From Our Seamstress... Understanding alterations and the process thereof.

Buyer Beware!

Be very leery of bridal shops who promote that alterations to garments are "free" or "included" with purchase. Usually the costs are factored into the price of the garment which is usually inflated by 25-30%. It's really not a fair deal, especially if your one of the lucky ones who need little to no alterations to the garment once it's received and tried on for size. Will the shop give you a "no alteration needed" discount? Probably not. And why should they? You have the "perfect figure for the dress"! And you're probably feeling so great that the garment fit so well, you could care less about the fact you spent $200 or more for nothing! Shop smart and don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't get duped into a fraudulent marketing tactic that can cost you plenty and leave a negative grey cloud over your dress purchasing experience.

YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY CUSTOMER!

Keep in mind when using a seamstress or tailor, that they are only one person, with one set of hands and eyes and limited to 24 hours in a day in a 7 day week. Usually, a busy alterations specialist has a schedule of his/her clients and their "wear" or "event" dates so the garments can be processed with enough time for second fittings if necessary or if there is a sudden change in the customer's size and the garment needs to be re-fitted. This is why we recommend, with bridal or special occasion gowns, that the garments be ordered well in advance to receive them and get the process started long before the event.

If however you do have a last minute need to secure a alterations specialist, most will try their best to accommodate when possible. However, keep this in mind...you wouldn't want to go to a doctor who is overbooked, overloaded with clients, and overzealous about taking on as many patients as he/she can, rather than being upfront and honest by saying that they simply can't take any more patients at this time...and perhaps offer an alternative or the name of another experienced professional. A good alterations specialist does not lie to rush through garments and will be honest in turning away last minute clients if their schedule is full. This is not a shortcoming on their work performance by any means but rather a very professional manner of being respectful to a client and the successful outcome of the altered garment.

Furthermore, if last minute items are accepted and promised to be completed by the date needed, please be patient! If your event is May 19, yet the garment was secured for alterations on May 1, don't expect it to be done on May 3 unless the specialist specifies this. There are other customers who have been on the alterations schedule and have events on May 2-18 who take priority. We can't speak for any other salon but our own, however to put your mind at ease, we can honestly say that we have not missed a deadline yet and we don't plan to in the future. We would rather turn away business than make false commitments that we can't keep.

Also we should note that when you do take garments to a alterations specialist, you need to make yourself available when you're called back for a final fit so if any last minute details need to be taken care of, there will be time to do it.

"Hurry up and wait" is not a rule we like to live by. Everyone wants their items lickity-split but then drags their feet about coming in to retrieve them. But of course, it's the specialists fault that the event is in 2 hours and for the past 2 months the client couldn't find the time to break free from a busy schedule of vacationing, having nails done, picking out a shade of peach for the perfect napkin setting, to take the 15 minutes to try on probably one of the most expensive garments for one of the biggest day of their life! Or worse, pressing for the garments to be done by a specific date and time and then calling every day to inquire about their status and then never showing up to pick them up when they were supposed to be. They're usually left to collect dust for weeks or months only to tell us later that they were simply forgotten about. Meantime, the alterationist has moved heaven and earth to make the extra time needed to appease the client and have the garments ready as promised only to be expected to wait to be paid months down the road.

A good.really good seamstress is hard to find, so when you find one, especially one who is talented in their work but also reasonable in price, TREAT THEM WITH RESPECT! You love your hairdresser because they make your head look good, right? Well a good garment fitter will make the rest of you look fabulous!

Understanding the differences:

Alterations/Customization/Garment Reconstruction

Do yourself a favor and read this in full before you approach any alteration specialist. You will save a lot of time, money and aggravation.

An ALTERATION to a garment is when a minor detail needs to be repaired or fine tuned to suite a clients figure. Example, a hemline raised or lowered, a nip or tuck to make a waistline fit better, moving straps around to ensure a garment wont fall or pull too tight, replacing a faulty zipper or loose buttons, inserting permanent undergarments for a fuller bust line, fixing a rip or torn seam. These are the majority of what we call MINOR ALTERATIONS and what we see on a daily regular basis. Usually these minor details can be done in a short period of time and at a price that is affordable to anyone.

A CUSTOMIZATION is when a client wants to add or subtract a look to a garment which requires more time and effort as well as having to buy the extra necessary materials to complete the task. For example, a client buys a basic white bridal gown but wants us to put red beads and sequins along the train of the gown as well as adding a bow and a sash to the waist of the garment. She also wants a shawl made of red chiffon and wants red rhinestone straps in place of the plain white ones that came with the dress. She also has decided that she wants the gown cut asymmetrically and with a new open split cut up the left side. This is a CUSTOMIZATION not an ALTERATION! Because of the work involved and the time spent finding all the necessary amenities to complete the task, which includes time on the road to various vendors, mileage etc., the costs can become quite high, but keep in mind that this is what YOU WANTED for the perfect look that you want for your special day. It's definitely well worth it if the work is professional and the outcome is a true success as you will have the garment of your dreams and it will definitely be an original.

