With a made-to-measure dress, the number of fittings can’t be fixed in advance, because it depends on what is being made. A simple crepe skirt asks for something quite different from an embroidered corset or a detachable train. Knowing what is decided at each fitting is more useful than having a number. You can then arrive prepared, and your time at the atelier goes on the things that matter.<\/p>\n
Each fitting answers a different question, and how many questions a dress raises depends on the dress. A design with an internal structure, several layers or hand-sewn appliqu\u00e9s has more to check than a straight cut in a fabric that drapes on its own. It also matters how far the design moves away from an existing base: changing the neckline or the sleeve adds another check.<\/p>\n
As a general guide, made-to-measure dressmaking often works with three stages. The first fitting takes place on a toile or a basic structure. The middle fitting comes once the dress has its final shape, and a detail fitting follows close to the end. This is only a rough guide, not a fixed schedule. At the atelier, the actual number is agreed together once the design, the fabric and the changes you want are clear. If you would like to see how the stages fit together, there is a separate account in the story of a made-to-measure wedding dress<\/a>. Here we look only at what you do at each appointment.<\/p>\n At the start, the focus is on construction rather than detail. You look at where the waist falls, the height of the neckline, the length and volume of the skirt, and how the bodice sits on the body. A toile is often cut from a plain fabric, and it shows things clearly that would be difficult to correct in the final fabric.<\/p>\n Questions worth asking at this stage:<\/p>\n For the first fitting, bring shoes of roughly the same heel height as the ones you’ll wear on the day, not a pair of house shoes. A difference of a few centimetres changes the hem and also the way the whole skirt falls.<\/p>\n Once the dress has its final shape, attention moves from how it looks to how it behaves. Now is the time to do everything you’ll do on the day: walk, sit down, climb a step, raise your arms, turn around. Notice whether the bodice stays in place, whether the straps or sleeves pull when you move, and whether the fabric bunches at the waist when you sit.<\/p>\n If the dress has a corset, check separately where it supports you and where it constricts. You should be able to breathe freely, without the dress pressing on you each time you breathe in. We explain in detail how to check this in our article on the corset of a dress<\/a>. Don’t rush to say it’s fine. If something bothers you after ten minutes on your feet, it will bother you more after a few hours. Tell the seamstress exactly where you feel it, because that is where the correction begins.<\/p>\n Wear the lingerie you’ll actually have on the day, especially if the dress has an open back, a deep neckline or a fine fabric. Different lingerie changes the line of the bust and waist, and so it changes the alterations too. The same goes for a veil, gloves, a belt or jewellery: if you already have them, bring them along, so you can see whether they work with the neckline and the details of the dress.<\/p>\n Towards the end, the conversation narrows to small but visible things. The hem is adjusted with your shoes on, and the train or the chiffon layer is checked while you walk, not just in the mirror. If the dress has a detachable train, see how it attaches and comes away, and whether you can do this yourself or with someone’s help without spoiling the line. Look at the appliqu\u00e9s and embroidery up close and from a distance as well, because a detail that is lovely at one metre can disappear at five.<\/p>\n If there is still something you want to change at this point, now is the time to say so. Some changes are simple, while others affect everything already done, and the atelier can tell you how much the timeline will shift. You’ll find more on what can be altered and what stays largely as it is in our guide to wedding dress alterations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Between appointments the dress is being worked on, and you have two things to do: observe and take notes. If a question comes to mind, write it on your phone straight away rather than trying to remember it. Most last-minute changes start with an idea you had at home and then forgot at the fitting.<\/p>\n It also matters that your measurements stay stable. A change in weight or posture between fittings shows immediately in the way the dress sits. If you know a period of change lies ahead, mention it at the outset, so the atelier can take it into account when planning.<\/p>\n Questions to ask at every fitting, whatever the dress:<\/p>\n Some showroom designs can be made to order in other sizes or with other details, and the fittings then start from a base you have already seen on the body. One example from the collection is the Love 325 wedding dress<\/a>: long, empire line, with a bodice in micro-sequin embroidery and a silk chiffon skirt. Its product page lists it as available to order in other sizes and with other embroidery. Exactly what can be changed on a given design is decided at the atelier, once the dress has been seen and tried on. The difference between a ready-to-wear dress and one made from scratch, and what it means for the fittings, is explained in our article on ready-to-wear and made-to-measure<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you’d like to begin, you can book a fitting<\/a> and come with an idea rather than a settled design. At the first conversation in the atelier, you look together at fabrics, cut and what each choice means for the making of the dress, including how many fittings you are likely to need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There is no set number of fittings for a made-to-measure dress. What matters is what gets decided at each one, and coming prepared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"alice_seo_title":"Made-to-Measure Dress Fittings: What to Check | Alice Design","alice_seo_desc":"How many fittings a made-to-measure dress needs depends on its design and fabric. See what is checked at each fitting and how to prepare.","alice_en_title":"Fittings for a made-to-measure dress: what is decided at each one and what to bring","alice_en_slug":"made-to-measure-dress-fittings-what-to-check","alice_en_short":"","alice_en_excerpt":"There is no set number of fittings for a made-to-measure dress. What matters is what gets decided at each one, and coming prepared.","alice_en_content":" With a made-to-measure dress, the number of fittings can't be fixed in advance, because it depends on what is being made. A simple crepe skirt asks for something quite different from an embroidered corset or a detachable train. Knowing what is decided at each fitting is more useful than having a number. You can then arrive prepared, and your time at the atelier goes on the things that matter.