request.

I walked around to the driver’s side to find my neighbor already sitting in my seat with her hand out.  “We have decided that I am going to drive since there isn’t room for everyone so you can stay here.”  She grabbed for the keys as I swiped them behind me.  “Oh,  no.  That is not happening!.”  I said.

The mother expressed her disgust and the rest chimed in.  They all got out of my car and stomped out the door and down my driveway.  “We will never ask you for a ride again!” One yelled over her shoulder. 

My stomach quivered and my hands shook.  My phone rang and I fished it out of my purse.  It was my husband.  I told him of my experience and he gently talked me out of my hysteria.  I actually felt bad like I had somehow caused this fiasco or at least could have seen it coming and been prepared.

Ridiculous, you say?  How presumptuous of them?  I actually don’t have a really expensive car but I do have a bridal shop full of about $250,000 worth of wedding dresses, formal gowns and other merchandise.  This is all my personal property and I  would be sued if a someone was hurt in my store.  I have seen a child pull mannequins and racks down in their quest for fun.

This scenario is played out in my bridal store about once a week.  A bride brings a crowd, often including small children who get bored easily and are allowed to wander or run uncontrolled through my store with little hands that want to touch everything.  They love to explore our back room and hide in our racks and the dress bags make nice swings.  We ask that our guests remove their shoes in our dressing and mirror area out of respect for our investment and also for the persons who will eventually buy the dresses that are being tried on today.  The “no shoes” area helps us keep the gowns clean as the delicate train trails behind to and from the dressing room.  We insist that we put the gowns on the bride because our people are trained to put the on and off with the smallest possible detriment to the gown while being very respectful of one’s modesty.  We ask that no food be consumed in our store but it is surprising how a sticky piece of candy is given to distract an active child.  That sucker in the hands of a child sitting on the lap of an adult can easily be hewn across the room to leave sticky residue on the skirt of an expensive gown.  One busy Saturday an adult guest actually opened a yogurt and spewed pink yogurt on the skirt of a bridesmaid dress.  At the least we have to pay to clean a gown but often the dress is ruined.

Shopping with several people results in several opinions and loads of confusion.  You value their opinion or you wouldn’t have invited them.  Even if they invited themselves they feel compelled to weigh in.  Often before you yourself have expressed your feelings about the gown you are presently wearing.  You thought you loved it but with that comment cousin Sally just made there must be something you aren’t seeing when in reality it has nothing to do with the dress.  She is only jealous and wants the spotlight.  You want everyone to love your dress as much as you do. Too many opinions often equal frustration and a wasted shopping trip. Demanding guests create imbalance with your consultant and she can’t serve you well.  Remember, this is your day and your dress. Just because someone has an opinion doesn’t mean their taste is better than yours. 

Back to the reason why we ask that you let us do our job and have requests that might be different from other places you have shopped.  The Gallery by Lynette has been a Utah institution for the past 35 years.  We rub shoulders with the biggest names in bridal and formal wear all the times. We tap their experience. Lynette knows the designers that we carry personally.  She designs for and knows the owners of some of the largest bridal boutiques in the country and she teaches our consultants not only how to show dresses but how to show you the very best dresses for your figure, your budget, your tastes and your venue.  Your friends and family love you and have your best interests at heart but they do not know our inventory or what we have available and if you come to our store with an uncooperative group, then  you won’t have the best experience possible.  We love our customers.  We do everything possible to make you happy but we do have reasons why we ask you to take off your shoes, let us dress the bride, and not bring too many people shopping with you and it is all to help make your experience better.

Maggie Sottero Geneva Modest

Of all the designers we have ever carried at The Gallery by Lynette, Maggie Sottero is by far the one we have most requests for.  The fabric is exquisite, Maggie has the best fit in the industry, the lace and beadwork is flawless and the designs unique and incredible.  But in Utah, we have so many bridal shoppers who need a more modest alternative.  Have you ever fallen in love with a strapless gown only to have to give it up because you need something more modest?  When you shop with us rest assured that if it can be done in fabric, we can make it happen.  No matter what.  If you change sizes, if you want a style change, anything.  Even if you fall in love with a strapless and need sleeves.  We can show you so many options and every temple fill that we do is designed uniquely and exclusively for you.

My mannequin and my bride are not shaped the same but since I recently completed this fill and since she is not yet married I wanted to show one of the possibilities.  Look at the Maggie Sottero picture of the Geneva at the top of this post and look at our modesty translation.  Also, the bride wanted a zipper back with buttons but didn't want to lose the fit with the corset so we moved the corset inside of the dress.  If your gown is a zipper back but you want the fit of a corset it is very simple to add one to your gown.  If you want access to every design change and alteration you must purchase from The Gallery by Lynette where we guarantee that you will not pay more for your genuine designer gown.

This gown fits flawlessly on our bride and we have converted this gown from a signature Maggie Sottero lace up back to a zipper with an internal lace up.  I'll post real pics as soon as they are available.

