You try a ready-to-wear dress on yourself, with the fabric in your hands and in the light of the showroom. You judge a made-to-measure dress first from a sketch, a few swatches and a set of measurements. Almost every other difference follows from this. Understanding those differences will stop you choosing only on the assumption that \u201cmade to measure means better\u201d or \u201cready to wear means simpler\u201d.<\/p>\n
With a ready-to-wear dress, you see exactly how the skirt falls as you move and how heavy the fabric is. You see how the bodice settles when you raise your arms and how the waist feels after an hour. You can take a few steps, sit down, climb a stair. These are simple checks, but they tell you more than any photograph.<\/p>\n
With made to measure, some of these answers come later. A fabric swatch shows you the colour and texture, but not the volume of a full skirt. A sketch shows the line, not the weight. So when you order made to measure, ask for large swatches, handle the fabrics proposed and ask how they behave in a cut like yours. If there is a similar dress in the showroom, try it on: it gives you a real point of reference for the silhouette and for the way the fabric sits.<\/p>\n
Each ready-to-wear dress comes in one particular size, and what is available can change; the sizes I mention below are those in the shop at the time of writing. If your size is not in stock, that does not automatically mean the design cannot be made. Some descriptions state explicitly that the design can be made to measure in other sizes; others say nothing on the matter.<\/p>\n
One example: Love A44<\/a> is a long A-line dress in duchess taffeta with a V-neckline and a pleated skirt with pockets. It is in stock in a size 42 at 2000 lei, and its description notes that it can be made to measure in other sizes or shades. For Love A48<\/a> (2500 lei), a one-of-a-kind design in barbie crepe with hand-embellished embroidery, a train and long cuffed sleeves, the listing gives only a size 38. If you would like it in another size, ask the atelier directly what is possible rather than assuming.<\/p>\n You do not have to wear a ready-to-wear dress exactly as you find it. Bridal alterations<\/a> usually cover things such as the hem length, the position of the straps, or taking in or letting out the waist and bust. How much can be altered depends on the cut, on how the seams are constructed and on how much fabric there is inside. Embroidery, lace and lining also affect what is possible: a design with hand-worked appliqu\u00e9s is altered differently from one in plain taffeta.<\/p>\n Say from the outset that you want to know what can and cannot be altered on that particular dress. A clear answer now is better than a surprise at the second fitting. For any specific design, the atelier will confirm this; I cannot tell from a photograph what alterations a dress will take.<\/p>\n Ordering made to measure gives you control over the size, the shade and, on some designs, the details. It is not, however, a dress conjured out of nothing: you usually start from an existing cut and discuss what to change. The more clearly you know what you want (the neckline, the sleeves, the fullness of the skirt, whether there is a train), the shorter and more focused the conversation will be. I have described the stages of such a dress in the article on how a made-to-measure dress comes to life<\/a>; here I will keep to what matters when you are choosing.<\/p>\n One thing worth bearing in mind is that there is no standard timescale. It depends on the design, the fabric, how many changes you ask for and the atelier\u2019s schedule. Treat any figure you read elsewhere as a rough guide only. Ask when you book, then compare the answer with your wedding date, not the other way round.<\/p>\n Whichever way you are leaning, these questions will help:<\/p>\n If the dress has a corset, it is also worth reading what a corset supports and where it tightens<\/a>, because support is one of the things you only really feel once you are moving.<\/p>\n There is no single right option for every bride. Ready to wear suits you if you have found a dress you love that fits you well on the spot, with only small alterations left to make. Made to measure makes sense if the size or shade you want is not available, or if you would like to change a few details of a design you already love. There is also a middle ground: a dress tried on in the showroom, then made to your measurements.<\/p>\n Start with what you will not compromise on: a particular neckline, the sleeves, the way the skirt moves. Everything else is open to discussion. Among the wedding dresses in the showroom<\/a>, the descriptions say different things about made-to-measure orders. Read them as a starting point for your questions, not as a rule.<\/p>\n If you would like to see how a dress looks on you and what could be discussed with the atelier, you can book a fitting<\/a>. There we will answer each of the questions above, dress by dress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You try a ready-to-wear dress on there and then. A made-to-measure dress you judge first from a sketch and your measurements. Here is what that means at the fitting, and what is worth asking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2900,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alice_seo_title":"Ready-to-Wear vs Made-to-Measure Bridal Gowns | Alice Design","alice_seo_desc":"What you can check on the spot with a ready-to-wear dress, and what you decide from a sketch and measurements when made to measure. Useful fitting questions.","alice_en_title":"Ready-to-wear or made-to-measure wedding dress: what changes in practice","alice_en_slug":"ready-to-wear-or-made-to-measure-wedding-dress","alice_en_short":"","alice_en_excerpt":"You try a ready-to-wear dress on there and then. A made-to-measure dress you judge first from a sketch and your measurements. Here is what that means at the fitting, and what is worth asking.","alice_en_content":" You try a ready-to-wear dress on yourself, with the fabric in your hands and in the light of the showroom. You judge a made-to-measure dress first from a sketch, a few swatches and a set of measurements. Almost every other difference follows from this. Understanding those differences will stop you choosing only on the assumption that \u201cmade to measure means better\u201d or \u201cready to wear means simpler\u201d.