I was privileged to be asked to lead a course for young people on behalf of the charity âThe Muslin Trustâ hosted by the London College of Fashion. My aim was to guide the students in creating period accurate muslin Regency gowns. The project was created to showcase muslin fabric traditionally hand woven in Bangladesh...
The inspiration for this bespoke regency Bridgerton wedding dress was Daphneâs debutante gown during her presentation to Queen Charlotte in Series 1 of the show.â Although Season 1 Daphneâs colours are blue, in Series 2 she wears a lot more pink. I decided I wanted to work with some beautiful, deep pink satin, so that...
Dearest Gentle Reader,â It has come to this authorâs attention that a passionate affair took place at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, that would make even the most confident of rakes blush. Rest assured, a few were in attendance to what was a wonderful day, full of vibrancy, talent and exquisite work.â Here are a few...
I made these each of these custom bridesmaid dress in Surrey. Eleanorâs five bridesmaids all wore the same style in a mix and matched range of four colours. I used rose pink, pale pink, ivory and gold to create a pretty and spring like colour scheme. Official Wedding pictures by Sebastian Lomas The style was...
Amanda came to me in 2009 to have a bespoke regency wedding dress made. I designed her a dress in pale gold silk satin with an ivory/gold beaded lace top layer. I created a lightly boned bodice with square neckline and high waistline seam with contrast band. The softly draping skirt spreads to a train...
Rachel contacted me wanting a bespoke early 1910s inspired bridal look. Of all the brides Iâve worked with, she was the one who wanted the dress to be the most historically correct. Although not exact (for example, we didnât include any corseting), she wanted a period accurate silhouette. During our chats, consultations and fittings I...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
This wedding dress took the most paint I`ve ever used for one of my dip-dye creations.
Victoria`s wedding dress is beautiful in part because it`s so full, and that fullness comes from layers. So before I could even get to the main event, I had two underlayers to spray, both with long trains.
When it comes to spraying, the best setup is one where you`re away from everything else, with good ventilation. Where better than outside? That does mean dressing to keep warm, and in clothes you don`t mind getting a bit painty.
But all that effort was so worth it. Victoria chose such a gorgeously unusual colour palette - deepening from lilac, through purple, into black. It`s regal, gothic, and has a real fantasy feel. And I think dyeing the full-length lace sleeves to match really finishes off the look.
What do you think of this colour combination?
This week is my wedding anniversary, so I`m taking a trip down memory lane.â
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A few years ago, my spouse and I had an anniversary photoshoot. In the run-up to my actual wedding, I`d had so much dressmaking to finish - not just my dress, but also:â
ðžfour bridesmaids dressesâ
ðža flower girl dressâ
ðžwaistcoats for the groom and three page boysâ
ðžplus three paying clients on topâ
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On the day, my dress was finished and wearable, but not quite as it should have been. â
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The original concept for the dress included hand-embroidered fuchsias all up the train, and I just didn`t have enough time. Lockdown finally gave me the chance to finish it properly, and this anniversary photoshoot was, in part, to celebrate that.â
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It was only this year, going through old photos, that I found these two images side by side. And then more, all mirroring each other. â
Almost 15 years apart. â
Shot in the same location. â
And with technically the same people - though I think it`s safe to say we`ve grown and changed in so many ways as individuals, and as a couple, during that time.â
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From two teenagers stepping out into the world together, to us now, with our family, our friends and our enduring love.â
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Maybe this is your sign to get your wedding photos out again and relive those precious memories ðâ
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Now photographer: @altweddingcoâ
Then photographer: Chris Cormack
A bustle this pretty deserves a pretty name ðž
If your wedding dress is floor length or longer, a bustle is not only a really practical feature to add, it can also transform your gown.
For Emily I did an overbustle with five points. These kinds of bustle usually go up to the waistline, but we brought it down, so if you want a `proper` term, it would be a low five-point overbustle (or American bustle).
But I like to simply call it a petal bustle - a much prettier name, and it`s what it looks like.
You can tell it`s going to move amazingly on the dancefloor 𪩠âš
if you`d like to find out more about what`s possible with your dress, the link to book a consultation is in my bio.
Emily exudes joy, so her dress had to reflect that beautiful personality - and I think we nailed.â
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Our base was a second-hand wedding dress I`d bought to dip dyeâ and display in my shop. But before I could even put it up in my shop window, Emily was in to try it on!â
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We took in the bust for a better fit, shortened the bodice and hems, and then came the really fun part. She chose this beautiful range of colours, from blush pink all the way to royal purple, for her dip dyed skirt.â
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I love how coordinated Emily`s whole bridal look is - matching pink and purple bouquet, flower crown and even hair! And of course, her sweet pooch had a pink harness and leash as well. What a cutie ð¶ð©·â
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Are you dreaming of a wedding dress that`s a little (or a lot) outside the box? Drop me a message - I`d love to help you make it happen ð¥°â
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Photography - @oddshoephotographyâ
Hair - Rebecca Day Hair
Scroll to the end for the result!â
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Thank you to everyone for their input. As it turns out, the bride who bought this dress agreed with the majority vote, so I got to dip dye this second hand wedding dress with a beautiful gradient of pinks and purples.â
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What do you think of the result? Do you think we made the right decision?â
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I`ll be posting photos from the bride`s wedding day next (there`s a dog, so you really don`t want to miss out). â
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Follow along for more colourful bridal inspirationðâ
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#sustainablebride #coolbride #weddinginspo #modernbride #bridalstyle#prelovedweddingdress #slowfashion #sustainableluxury #prelovedbridal #secondhandweddingdress #alternativeweddingdress
When it`s wedding season my schedule gets even busier than normal. My whole life is spent at my studio, sewing until the small hours.
Luckily I love my job! ð
