07/27/2026
Online shopping horror story #1 and why you might want to ask for professional guidance before buying a wedding gown:
The pictures in this post show alteration adventures with a gown that turned out beautifully, despite the online purchase creating some major problems.
Here are five examples of how this online company failed their client:
1) This gown is most likely a badly copied design.
The original designer would have draped fabric during the design, chosen how to cut the pieces so they would fit and move correctly on the body. The copycat production company (I am guessing it was a copycat) didn't have this information, and it affected the look, feel, and quality of the product.
The tulle was not the right choice. The zipper in the back was strong and heavy. The tulle was not, and it just ripped out when I zipped up the back of the gown! I replaced this part with cute pearl buttons that matched pearl buttons on the sleeves. The tulle needed some stretch or strength to hold a zipper.
Whomever copied the original gown probably put it into a computer program to recreate it and produce a pattern, which ignored draping or quality needs for the particular gown.
2) The gown was made to order according to provided client measurements, but they cut the size according to my client's largest measurement, the chest, which meant the shoulders, the torso, the waist... ALL those details were cut for a GIANT PERSON.
This means I had to figure out how to re-shape, cut and put back together all the parts connected to the bust that needed to fit her small shoulder width, and small waist.
The neckline had to be reconstructed, the waistline, sides, width and length of sleeves, and the back of the gown all had to be taken in.
3) The length of the gown was cut CORRECTLY according to the client's provided height, which means that when I completed alterations, I needed to make sure nothing would shorten the hem, (taking in the waist in the front did that, and I needed to undo-lengthen the skirt from the waist to make up for the 1/2" lost by fitting the gown to the waist).
A good-quality manufacturer will leave an allowance at the waist or in the hem to allow a bride to wear high heels or lengthen a bit for any other reason.
4) The photos online looked like the gown was made with beads. It was not. I added real beads, crystals, and other details to give some of the same glamorous look when you were up close as how the gown looked from a distance. Without the belt the bride added and embellishments I added, all the sparkle and design on the gown would have been made completely of glue and glitter!
5) The company that made the gown supposedly offered a veil to match, but they did not offer support after the gown was purchased, could not ensure veil length or timing of arrival, so I ended up making a custom veil and blusher to match the headpiece my client had ordered.
It all worked out, but if I can help someone avoid such a horrific online purchase experience, please reach out. I'd be glad to help!
