The Brides' Project

Archive for the ‘Alterations’ Category

One common theme we hear is that brides are looking for something which doesn’t necessarily exist… as is… but sometimes minor changes can make that dream dress happen just for you.

Take for example Annie’s dream… a tea length dress with a splash of black.

Here’s the ‘before’ picture… a gorgeous dress by Maggie Sottero called “Sarama” donated by the lovely Shawna as shown below:

And here is the ‘after’ picture, showing Annie just glowing in her new tea length gown with a shawl made from the train!!

(photography credit to Lissa Veilleux Photography)

You can do this too!  And… stay tuned… upcoming are some DRAMATIC gown re-designs by our fabulous crew from Ryerson’s School of Fashion Design, to be premiered on Sept 10-12 at the National Bridal Show!

Our warmest congratulations to Kim and Andrew who were married on Sept. 12.  Kim scooped up a dress during our summer sale, and had it taken out because she was 7 months pregnant at the time of the wedding.  ”I had the alterations done by Pearl Seto – who was amazing and very affordable!”

We’re so glad you felt beautiful, and talk about having two wonderful events to celebrate at the same time!!!  Kim is expecting any day now, and we wish her an easy and healthy delivery of the new addition to their family.

Kim tells us, “My husband Andrew and I had a magical day. ”   We’re so glad we could be a small part of that.

Photos are by David Morris Photography (www.davidphoto.ca).

FYI… The Brides’ Project does have a selection of gowns for expectant brides, and the latest statistics I read are 1 in 6!  We’re happy to share our selection and knowledge about the many options to feel beautiful in a gown that will fit you like a glove.  In conjunction with our seamstresses Pearl and Pom and their endless talents, your Brides’ Project gown will be comfy and flattering all in one!!!

When I’ve been working in the shop the past few months, I’ve discussed with clients the various ways in which the seamstresses we use can customise a dress purchased at The Brides’ Project or make a previously-worn gown look brand-new. One of these recommended seamstresses is Pom Penner, and the photo above was taken at her home workshop when I interviewed her back in May. Pom has a large stock of beads on hand as her primary work is with wedding gowns; chances are she already has the beads you need to replace. The designs in the photo are her own, but Pom does a great deal of custom work, too, if you have ideas in mind.

I’ve also mentioned that Pom is a pattern-maker and she has her own label — here it is:

You’ll find Pom’s contact information at the Gown Alterations/Cleaning page.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Victoria Day long weekend! The weather is turning out sunnier than expected, although you’ll probably have to barbecue in a sweater once the sun goes down. At least it only poured for part of Saturday, right?

This is my first post in a new series about the service providers we recommend to brides when they’re shopping at The Brides’ Project. Our service doesn’t end with the dress sale, we want to make sure the dress looks the way it’s supposed to down that aisle! We’d also like to give brides the opportunity to get to know our service providers a little better, to give some peace of mind in choosing your vendors.

I thought we’d begin with the one service we talk about the most while we’re in the shop: alterations. We recommend two seamstresses, Pearl Seto and Pom Penner, and my interview with Pom will be posted next week.

Last Friday I made a trip out to Scarborough, to photograph and interview Pearl Seto of Pearl Fashions Inc. This woman is a dynamo! She’s highly experienced (25+ years), works for Alfred Sung, and has a fully-equipped workshop in her home. If you’re in need of wedding and evening wear alterations, get in touch with Pearl: (416) 298-7899

I’m so enthusiastic about Pearl’s work I’ve registered a domain for her and will build her website! I’ll announce it once it’s ready.

Being a geeky person, I couldn’t help but inquire about her professional machinery, like the big steamer that also has a built-in vacuum! That machine is worth more than my car!

When I was in Pearl’s workrooms, I asked her a million questions, maybe even a million and a half, and she answered them all very patiently and showed me examples of how she does her alteration magic. 

I asked Pearl about corsets, replacing panels, beadwork, hemming, boning, embroidery, replacing buttons, turnaround times, pricing estimates, her working hours, fabric weights, taking seams in, letting seams out… *deep breath* — practically every sort of question I’ve encountered while working in the shop. Brides ask me alteration questions, so I want to make sure I know what I’m talking about!

I can appreciate detail work, having grown up around a sewing machine (my mother has sown all her life, and her mother did, too) and doing all the finishing for my mother’s sewing while in school. Let me tell you, wedding apparel can be incredibly painstaking to alter. It can be easier to custom make a wedding gown than do extensive alterations; something to bear in mind when choosing a dress. The fewer alterations you can do, the better, not just to save money but to save time — time spent on fittings and travelling to those fittings. Those last few weeks before the wedding are terribly hectic, and the last thing you want to do is spend time unnecessarily!

The Brides’ Project sends our clients to Pearl because her customer service is excellent and her prices are much lower than what the salons are charging for alterations, i.e., in the range of $80-$120 for the most common types of alterations, which usually involve hemming or taking a couple of seams in or out. (Believe me, I’ve asked and brides are only too willing to tell me how much the salons charge.)

Probably the simplest common alteration for a wedding dress is to put a bustle in, which is about $50, since there are a few different ways to do it and it depends on the dress. There is such a range of alterations and dresses that I could give examples for, but if you see me in the shop and show me the dress, I can give you a much better idea of what can be done and for how much, now that I’ve asked Pearl my million and a half questions!

I spent the entire afternoon on Friday with Pearl, and she is such a delight to work with, always smiling, even when she says she doesn’t like having her picture taken. Pearl immigrated to Canada when she was a young woman and has been working tirelessly ever since. She’s owned a factory in Toronto’s fashion district, she’s worked for salons, and even today she still works for Alfred Sung during the week. She runs Pearl Fashions Inc., her own business, the rest of the time. Can you believe she’s also a proud grandmother to SIX? I asked her when she’s going to retire, but she just smiled…