Rebecca wanted a Victorian-inspired wedding dress made in deep forest green and ivory silk dupion. We prioritised historical accuracy with this gown, from the custom-made corset underneath, to the embroidered bustle, all the way down to the layers of knife pleats around the skirt. Photography – Yuriy Nutsa Photograhy and Babb Photo Why wear that...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I`m in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! 🏆
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! 🏃🏻♀️
Just to be extra clear 💜
#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.
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).
There are a limited amount of slots available for each month, so head to my website and book yourself in (link in the bio).
Ooh, I love a good before and after!
Two dresses for two very different occasions. One upcycled from the other!
Eleanor`s original wedding dress (which I also made) was perfect for her more opulent, formal wedding day. But like so many wedding dresses, once the day is done, it never gets to see the light of day again.
Unless it does 👀
Taking a dress and giving it a new life is such a joy, and now Eleanor can wear her much more practical dress for many more special occasions.
As well as the original wedding dress, I also upcycled the Christening gown I had made from off-cuts from the first round of dress making. With these, and the scraps from this transformation, I made her daughter a summer dress to match too. You can see that dress in the final photo 🩵
Would you trust a seamstress to transform your wedding dress?
Isn`t this transformation so satisfying? 😍 I love giving wedding dresses a new life! I originally made Eleanor`s bespoke wedding dress for her in 2010. Fifteen years later, she came back to me asking whether I could re-imagine her dress into something new for her wedding anniversary. Of course I said yes.
So, we went from a full length dress, inspired by Victorian and 18th century fashion, to a tea length 1950s look. The only extra fabric I used was for the new petticoats I used underneath the shortened skirt, to give it that classic 50s silhouette. Making this was a very satisfyingly sustainable project.
Which version would you wear?
A few months` ago, you all helped me choose what colours to dip dye a sample wedding dress I`d bought. The winning vote was for pinks and purples, so that`s exactly what I`ll be doing!
A bride-to-be has actually claimed this dress now, so you won`t be able to see what it looks like until after her big day 👀
But I have a few more sample dresses to play around with. I want to try some colour combinations I don`t usually get asked to do by brides, to really illustrate just how wild you can go with your choices.
So, which combo do you think I should do?
1. Desert at dusk 🩵💚💜 pale blue, shifting into dusty turquoise and green, and finishing with an undersaturated aubergine.
2. Spice of life 💛🧡❤️ cream that quickly amps up to yellow, orange and red. Nothing subtle, just bold, bright colours!
3. Alpine escape 💚🩵💙 all the most calming colours. Mossy green
and the deep teal of a glacial lake.
4. Distant storm 💜🩶🖤 the colour of lightning in the night`s sky. Lavender, soft grey and blackest of blacks.
Vote in the comments!
#dipdyeweddingdress #weddingdress #colourfulbride #bridalboutique #colourfulweddingdress