<\/p>\n\n With a ready-to-wear dress, you see exactly how the skirt falls as you move and how heavy the fabric is. You see how the bodice settles when you raise your arms and how the waist feels after an hour. You can take a few steps, sit down, climb a stair. These are simple checks, but they tell you more than any photograph.<\/p>\n With made to measure, some of these answers come later. A fabric swatch shows you the colour and texture, but not the volume of a full skirt. A sketch shows the line, not the weight. So when you order made to measure, ask for large swatches, handle the fabrics proposed and ask how they behave in a cut like yours. If there is a similar dress in the showroom, try it on: it gives you a real point of reference for the silhouette and for the way the fabric sits.<\/p>\n\n Each ready-to-wear dress comes in one particular size, and what is available can change; the sizes I mention below are those in the shop at the time of writing. If your size is not in stock, that does not automatically mean the design cannot be made. Some descriptions state explicitly that the design can be made to measure in other sizes; others say nothing on the matter.<\/p>\n One example: Love A44<\/a> is a long A-line dress in duchess taffeta with a V-neckline and a pleated skirt with pockets. It is in stock in a size 42 at 2000 lei, and its description notes that it can be made to measure in other sizes or shades. For Love A48<\/a> (2500 lei), a one-of-a-kind design in barbie crepe with hand-embellished embroidery, a train and long cuffed sleeves, the listing gives only a size 38. If you would like it in another size, ask the atelier directly what is possible rather than assuming.<\/p>\n\n You do not have to wear a ready-to-wear dress exactly as you find it. Bridal alterations<\/a> usually cover things such as the hem length, the position of the straps, or taking in or letting out the waist and bust. How much can be altered depends on the cut, on how the seams are constructed and on how much fabric there is inside. Embroidery, lace and lining also affect what is possible: a design with hand-worked appliqu\u00e9s is altered differently from one in plain taffeta.<\/p>\n Say from the outset that you want to know what can and cannot be altered on that particular dress. A clear answer now is better than a surprise at the second fitting. For any specific design, the atelier will confirm this; I cannot tell from a photograph what alterations a dress will take.<\/p>\n\n Ordering made to measure gives you control over the size, the shade and, on some designs, the details. It is not, however, a dress conjured out of nothing: you usually start from an existing cut and discuss what to change. The more clearly you know what you want (the neckline, the sleeves, the fullness of the skirt, whether there is a train), the shorter and more focused the conversation will be. I have described the stages of such a dress in the article on how a made-to-measure dress comes to life<\/a>; here I will keep to what matters when you are choosing.<\/p>\n One thing worth bearing in mind is that there is no standard timescale. It depends on the design, the fabric, how many changes you ask for and the atelier\u2019s schedule. Treat any figure you read elsewhere as a rough guide only. Ask when you book, then compare the answer with your wedding date, not the other way round.<\/p>\n\n Whichever way you are leaning, these questions will help:<\/p>\n If the dress has a corset, it is also worth reading what a corset supports and where it tightens<\/a>, because support is one of the things you only really feel once you are moving.<\/p>\n\n There is no single right option for every bride. Ready to wear suits you if you have found a dress you love that fits you well on the spot, with only small alterations left to make. Made to measure makes sense if the size or shade you want is not available, or if you would like to change a few details of a design you already love. There is also a middle ground: a dress tried on in the showroom, then made to your measurements.<\/p>\n Start with what you will not compromise on: a particular neckline, the sleeves, the way the skirt moves. Everything else is open to discussion. Among the wedding dresses in the showroom<\/a>, the descriptions say different things about made-to-measure orders. Read them as a starting point for your questions, not as a rule.<\/p>\nAlterations: what can be done to a finished dress<\/h2>\n
The made-to-measure dress: what you decide<\/h2>\n
Useful questions at the fitting<\/h2>\n
\n
How to choose between the two<\/h2>\n
What you can check on the spot, and what you have to imagine<\/h2>\n
What \u201cthe size in stock\u201d means<\/h2>\n
Alterations: what can be done to a finished dress<\/h2>\n
The made-to-measure dress: what you decide<\/h2>\n
Useful questions at the fitting<\/h2>\n
\n
How to choose between the two<\/h2>\n