Help! Dress Altering Dilemma!

[FabFem]

I went to have my dress fitting tonight AFTER the alterations were completed. They were suppose to let out the side seams of my dress to give me more room to breathe. The problem is that I think that they let out too much room and that now my dress looks too big on me. The more I think about this, the more upset I get. If I tell them that I think they took out too much, will they take it back in a little without charging me another arm and a leg? As it stands right now I have to pay for more alterations because the sleeves constantly fall off my shoulders. Has anybody else had any experience with this? I need some advise, please!

[LaceyinPgh]

I went to have my dress fitting tonight AFTER the alterations were completed. They were suppose to let out the side seams of my dress to give me more room to breathe. The problem is that I think that they let out too much room and that now my dress looks too big on me. The more I think about this, the more upset I get. If I tell them that I think they took out too much, will they take it back in a little without charging me another arm and a leg? As it stands right now I have to pay for more alterations because the sleeves constantly fall off my shoulders. Has anybody else had any experience with this? I need some advise, please!

My adivce would be to pay them what you owe then go find another seamstress to fix all the problems. They shouldn't charge you to take the dress in now that they let it out too much. Someone wasn't paying attention and doing their job when that happened. But at the same time do you really want the person who messed it up the first time to get another crack at doing it again?

[wedbyjean]

On the other hand, (assuming that there wasn't any change in weight between the previous fitting, and after the alterations were done -- which, of course, will cause a dress to not fit properly), why pay for something that wasn't done correctly? Also, by doing so, or by not even saying anything to them that a problem even exists, is allowing them to either a) continue providing poor work, or b) not having the opportunity to correct a mistake (people are human, it happens) and make it right.

Contact them, explain the situation, and find out what their policy is on making corrections. If it's not satisfactory to you, you can then decide to take your dress elsewhere.

[sstark1218]

It very well could have been a mistake, but I think I am with Lacey on this one... they already messed it up once, I wouldn't let them have it again. I would def let them know what they did wrong and they may give you a discount, but I would try to find someone else to make the correct alterations! Good Luck! Hope it all works out!

[CindySue]

See?......this is the stuff Im scared about having mine altered. My best friend/MoH gave he her dress. Shes a little bigger than me so Im gonna have to have it taken in. Im not doing it yet because Im in the process of trying to lose about 10-15 pounds and firm up......(it wasnt this hard in my 20's :( ) Im not getting married till May so Im going to wait until after the 1st of the year before I even think about it......just in case I gain weight over the holidays and have to lose that too. :wink:
Its up to you whether you have them make the corrections or not. It could have been a simple mistake, or they could just do lousy work. But you do need to let the know they messed up, because if its a certain person doing the mess ups then they will know theres a problem and can fix it so that no one elses gown gets messed up.
Good Luck

[CarlosHoney]

I agree with all the other girls--You need to tell them that they messed up. But, if you don't feel comfortable with letting them try the alterations again, seek another seamstress. Ask other brides in your area where they went, and who gave them no problems. Your dress should fit like a glove, not be loose and unsatisfactory.

Good luck!

[Nique]

I wouldn't pay if it doesn't fit and I would take my gown elsewhere to have it done right. I've heard too many horry stories about alterations. It just like when you send your food back in a restaurant, you never know :roll:

[CarlosHoney]

That's a good analogy, Nique. I really like it! :wink:

It's very true. They might be mad that you were dissatisfied and further dammage the dress. I'd tell them that you want your money back and take it somewhere else.

[As You Wish]

I would talk to them and tell them it is not fitting. If they offer to fix it for free or a reduced price, work with them, if not- an angry seamstress (or a bad one) can make you look really bad!

Yes they should do the work they were paid for which is make you look amazing in your dress. If they didn’t they may be unskilled, lazy or who knows what.

Good places to find a qualified seamstress are word of mouth (ask everyone!) wedding shops (however many of the larger chains use unskilled seamstresses) and dry cleaners. You can also look in the yellow pages. Don’t be afraid to ask for references, samples of work, etc.

A wedding dress must fit just right or you are wasting your money!

[rainbowtreat]

My first wedding I went to pick up my dress. Tried it on to make sure things were just right and they had taken it in TOO much. I could not even zip it up.

She was about to close shop but had to stay and fix it. I was not pleased with the result but it did not ruin the day. No one noticed. You could see just how much she took it in. When she let it out again you cold see the little tiny holes on the side where she had to take it out. And the straps you use to hang the dress were gone. She took them off.

I only paid $600 for the dress, veil, and alterations so I didnt complain. EVerything was fine.

But she didnt argure with me you could just tell she was not pleased that she had to stay late and fix it. She had to. The wedding wasin like 2 or 3 days.

I did not pay for her to do it over.

Rainbowtreat