Fittings by appointment
(By appointment, please call 210-479-6100 or text 210-365-2920 during business hours to schedule)
Fitting Appointment
- Brides plan for 30 minutes to 1 hour-long appointments.
- Bridesmaids/Mothers/Prom/Men tailoring/Others plan for 15 minutes to 30 minute appointments.
- Bring the exact shoes you’ll wear for the ceremony and reception.
- Please wear a thong/underwear.
- Consult with us before you buy a corset bra!
- Maintain a stable weight - if your body size changes, it may require billable re-work. Unlike our daily clothing, most formal gowns don't stretch at all! Your gown's fit may be impacted by weight gain/loss, hormonal cycle, water retention, change in medications, cleanses, working out, weather, surgery, etc.
- Bring 0-2 guests only, as the studio space is limited and gowns/trains are big. Try not to bring kids, as they'll be bored, distract us and caused longer appointment.
- Eating/hydrating ahead of time, and keeping your knees flexed during fittings.
- Be clean and free of tanning oils/spray/lotion that could stain your gown.
- No food, beverages or loud phone calls in the studio to avoid disruption to others & on-going appointments.
Bridal Fitting Timeline When to Start?
- Brides – First fitting ideally 6-8 weeks before event date; 3 - 6 months prior for a restyle of vintage/heirloom gown.
- All Others – First fitting ideally 1-2 weeks or more before event; make it larger, or if pregnant.
- Book Early - During bridal season, approx. February to October, our calendar may be booked up to 1-2 months in advance. As soon as you book your 1st fitting with us, you are ensured a spot in our work plan.
- Pickup Policy: Gowns must be picked up at time of final payment. If storage is necessary we will charge $10 per week.
Pricing/Quote/Estimate
- Is based on all time spent on fittings, sewing and other work on your gown. Most bridal gowns require 4-16 hours of work, some run higher.
- We provide a detailed estimated price range for all work we agree to do on your gown, including a best and worst case range for you.
- We provide craftsmanship works, taking apart your gown and customizing it to your body. This may include removing lace, beads, boning, etc., and 2 to 6+ separate layers of fabric. It’s typically not simple, even on what appears to be a simple dress.
- What you paid for your gown has no bearing on your alterations price. That price is based on time worked, and a multi-layer hem may take the same amount of time to do on a $65 flower girl dress, $300 prom dress, or $3,000 bridal gown (really!).
- Sometimes your curves or proportions just won't match the ones manufactured into the dress, or the structure/design of a dress complicates where or how it can be modified. This can result in higher alterations and/or less perfect results than hoped for.
- Budget on the high side if you have a lot of fitting issues; a complex hem; lace/beads/sequins/rhinestones in areas to be altered; a desire to make big style changes; or are very particular.
- Bridal gown alteration - normally starts at $200, and usually run $400-800+, but can exceed $1,000 with major fit issues, restyling, redesign and/or re-sizing.
- Bridesmaids gowns alteration - usually run $40-$150+, but can be higher for very full skirts, multiple fabric layers, fit issues, or enlarging size for pregnancy/other.
- Mothers of the Brides/Grooms alteration - usually run $40-350+, as dresses and fitting issues may be more complex.
- Prom/Quinceanera/Other alteration - usually run $40-400+, depending on the gown, amount of beading or rhinestones, etc., and ease of alterations.
For more detail than above, we offer two options:
- Text pictures of you in the dress, we'll will give you a rough estimate. Cell: (210) 365-2920
- In Person: we offer a $50 for 1 hour pin session to give a price for services wanted on your gown (If you agree to services performed by us, then you won't be charged for this amount)
- All billing is based on actual time spent on your gown and fittings.
Payments & Deposit
- We accept all major Credit Cards
- An initial deposit is due at the first fitting for all brides, deposit is half of or at least 1/3 of total balance due.
- Full payment is required by the last fitting and in order to pickup any gown from the studio.