Help! I've paid £1,600 for a wonky dress!

Its a beautiful dress! But I can see what you mean! That's awful! I don't even know what to suggest!

What designer and dress is it? Just wondering if I can see some official pics to compare.

I can see what you mean about the top layer of chiffon being higher at one side but it doesn't look necessarily out of place? What's the other layer underneath? I can't see your shoes as, if anything, that layer looks a bit long?

It's a gorgeous dress and looks great on you.

Also, when you took it home this time was that supposed to be it - no more alterations?

Ok I really wanted to say don't be silly it looks fine but if I'm honest I can tell the difference in length...I don't know if the fabric underneath is longer or if the chiffon is shorter..take it to another dress maker! As soon as your dress maker is back off hols you need to complain! It sounds like she's rushed it off before her hols!

If it makes you feel any better I think you can sort it AND the dress itself is a stunning design!!!

Hope it gets sorted ASAP! X

The dressmaker designed it and made it to my specifications so you wont find any pictures of it.

It looks longer in the photo because of the angle but it's actually about 5cm off the ground.

Yes I've paid the final balance and I'm not due to go back.

The layer underneath is satin.

Thanks for the lovely comments.

This is just the final straw, In april she told me it would be ready by the end of April. I had to push her to arrange to go over at the start of May, when I thugh I would be collecting the dress but it turns out it wasn't anywhere near finished. And the reason I went then was that I needed to have my veil for my hair trial. The veil hadn't even been started, she said we didn't discuss what you wanted so I didn't know what to do. Despite the fact that we clearly had discussed it at the previous fitting. SO then she said she would send it to me. The day before my hair trial I contacted her to say I hadn't recieved it, there were several excuses as to why it wasn't sent and I had to go and collect it on my way to the hairdressers. My appontment today was originally suposed to be 11am but she asked for it to be moved to 5pm. I told her I had plans for the evening and so it had to be 3pm. And it turned out to be gone 5pm by the time it was done.

Well I wouldn't be happy at all, is she back off her hols before your wedding? For now I would go to someone else, enjoy your day and worry about giving her a piece of your mind after the wedding, I think that a talented dress maker will be able to fix it no problem! The only issue they may have is a material match as your dress maker made from scratch but I'm sure similar things have happened and been solved! X

Oh, gawd, I'm torn between trying to make you feel better and telling you what I really think of her. It be the latter I'm afraid, I think you've been completely ripped off. It looks awful, sorry.

You must be devastated you've got this on your plate with just over a week to go, can't imagine how stressful that must be.

Can you contact this woman? I would go to a shop tomorrow and look at off the rack dresses, also check monsoon and Biba and the like. I'd fight for a full refund off this 'dressmaker' as she's took the p*ss good and proper.

Hope you sort something soon and get a dress you're happy with. Goodluck.

Definitely go and see another dress maker. Do you have a mobile no for your current dressmaker?

She said that she is away until Tuesday, the wedding is Friday. I really don't want to leave it until 2 days before the wedding to get it sorted out. i do have another dress which I bought off ebay for £40 to wear in the evening so that I can dance in it. But i've cut the train off it so that I can dance and it's only a cheap dress from Littlewoods, I do love it for what I want it for but don't think it's enough for the whole day.

I do have a mobile number for her, but don't really know what to say, I hate complaining. Particularly as she's on her holiday and can't actually do anything.

I know that it's awkward. But it's £1600!!! And you get married in 9 days. I'm afraid you're going to have to get tough.

Its obviously not supposed to look like that or she wouldn't have been trying to reassure you when you has reservations earlier.

Get your mum to ring if that's better? I had to get mine to ring when we were having problems with our hotel.

My mum has contacted a different dressmaker (who is making my bridesmaid dresses). She's just called me back to say that the dressmaker has said that I should phone her in the morning and we can talk about what can be done. The only problem with that is that she is near my parents house, 3 hrs away, so I guess I'm going to have to drive back there at the weekend to get this sorted out. I could really do without this at this point.

Thanks for all of your support. I'm going to go to bed now and I'm hoping it wont seem so bad in the morning.

Don't worry. One way or another it will get sorted.

Seriously, complain??!!

I'd be ringing her now...

Me too. I seem to remember reading another thread on here not long ago where someone had problems with their dress and the drfessmaked had gone on hols! Can't remember how it got sorted tho.....sorry not being much help really ☹️

Don't worry I will complain, but as she can't do anything about it at the moment I think it would be better to do it in a few days time. So that I can state the facts without getting too emotional about it, and also once I have taken it to the 2nd dressmaker to get her opinion about what has been done to the dress. Then I'll be in a better position to complain and be diplomatic about it.

I would document all the problems you've had with her from the start. Deadlines being missed etc & now the problems with the dress. Maybe get your mum to take photos of the dress from different angles to highlight what your not happy about.

I agree that with her being on holiday there is not a lot she can do about it now, so you need to sort that dress or arrange another one now.

Then when she gets back talk to her about it. I know it's hard, but try not to get to emotional & shout at her. Instead talk to calmly but make it perfectly clear that she hasnt delivered & she needs to make it right by a refund or something. Get her to cover any costs that you've incurred getting that dress corrected (seamstress fees, petrol getting to another seamstress).