<\/p> Each fitting answers a different question, and how many questions a dress raises depends on the dress. A design with an internal structure, several layers or hand-sewn appliqu\u00e9s has more to check than a straight cut in a fabric that drapes on its own. It also matters how far the design moves away from an existing base: changing the neckline or the sleeve adds another check.<\/p> As a general guide, made-to-measure dressmaking often works with three stages. The first fitting takes place on a toile or a basic structure. The middle fitting comes once the dress has its final shape, and a detail fitting follows close to the end. This is only a rough guide, not a fixed schedule. At the atelier, the actual number is agreed together once the design, the fabric and the changes you want are clear. If you would like to see how the stages fit together, there is a separate account in the story of a made-to-measure wedding dress<\/a>. Here we look only at what you do at each appointment.<\/p> At the start, the focus is on construction rather than detail. You look at where the waist falls, the height of the neckline, the length and volume of the skirt, and how the bodice sits on the body. A toile is often cut from a plain fabric, and it shows things clearly that would be difficult to correct in the final fabric.<\/p> Questions worth asking at this stage:<\/p> For the first fitting, bring shoes of roughly the same heel height as the ones you'll wear on the day, not a pair of house shoes. A difference of a few centimetres changes the hem and also the way the whole skirt falls.<\/p> Once the dress has its final shape, attention moves from how it looks to how it behaves. Now is the time to do everything you'll do on the day: walk, sit down, climb a step, raise your arms, turn around. Notice whether the bodice stays in place, whether the straps or sleeves pull when you move, and whether the fabric bunches at the waist when you sit.<\/p> If the dress has a corset, check separately where it supports you and where it constricts. You should be able to breathe freely, without the dress pressing on you each time you breathe in. We explain in detail how to check this in our article on the corset of a dress<\/a>. Don't rush to say it's fine. If something bothers you after ten minutes on your feet, it will bother you more after a few hours. Tell the seamstress exactly where you feel it, because that is where the correction begins.<\/p> Wear the lingerie you'll actually have on the day, especially if the dress has an open back, a deep neckline or a fine fabric. Different lingerie changes the line of the bust and waist, and so it changes the alterations too. The same goes for a veil, gloves, a belt or jewellery: if you already have them, bring them along, so you can see whether they work with the neckline and the details of the dress.<\/p> Towards the end, the conversation narrows to small but visible things. The hem is adjusted with your shoes on, and the train or the chiffon layer is checked while you walk, not just in the mirror. If the dress has a detachable train, see how it attaches and comes away, and whether you can do this yourself or with someone's help without spoiling the line. Look at the appliqu\u00e9s and embroidery up close and from a distance as well, because a detail that is lovely at one metre can disappear at five.<\/p> If there is still something you want to change at this point, now is the time to say so. Some changes are simple, while others affect everything already done, and the atelier can tell you how much the timeline will shift. You'll find more on what can be altered and what stays largely as it is in our guide to wedding dress alterations<\/a>.<\/p> Between appointments the dress is being worked on, and you have two things to do: observe and take notes. If a question comes to mind, write it on your phone straight away rather than trying to remember it. Most last-minute changes start with an idea you had at home and then forgot at the fitting.<\/p> It also matters that your measurements stay stable. A change in weight or posture between fittings shows immediately in the way the dress sits. If you know a period of change lies ahead, mention it at the outset, so the atelier can take it into account when planning.<\/p> Questions to ask at every fitting, whatever the dress:<\/p> Some showroom designs can be made to order in other sizes or with other details, and the fittings then start from a base you have already seen on the body. One example from the collection is the Love 325 wedding dress<\/a>: long, empire line, with a bodice in micro-sequin embroidery and a silk chiffon skirt. Its product page lists it as available to order in other sizes and with other embroidery. Exactly what can be changed on a given design is decided at the atelier, once the dress has been seen and tried on. The difference between a ready-to-wear dress and one made from scratch, and what it means for the fittings, is explained in our article on ready-to-wear and made-to-measure<\/a>.<\/p>The first fitting: proportions and overall line<\/h2>\n
\n
The second fitting: structure and comfort in movement<\/h2>\n
Lingerie and accessories matter<\/h3>\n
The detail fitting: hem, train and appliqu\u00e9s<\/h2>\n
How to prepare between fittings<\/h2>\n
\n
When you start from an existing dress<\/h2>\n
Before your first appointment<\/h2>\n
Why there is no set number<\/h2>
The first fitting: proportions and overall line<\/h2>
The second fitting: structure and comfort in movement<\/h2>
Lingerie and accessories matter<\/h3>
The detail fitting: hem, train and appliqu\u00e9s<\/h2>
How to prepare between fittings<\/h2>
When you start from an existing dress<\/h2>
Before your first appointment<\/h2>