What The Heck Happened?!!!

[ChristineLS]

My wedding dress is ruined. I had it dry cleaned, and the elastic top is now stretched out. Won't stay on my shoulders much less me. I just found out now, when it wouldn't stay on...

I'm not sure how to fix it.

:Cries:

[scarymary48]

That's terrible! Poor you :(
Could you take it to a dress maker and see if they can do something for it? Try not to panic too much until you have explored all your options. You still have a few weeks before the wedding, so there is no need to panic just yet. Good luck!!

[Kfancii]

Oh no Christine! I'm so sorry to hear this! Have you talked to the dry cleaners yet? Is the elastic in the top in a casing or is it just sewn directly to the dress to make the ruching around the top? I'm guessing that the elastic was just too old and turned brittle when the dry cleaning chemicals were put on the dress. It would probably be best to take it to a seamstress and see if they can put new elastic in it for you. Hopefully it is in a casing as that will make it much easier to change out.

[ChristineLS]

Oh no Christine! I'm so sorry to hear this! Have you talked to the dry cleaners yet? Is the elastic in the top in a casing or is it just sewn directly to the dress to make the ruching around the top? I'm guessing that the elastic was just too old and turned brittle when the dry cleaning chemicals were put on the dress. It would probably be best to take it to a seamstress and see if they can put new elastic in it for you. Hopefully it is in a casing as that will make it much easier to change out.

This is precisely what happened. The dress is old, very old, and it's made out of a gauze cotton fabric. Because I was worried about it, and it was stained. I took it to be dry cleaned. The stains are still there.

The elastic rouching on the shoulders was what styled but also made the dress so it could stay on the shoulders. I cannot get it to fit. The fabric itself is also stretched out. It's thinner. And what pulled it in on the waist is also stretched out. It's not encased at all, it's where the slip part of it and the outer fabric meet. For the waist... its even less so.

I cannot afford to have it resewn professionally, as we're cutting our budget so close at this point as it is. I'm going to write a letter, enclose a picture of the dress before this, and I'm going to demand the value of the dress (which I am making up, since it's an heirloom) since I don't think it's an unreasonable expectation for them to ruin my clothes when I have them brought in.

[WBandMe]

Oh, that's terrible! Hopefully they'll pay you for it, not that that fixes anything. Sorry this happened to you!

[ChristineLS]

They think they can fix it, measured me up, and will replace the elastics. And they will do it for free.

I've got my fingers crossed...

I was prepared for a fight that I didn't really have to have, when I showed them all the pictures of it, they seemed pretty stuck on returning it to what it looked like before.

I'm cautiously optimistic. That was not a fun feeling this morning... :(

[gwenshack]

They think they can fix it, measured me up, and will replace the elastics. And they will do it for free.

I've got my fingers crossed...

I was prepared for a fight that I didn't really have to have, when I showed them all the pictures of it, they seemed pretty stuck on returning it to what it looked like before.

I'm cautiously optimistic. That was not a fun feeling this morning... :(

First of all, I can only imagine the horror when you realized what had happened. I would have been so upset! I'm really glad they're willing to own up and take some responsibility for the dress - a lot of businesses wouldn't have done that, so, at minimum, they got that right. Hopefully they have a talented person who can work on it for you and it'll be as good (or better than) new.
Keep us posted!

[SkippyNXC]

aw christine i'm so sorry this happened to u! I'll keep my fingers crossed they can fix it for you! who knows maybe it'll end up better than before and will last even longer!

maybe get together a plan B in case ur not happy w/the results... plan for the worst hope for the best is my motto in life ;)

[ChristineLS]

I need to have more faith in the world.

They called me in last night to get it fixed, but I was 45 minutes away at my FMIL's (see my journal, I'm going to post an update there) but this morning I got in and they replaced all the elastic and the dress was a touch shorter.

She needed to make sure it fit before she closed the seams.

If it comes out as well as it seems, they are getting the sweetest Thank You card ever. It looks like it's in better shape. And the seamstress was the sweetest lady!

[savepaws]

Oh wow. I'm sorry that it happened but its so nice to hear they are trying so hard to fix it. So many businesses are so stuck on what is policy and not about making the customer happy these days. Its great that they care about their customers!

[gwenshack]

What a huge sigh of relief!

[pinkbride]

ahh thank god for good customer service! im glad your dress is getting fixed, i was paniking myself for a minute!!! xx

[mitch]

I can't even begin to imagine the horror of finding out they ruined it. But it sure does restore the faith in human kindness when they put it right.

Now it will be in excellent shape to pass to the third generation. :winktongue:

[Century Guy]

Wow, great to hear they've responded so positively about this!

[ChristineLS]

Got it back, it's not completely fixed. But I don't wish to deal with them so I graciously accepted the labor and went to another tailor. And that went really well before it went badly. I don't really want to talk about it. I'm really frustrated.

[gwenshack]

I'm sorry for that Christine. I certainly hope you can find a way to make it work. :( I totally understand your frustration!!!!

[FFC]

Uhoh... Chrstine, I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. :(

[WBandMe]

Ugh, sorry you're having so much trouble with this. No bride deserves dress stress! You know if you do decide to talk about it, we're all here!

[fireprincess2009]

Oh, I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. I hope things start looking up for you. :hug:

[ChristineLS]

It is at another tailor's now.

I wrote about it in my journal, but it wasn't really fixed when I picked it up, and and so I figured I'll just pay for it at somewhere else. The next tailor doesn't really speak English too well, and it racist. The last place is expensive, but it looks like it's going to work.

Oi! This was way too much trouble.

[Nekochanpurr]

Oh no. I really hope it all works out for you. :(