Going Bespoke: The 7 must-know basics before designing your own dress

The direction of the future

Bespoke clothing, whether it’s a perfectly tailored suit, a custom-made gown, or a unique piece of everyday wear, represents a new standard in elegance that goes beyond just clothing – it’s a statement of personal style and an embodiment of your distinct personality. The creation of bespoke clothing not only provides a custom crafted work of art, it also leads to environmental benefits of its own, making it no surprise that more and more people are starting to turn to creating custom clothing for their upcoming special occasion. However, not all bespoke clothing is created equal. Before embarking on your bespoke journey, the first step is to consider your budget and style. Once you have identified both, it’s important to choose the correct designer who can fulfil that style, while still maintaining a high level of quality within your desired budget. Creating custom clothing may seem like a burdensome process at first glance, portraying a never-ending process of endless measurements, countless dress fittings, and constant communication. While creating bespoke attire does involve careful attention to detail and collaboration between the client and designer, most designers have a careful process to allow the design journey to unfold with ease and excitement, rather than anxiety and dread.

The art of the process

While the exact process varies from designer to designer, the overall needs will generally remain the same. We’ve meticulously analyzed these and broken them down into 7 key steps for creating bespoke clothing.

Step 1: Initial Consultation

As the process begins to unfold, most designers prefer to kick off with an initial consultation, free of charge. During this meeting, the designer will work to understand your specific requirements, style preferences and timeline for creating your bespoke outfit.

Step 2: Measurements

Once your designer has an idea of your needs, they will then take the measurements needed for your specific outfit. For many designers, this step can be done in-person or virtually.

Step 3: Style Selection

Your designer will then work with you to select the exact style and design elements for your outfit, such as color options, fabric swatches, and any additional embellishments or special details. At this stage, it’s important to make sure your designer is using high quality fabrics to ensure the maximum lifespan of your bespoke dress. The best way to analyze the quality of the material is to look at factors such as the weight, texture and vibrancy of colors.

Step 4: Sketch and Design

Using this information, your designer will then create a sketch of your custom design, serving as a visual representation of how the final outfit will come together. At this stage, it’s vital that any and all honest feedback is provided to the designer in order to alleviate any potential hiccups moving forward. Once the sketch has been approved, the production process can begin.

Step 5: Pattern Creation

While your involvement will be minimal in this section, it’s important to understand what’s happening behind the scenes as your dream outfit unfolds. Your designer will first start with creating a custom pattern based on your measurements and design specifications. A well-crafted pattern is crucial for achieving a perfect fit. Once the pattern is finalized, depending on your designer’s specific process, they may first begin with creating a custom prototype of your actual dress in a cotton muslin fabric. This allows for a reference of the exact style and fitting prior to cutting the final garment out of your desired (usually expensive) material.

Step 6: Production

Once any changes have been made to the pattern or the prototype based on initial fittings, the fabric selected in step 3 will be cut and the stitching process will begin. During this process, it’s vital that your designer pays close attention to details such as seams, stitching, and any embellishments to ensure a flawless finish.

Step 7: Final Fitting and Delivery

Once the final outfit has been created, it’s now time for the final fitting. When reviewing the final product, make sure you not only pay close attention to the fit, but also pay close attention to the details. When the pattern is used for another outfit, the fit gets better over time as the tailor learns more about the fit of the client.

Also, even though it is the same pattern, each fabric will fit differently so adjustments are normal on each piece. They ensure that all hems are stitched in a straight line and all buttons are properly fastened for instance but have no fear, if any last-minute changes are needed, your designer will still be able to make those at this stage.

Now that we’ve outlined what the bespoke process entails, it’s important to also consider the pros and cons of going custom. For some people, the idea of saving countless hours browsing stores in pursuit of the perfect, beautifully crafted outfit makes going custom a no-brainer. For others, the amount of time that would need to be invested may seem like one of the largest hurdles of all. Which is precisely where the Gramercy Atelier bespoke process comes in.

The Atelier difference

Here at Gramercy Atelier, we’ve simplified the bespoke design process into a simple 3-step approach, only requiring roughly a small time commitment from you across the entire journey. To make the process as simple and straightforward as possible, we’ve condensed the initial consultation into a 15-minute meeting that can be conducted virtually – anytime, anywhere. During this consultation, we’ll discuss the main points noted above – the type of dress or outfit needed, style, colors, timeline, and if your outfit is being created for a wedding or special event, we’ll discuss those details as well. Within 24 hours of the initial meeting is when you’ll receive an initial design sketch. To ensure your complete satisfaction, we provide the sketch free of charge with no commitment needed. Once the sketch has been approved, our design process officially begins.

Fabric Selection

Enjoy browsing our selection of quality wools, silks, and satins, or explore our selection of designer fabrics from around the world. Gramercy is the only bespoke clothing provider recommended by the Fortuny showroom and the only ladies atelier in the United States granted exclusive permission by Loro Piana to carry their entire fabric collection. Once you have identified a few material options, check your mail for physical samples that you can touch and feel before making your final fabric selection.

During this step, we’ll also take your measurements, which can be completed in person at our New York atelier, or we will mail you a measuring tape to complete the required measurements virtually in the comfort of your own home. We will hold a facetime/video meeting if necessary to help get them perfect.

Initial Prototype

The initial prototype, made from muslin, gives you a sense of the fit and feel of the how the final outcome will look before production on the final dress begins. If you would like to make any changes to the dress, this is the perfect opportunity to do so and this is also the time to try it with the shoes you intend to wear.

Final Dress Delivery

Everything culminates at this moment – the delivery of your final dress. Whether you would prefer to pick up locally at our New York atelier or have it shipped directly to you, we’ll make sure the grand unveiling is everything you’ve hoped for throughout the process. In the event that you do need any final adjustments, we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our designs.

Whether you are looking for that perfect mother of the bride or mother of the groom dress or a gown for another special occasion, we take great pride in crafting each and every detail, from fabric selection to final embellishments. But we don’t stop at just the dress, it’s also about the entire outfit. Our designers will also help you pair the perfect accessories and can leand advice on the jewelry, shoes, or purse that will create your total dream look.

Ready to learn more about the Gramercy Atelier difference? Get started here.