I was recently shown a video on how a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes are made.

We all know how exclusive and expensive the brand is, and from the video, the reason is clear. Every pair of shoes (and bags) are painstakingly handmade by a master craftsman. It really brings home the point that anything of value takes time to perfect. And it made me think about my own work as a bridalwear dressmaker.

Over the years, I have had many wedding dresses brought to me after having been first altered by another seamstress. The brides are usually unhappy with the way it fits even after the alterations had been done, and even though it looks OK from the outside.

Looking at the bridal gowns from the outside, you can’t usually tell what kind of a job has been done. It is only when we unpick the seams and see what is inside, that we can tell the shortcuts that had been made. The cuts are crooked and seams haphazardly sewn on, and loose threads are all over the place. I can tell if this has been done by a tailor who is more used to hemming jeans than doing bridal gown alterations.

Yes, they both require sewing skills but bridalwear requires years of practice in order to alter properly. And because the material is usually so delicate and fine, with lots of lace and beading which have to be unpicked slowly, it takes a patient nature to be able to alter a wedding dress well. You can’t just hurry through a wedding dress alterations even if you wanted to. But many aren’t just that patient or have the time to do it the right way, especially when things can be sewn up and hidden.

When a wedding dress is done, and because it looks simple sometimes, people usually don’t realise the amount of painstaking work and the time it took to make it look and fit well.

Whether it’s making a new dress or correcting someone else’s mistakes, I take pride in my work as a dressmaker. I select my team of tailors carefully. They specialise in bridalwear and eveningwear alterations, and collectively, we have nearly 100 years’ of experience in wedding dress alterations. We love that we can transform a wedding dress into The Dress, and to make a bride happy and confident in it.

Have a watch of the video. It definitely makes me want a pair of Louis Vuitton!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6wGSFcE_lc