An example of gown 'customization'.
Before with zipper	After with corset back

GARMENT RECONSTRUCTION: Every alterations specialist's nightmare! And a very costly one for the client. A true story: "Jane" comes into the shop on June 1, 2006 to buy her dream wedding dress. She is at this time a size 16, yet says she plans to loose a "few pounds" for her big day which is September 19th of 2007.about a year and a half away. Long story short, Jane comes in to her first fitting in May of 2007 and has lost almost 50 pounds, shooting down to a size 6! We still have almost 5 months to go before her wedding and she is still loosing weight. Great for her health and overall appearance, however, that gorgeous $1500 size 16 gown cannot be "altered" to fit the incredible shrinking woman nor can it be sent back in exchange for a smaller size. Designer bridal gowns are cut to order and the only way to get a new one is to buy a smaller one! Don't forget to pay for the first one, though. It belongs to you and your former bigger not so better half. In short, once you have your first fitting, "You must 'maintain', not lose or gain!"

Now, depending on the style, cut and intricacy of the garment, a really great alterations specialist may be able to take apart and re-cut the garment, shrink it down and customize it to fit your new figure. If its at all possible, keep in mind all this reconstruction is timely and requires not only God given skill, but actual mathematical skills to properly re-trace each individual pattern piece, per layer, cut to fit with puzzle like precision and then re-beaded, laced, etc. to "possibly" look like the original gown. This process can cost more than the actual gown! Do yourself a favor. If you're going to try and loose or gain weight for your big day, give yourself 2 years before the event! One to get to the goal you want and one to purchase your garment and have it properly fitted. We have had clients pass though our doors in this situation and find themselves very dissatisfied as the time frame was not enough to fulfill the need of what the garment entailed, yet the seamstress is to blame. Not so! Use common sense and keep an open mind and be reasonable.or.find someone who promises to get it done right, and pray they are good at what they do and can deliver. Most specialists will not take on such a project and if anyone says to you "anything can be altered", be leery! This is why high-end salons like those in NYC or Milan have 20 little ladies who appear out of no where and pin and prod you on pedestal until the garment is fit to perfection.and then hand you a bill for 3 times what the dress cost! Sure, you look great, but your wallet is also a lot lighter.

In conclusion:

Be good to your seamstress and she will be good to you. They will help you as much as possible in a pinch, they will take inches off your waistline when and if they can, they will offer ways to make your legs look longer or your tushy look smaller or just plain ol' make you look sharp! Be reasonable with your expectations and don't expect miracles. Don't be afraid to ask questions or quotes for prices as a good specialist has nothing to hide or will not have "hidden fees". Make sure the shop is as clean and professionally organized as the actual person doing the work. Ask if he/she has assistants or help in case you need multiple garments in question and ask for a tentative deadline date. If you know the process and the policies and procedures of the specialist, your experience should be a pleasant one.

Also.don't forget to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! It only takes a second to schedule you in for a fit and we certainly don't want you to have to wait if you walk in and we are already booked with scheduled clients. We welcome any and all types of alterations, male or female and we want to make sure that we can provide you with the respect, courtesy and professional service you deserve. So, if we sound like your mother giving you a scolding, that was not our intention, but as mom would say "it's for your own good!"

Eileen Taylor - Alteration Specialist
Primadonna Bridals, Inc.

Canandaigua - 585-393-0820
Newark - 315-331-7478

PLEASE call for an appointment.
Any & All alterations welcome!

Alterations and Policies

Alterations are available at an additional charge and are done by Eileen Taylor, Alterations Specialist. Primadonna Bridals, Inc. is not responsible for any work or orders placed with Eileen Taylor as we are two completely separate businesses, simply sharing space. All alterations are done by appointment only. Appointments are available Tuesday thru Friday. Merchandise must be paid in full before it can be released for alterations. Alterations are at an additional charge. If the gown has already been pinned, and alterations have not been started, and it is necessary for you to cancel the alterations a $35.00 pinning fee will be charged. All undergarments and shoes must be worn for fittings. Please allow 2 to 6 weeks for alterations to be completed. And up to 8 weeks during peak bridal and prom season. All alterations are done by Eileen Taylor unless otherwise specified.

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