Bespoke Bias cut wedding dress with embroidery

bespoke bias cut wedding dress in the garden

Safiya commissioned a bespoke bias cut wedding dress made up in white silk satin. The skirt was bias cut and cut slim to the hips but with more fullness at the hem and a medium length train. The backless bodice featured cross-over straps with chain embroidery.

Official Wedding pictures by Indigo Images

custom wedding dress in silk satin by Felicity Westmacott
bias cut wedding dress design Felicity Westmacott

Original design sketch

thank you letter

Safiya wrote: The biggest of Thank you’s 2 u. You didn’t let me down. I’m soooo grateful. Bann xx…Thought I’d send you a card to thank you once again. Hopefully then you’ll know how grateful I am for everything you did…

bespoke wedding dress confetti shot
bridal gown dancing

The train of Safiya’s dress hooked up for the evening so she could dance unhindered.

Making the bespoke bias cut wedding dress

close up bullion embroidery silver and gold chain

Detail of metallic embroidered chain. The bullion embroidery was carried out by the specialists at ‘Hand and Lock’

open sides wedding dress with umbrella

The chain embroidery was carried out by ‘Hand and Lock

The cut away back for this bespoke bias cut wedding dress was tricky to perfect, allowing enough support for the front while revealing as much skin as Safiya was keen to have on display. The cross over detail of the straps needed all their angles just so to lie perfectly on Safiya’s body.

We created the pattern for Safiya’s dress and made up a practice run to check fit. The paper pattern pieces for the embroidered panels were then sent, along with the silk fabric to Hand and Lock to be embellished. This is how they looked on their return.

custom embroidery for wedding dress from hand and lock
bespoke fitting picture with open back

Pictures from the final fitting showing front, back and back with train hooked up (plus veil).

If you’d like to see another bias cut wedding dress head over to Katherine’s Art Deco dress in pale gold satin . And if you’d like to talk to me about having your wedding dress made you can use my contact page to be in touch.

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felicity westmacott wearing a hat

Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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Did you guess which colours I dip dyed this custom wedding dress?

#dipdyeweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #2026bride #colourfulweddingdress
Someone commented how much like Taylor Swift our beautiful bride @alicia.modelling_x looked wearing one of my bespoke wedding dress, and I think she's absolutely right. 

Which Taylor Swift album would you pair this wedding dress with?
I am *obsessed* with this vintage wedding dress restyle!

Merissa brought her 1990s bridal two-piece ensemble to me, looking for it to be restyled into her dream wedding dress. And we ended up with some so cute, chic and coquettish. 

The bodice, with its off-shoulder neckline, didn’t change much, style-wise. We just did a few alterations to make it fit better. The skirt, however, was a different story.

The original skirt was completely deconstructed, and those panels of fabric were used to make a shorter mini skirt, gathered in at the waist and with a pleat detail at the front. Then, with extra, matched fabric, we made a new skirt for the ceremony. In the same style as short skirt, but floor length, with a train and netting underneath, for that perfect 80s/90s silhouette.

Which version do you prefer – full length skirt or miniskirt?

If you want to see how Merissa looked on the day, check out my previous post!

#alterations #2026bride #weddingdress #upcycle
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in