Nicolaโs daughter and niece were her two beautiful bridesmaids and I made them bespoke teen bridesmaid dresses. With two very different ages and figures we created design elements that could be used to link the styles together. I made both dresses are made from peacock blue silk dupion with a beaded lace back which creeps...
Ailsa commissioned a sky blue bespoke wedding dress in silk satin. I designed it with proportions to flatter her petite figure. Official photographs by www.oxford-photography.co.uk I made the dress with a fitted and boned bodice with gentle sweetheart neckline and integral straps. I added ruching over the bust which is balanced above asymmetric draping on...
I made a set with a Navy blue silk bridesmaid dress and two flower girl boleros for Catherineโs cathedral wedding. The grand setting called for classic designs. Catherine bought her flower girl dresses off the peg and elevated them with bespoke boleros in midnight blue silk. We styled them to match the brideโs wedding coat...
Lisa was a bridesmaid for her friend who lives overseas. So I made her a blue and gold bespoke taffeta bridesmaid dress. Lisa was sent the beautiful duck-egg/gold shot taffeta fabric and given free reign over her own dress design. The other bridesmaidโs dress was made up overseas by a local dressmaker. I made the...
Victoria commissioned this stunning dress in royal blue silk dupion and lace. I made fit and flare blue bespoke mother of the bride dress was lightly boned with ruching from underbust to an asymmetric line under the hip. The fitted bodice had a sweetheart neckline and was covered in scrolling lace which was also used...
I made a bespoke silk dupion dress and coat in old gold and blue silk. Irene had very firm ideas about what she wanted to wear to her daughterโs wedding. The dress and coat ensemble was designed to take her from a cold January daytime to the black-tie evening party. The dress was made from...
Old gold and blue silk I made custom bowties and a cummerbund for the groomsmen. Irene had her Mother of the bride dress and coat made by me. Then she commissioned accessories made in matching fabrics for her husband and various members of the bridal party I made the bow-ties in different fabrics for each...
The dress needed to have a vintage, showgirl feel and be really sexy but still realistic as a bridal dress, not many people actually get married in a leotard and feathers! The wiggle skirt with a boned bodice hit all these marks showing off our lovely model, Vanessa?s curves and cinching her waist. I added a teal net petticoat that would show when the high/low hem moved and delicate gold lace detail with Swarovski crystals for showgirl glamour!
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
From Design to Destination...โ
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Isn`t it funny how art has to go through so many strange, messy stages before it emerges as something complete?โ
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The Poinsettia wedding dress was the first bespoke dress I ever made with the sole intention of using it in my window display. I wanted something sparkly and subtly festive to brighten Dorking High Street, where my shop is. โ
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But before that I had to do what I always do - begin the strange dance with fabric, needle and thread. Starting with the very simple base, and slowly but surely building something beautiful. Poinsettia is a flower associated with the Christmas season, so it felt right to draw inspiration from its shape (as opposed to its vibrant red colour) and feature these stunning sequin statement flowers on the bust and hip.โ
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My dresses often have second and third lives after I`ve made them, whether I plan for it or not. And this one is no exception. After it glistened in my shop window for the winter, it was used, funnily enough, for a summer wedding shoot. And after that for something even more unusual. But more about that in the next post...โ
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Summer Shoot Photography - @KalaWeddings.UK
You mightโve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think itโs 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 โvintageโ, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like itโs from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, thatโs good enough to warrant the label โvintageโ (which itโs not).
โBespokeโ is another of those words. The word comes from โto bespeakโ, 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 doesnโt 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 thereโs 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. Itโs a dress thatโs been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure itโs exactly how you want it. Itโs 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 โbespokeโ, now you know what to look for to make sure youโre not being tricked into pay more for less.
I won! ๐ฅณ๐๐ฅโ
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Last night was the Wedding Industry Awards (as if you didn`t already know) and I was up for two categories: Bespoke Bridal and Bridal Alterations. And I am now the regional winner for the Independent Dressmaker/Designer category!โ
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I am so so pleased to have gotten this far, and I couldn`t have managed it without the amazing support of all you lovely lot. So thank you thank you thank you! ๐ to those who took the time to vote, to those who sent me beautiful messages, to those who got excited for me. Thank you!โ
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And thank you to the @twia_official team as well! What a gorgeous night.โ
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Next step: the National awards. Let`s see what happens...โ
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Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I`m in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! ๐
Since it`s such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I`ll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.
I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we`re gonna make it! ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ
Just to be extra clear ๐
#seamstress #dressmaker #historicalfashion #weddingdressmaker #weddingdressdesigner
It was a delight to help Rebecca feel like her sparkling wedding dress, resplendent in constellations, fit her perfectly on her special day.โ
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Alterations for size or styling to shop bought or vintage wedding dresses are important to make a dress look like it belongs to you and to give you confidence on your big day. Very few people are a standard dress size so most dresses need adjustment to the bodice, hem length and straps (amongst other things).โ
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There are a limited amount of slots available for each month, so head to my website and book yourself in (link in the bio).
