Made To Measure Wedding Dress in London

Made To Measure Wedding Dress in London bespoke custom south uk seamstress maker

For this made to measure wedding dress in London, bride Karah approached me looking to commission a layered gown in scrolling ivory floral lace, with a corset inspired by the late (and very great) Vivienne Westwood.⁠

The base layer is a floor length strapless column dress made of champagne-coloured silk dupion. I made the top layer from ivory lace, including the high collared neckline and long, slim fitting sleeves.

There are so many details of this dress I love; the lace up back, the visible boning channels of the corset, the buttons on the sleeves and of course that big, dramatic veil.

How effortlessly gorgeous is Karah? She looks like if Wednesday Adams grew up and decided to wear white to her wedding. And her husband looks like the perfect modern Gomez. This wedding dress is chic and gothic. Whilst taking inspiration from the Victorian era, but also keeping it thoroughly modern.

Photography – Story In Time⁠

“Everything was amazing and I can’t thank you enough.”

– Karah, the bride

Making a Made To Measure Wedding Dress in London

Step 1: Designing the dress (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 2: Fabric selection (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 3: The toile – the rough draft of the dress (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 4: Fitting the toile (and getting the bride’s approval)

Step 5: Cutting into the actual fabric, followed by lots of fittings to perfect the fit of the dress (and, of course, getting the bride’s approval!)

After lots more steps, you can finally bask in the glow of the completed dress and a happy bride!

As you can see, it’s very important to me that the bride involved with every step of the process. Communication is so important in a process like this. It’s why, when Karah said she wanted to change up the design from the initial idea, I was more than happy to come up with new ideas.

If you’re for more inspo, here is another historically inspired wedding dress, this time using Edwardian era details. Or, if you like the classic column shape of this dress, have a look at another one I made, based on the art deco style of the 1920s and 30s.

If you’re looking for a made to measure wedding dress in London, then I might be your perfect solution. My shop is based in Dorking, Surrey, which is a short train ride (or drive) from London. I’ve made wedding outfits for plenty of London brides, as well as mothers of the bride/groom, bridesmaids and guests.

If you want to have a no-obligation chat, just get in touch. I would love to hear your ideas!

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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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When you have two bespoke wedding dresses on your sample rail that are perfect for both Elphaba and Glinda, and with Wicked For Good having come out, it felt rude not to!

Wicked has done an amazing job of bringing bright, bold fashion back to our attention, which is so exciting. But I've had many Elphaba and Glinda brides way before they came to the big screen. Brides who are up for going on an adventure with me to conjure up their perfect wedding look. 

I might not be the Wizard of Oz, but I am the Dress Alchemist after all 😉

(shout out to my social media manager, Elodie, for stepping in and being the Elphaba to my Glinda. If you're looking for your own magical media witch, you can find them at www.brightbeemedia.co.uk)
The dress on the stand vs. the dress in action✨

I made the Poinsettia dress last Christmas for my window display. I never would have predicted that it would be spotted by Rosie, who then bought it and wore it for the 2025 Miss Great Britain pageant!

My bespoke designs have been used for all sorts of events. Weddings mainly (obviously), but parties, anniversaries and proms too. But this might be the first time one of my gowns has been seen on the stage of a pageant. And doesn't Rosie look so serenely glamorous? The perfect model for this sparkly, elegant dress. And she placed in the top 10. Well done Rosie!
You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.

An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).

‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.

Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.

When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc. 

But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.

So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
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