If she doesn't want to compensate you then tell her that you will be posting relevant reviews about her work & it could affect future business about her.

Try to do all this calmly so she doesn't try to convince you you're being an over emotional bridezilla.

Oh dear.I guess this phot is in her workshop?

The hem on the underskirt looks very stiff and doesn't hang as if it has been stiched and pressed, so if it is softer now it has been pressed it may look fine lenght ways. However the chiffon is obviously too short on one side unless it was intentional to have it that way. The top is lovely. If another dress maker can match the chiffon on the top she could redo the skirt. However I would get her to do the overskirt longer than the underskirt as you shouldn't really be able to see the inderskirt. If she can do that it should be fairly easy for a good seamstress to fix.

Hmmm, I would be feeling exactly the same as you. I haven't got anything to add that others haven't already said. I think your priority now has to be to sort this out, and if your original dressmaker isn't around then you need to use the other one. Make sure you take load of photos before she changes anything though. I would also be contacting the old dressmaker on Tuesday to explain to her that you need compensating for any expenses you've incurred, and more really as she didn't deliver what you orderedor in time.

Wise move to get a second opinion and write down what she says. Call the original dressmaker - holiday or not- and tell her you will be coming to see her the day she comes back and you are not happy. Give her the facts re; problems and state that she must put it right within 24 hours or you reserve the right to go to another dressmaker and pass on any charges to her, given the date of the wedding. Your contract is with the first but you must give her the chance to put it right and show that you have made efforts to contact her in case of a legal case.

This. I screamed at the DJ (poor bloke) when he said he couldn't do karaoke. I would probably beat the dressmaker if this was me.

I agree with PbPD above. Document everything and build up a strong case.

If this was me I would not be happy at all and holiday or not, I would be straight on the phone to her. I think this is shoddy workmanship and any decent dressmaker would bend over backwards to sort this out. Just one more thing - you said she mentioned it would straighten itself out when it had been pressed - has she not pressed it??? For £1600k I hope she is not leaving it up to you.

x x x

The dress does not look awful, but is also clearly not right.

I had issues with my BM dress 7 days before my wedding and I found an amazing seamstress who put the whole lot right for me. Depending on where you are, I am happy to give you her number, she is amazing. If it can't be rectified as it is, it shouldn't be too hard to add a new overlay of chiffon.

That said I would also be hounding the original seamstress, but I know exactly what you mean when you say that you need to calm down. When I saw what this woman had done to by BM dress I literally just broke down and cried and my mum had to step in.

Hope you get it sorted, sending you lots of vibes ?

I can't believe that she has charged that much money and hasn't even pressed it for you, let alone making sure that it was correct before going on holiday! I know everyone has to have time off at some point, but I think if I were here I would have had to forego the time away to ensure that your dress is perfect - especially as your wedding is next week!!

Definately phone her now and tell her that you have tried it on you are not happy with it.

Right, the overall length is the last of your worries. My dress was deliberately taken up to above floor level (at the front) as it looked far better than when it skimmed the floor. Nobody will think the length is anything other then how you intended it to be.

I know you've said you are a bit reserved and loathe to complain here but let's see what's happened. You have paid a large amount of money - more than the average wedding dress cost, I'll bet - to have a bespoke and beautiful dress. For this price, you could have had swishy service at a lovely boutique and a brand name dress.

If you spent £1600 on a lovely holiday and found yourself accommodated in a caravan, you'd complain then, yeah? If a mechanic failed to fix your car, after you'd paid him to do so, you complain then, yeah? This is no different. You have paid for a service and she has failed. Worse, she has left you with a shoddy product and seems unwilling to do anything about it.

Find another dressmaker, obviously. The asymmetric hem of the chiffon doesn't actually look too bad, more than OK in fact. How about if you replaced the bottom section of the satin underskirt (the entire bit on show) with a sheer tulle fabric to match your sleeves? That will give some lovely swish at the bottom and compliment the existing dress design. It may be that the chiffon overlay is actually what the sleeves are composed off (and the dress only looks darker on the body because it's underlaid with satin)? In which case, you might need to source some tulle that is slightly more sheer than the chiffon alone.

Or, given the drapiness of the dress, I don't think an extra layer of the chiffon would look out of place, possibly an extra half skirt to cover the higher hem. This will layer it nicely. It might also be true that, again given the drapiness, a couple of vertical seams to replace a panel of fabric simply won't be noticeable.

As anything short of a full skirt replacement is not going to match what you paid for, I'd be asking for a partial refund, if you end up having to repair rather than replace.

A thought: would you wedding insurance cover this as a failure of a supplier to deliver a product?

How awful for you, but whatever you do don't press it, the chiffon will shrink, this maybe what has happened on that side!!!! i could only suggest that you can maybe make a feature of the higher side to make it look like its supposed to be that way?

Oh my word love. FTLOMB has given you some excellent advice there. I hope you're feeling a little calmer this morning ?

I'd be absolutely furious!! Definitely would be complaining, especially for that amount of money...

Flora, you are just lovely.

She certainly is! Her post just made me smile.?