We would love to know what you think.  Be sure to follow our blog and make comments.
www.lynettes.com

see also
www.replicagowns.blogspot.com
www.maggiesottero.com

Alterations Gone Bad

By Lynette Robinson

I am imagining the scenario where someone would call a store and ask “How much do you charge for a shirt?”  Or you call your accountant and ask “How much will you charge me to do my taxes?”  The logical answer would be “It depends on what you need.”

                                                                                                                                                             Especially in the case of your accountant a more relevant question would be, “What is your area of expertise and will you do my taxes correctly and if I am audited will you stand with me?”

The sad stories I have heard  over the years about alterations gone bad have been too numerous to count and in most cases she has no choice but to wear the problem dress or buy a new one.  I do understand the question regarding the cost of alterations is in an attempt to get the best buy and make your money go further but if you have to buy a new dress or pay for another seamstress to “un ruin” your gown, using the wrong alterations service is costly and stressful.

Not too long ago a young woman came to me and asked about a bra for a gown she purchased elsewhere.  As I fitted her with the bra I made conversation with her because I could sense a deeper problem.  She confided in me that her gown purchased at our competitor had undergone some alterations but still didn’t make her feel happy and beautiful.  She had it with her in her car.  I asked if I could see the source of her deep despair.

As I helped her into her gown I was really surprised to learn that she had purchased at a well-established local bridal shop.  Someone at the shop had pinned the dress and the seamstress never saw her in it which I don’t really think would have saved her because the work was not professionally completed.

Now, I won’t mention the name of the bride or the store because this dress was such a mess.  I will discuss the problems, what they did, how the dress came to us and what we did to fix it.

First, the shoulders were raised too high bringing the bust point in the princess seam too high resulting in a bubble of fabric above the largest part of her bust cup.  The excess at the shoulder seam had been mostly cut off.  The armhole had been cut in at the shoulders causing the sleeve to be too high and tight and the sleeve had bubbles in the front and around the armhole because it was set improperly.  The beadwork on the top of the shoulder near the neckline had not been replaced after the alterations and there were bare spots and threads sticking up.

                       
Our seamstress reset the sleeve and replaced the missing beadwork.  She also let the shoulder down as much as possible but the bust curve remained above her own body bust point.  She took in the sleeve hole which improved that part greatly.

The dress had obviously been much too big for the bride in the first place.  They changed the dress from a zipper back to a lace up.  This is not a difficult job but requires extensive experience.   The lace up was only done from the neckline to the waist.  The loops were made out of a cording that we usually use on the edge of a rat tail veil and will not hold up to the stress of being laced up. The lace up string was a funny gauze type material and stretched.   My seamstress changed to a fabric loop which is industry standard and we provided a proper lace up string made of satin.

The waist of the gown was designed with rouching in a diagonal way across the mid-section but the over lay of fabric was very loose and the bride said she felt like it made her look pregnant.  She said she had repeatedly told the other store people that she was not happy and they basically said that after nearly 3 months in alterations they had done all they could do for her.  My seamstress took 7 inches (yes, you read right seven inches) from the circumference of the waist of the dress.

The bustle was another matter.  There was a big very visible fabric loop surface sewn to the center seam on the train of the dress and a big covered button on the back of the dress at the waist.  When one would put the loop over the button the hem of the train was lifted a full 18” off the floor instead of falling to floor length.  There were also two white hooks on either side of the zipper at the waist from the first bustle the other seamstress tried and failed to complete correctly.

After taking the bodice in a full 7 inches it fits like it is supposed to.  The neckline lays flat and the sleeves that had previously been moved in were moved back to their previous position.  It is my opinion that they had this dress in stock that was far too big for the bride and convinced her that they could make it fit.  The bride told me that she never saw a seamstress.  The lady at the salon marked the dress and even though she had several fittings the seamstress never saw the dress on her.  Most of the alterations that were performed were in a desperate attempt to get the dress out the door and off their racks.

As you can see from the pho to, our seamstress corrected the lace up conversion by replacing every flimsy loop with a proper satin loop and a satin lace up string.  The result is a beautifully symmetrical and even closure.  The hooks and big button for the bustle are gone.  Our seamstress used a French style bustle which is completely invisible when the train is down and attaches underneath so it looks totally natural. 

Notice that the hem of the train at the left is beautifully draping and ends just at the floor.  Our bride shed tears, gave hugs and thanked us over and over for saving her day.

This is what a lace up back is supposed to look like. 

So next time you feel inclined to ask about the charge for alterations a better question might be, “Is your seamstress qualified to do my alterations and will you stand behind your product?” 

Lynette Robinson is a third generation bridal and formal wear dress maker and designer.  She has also worked as a designer and sales representative for 3 bridal manufacturers and traveled to Asian gown factories on multiple occasions in the capacity of designer and consultant.  She and her husband run their family owned bridal and formal wear store The Gallery by Lynette located in Riverdale, Utah just north of the Hill AFB Museum adjacent to I 15.  Please call 801-773-7435 or visit us online at http://www.lynettes.com

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.