Why A Wedding Dress Costs What it Does and How to Establish a Budget for Your Dress, Part 2
Inner Construction
As I mentioned previously, a very important part of the fabric that makes up a wedding dress is its lining. Lower priced gowns usually don’t have any lining at all. As the price of wedding dresses increases, you’ll find variations in the transparency and opulence of the fabrics that are used. In fact, some of the fabrics used for the inner lining on more expensive or couture dresses could be used as the outer fabric of many beautiful gowns. The difference in the thickness, thread count, and overall quality of the lining makes a huge difference in how well the dress flows, and most importantly, fits. Gowns that have very inexpensive lining often cause the outer part of your dress to make creases in the dress that won’t flatter your figure. Many dress manufacturers and big box retailers are able to offer dresses for seemingly low prices by cutting corners with less expensive dress linings or by using no lining at all underneath a dress.
Probably the biggest thing you’ll notice when looking at the inside of a wedding dress that indicates high quality and construction is how the inner bodice of a wedding dress is made. The most expensive and highest quality gowns often have a built in bustier with boning that will flatter the figure of anyone in the dress. Some of these gowns are quite elaborate and exquisite.
When you come in for your appointment, please ask to see the inner construction of these gowns. You’ll be amazed by the attention to detail and the way the dress will fit on you. In fact, many brides tell us that this is what draws them to buy one dress over another – how it fits and how they feel in it (which is all influenced by the inner construction of a gown).
Part 3 of this series will address the workmanship that goes into making a wedding gown. Coming soon, so keep checking in!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Myth of the $99 to $300 Wedding Gown - Part 1
Why A Wedding Dress Cost What it Does and How to Establish a Budget for Your Dress
Following engagement, many brides discover that things are much more expensive than they thought they would be, particularly when it comes to a wedding dress. Many brides today come into bridal salons saying they have budgeted two or three hundred dollars on the low end for a wedding dress and maybe up to five hundred dollars on the high end. They are shocked to find the nearly impossible task of finding a well-made dress in this price range.
Most brides who have insisted on finding a dress in the $99 to $300 price range have found quickly that all dresses are not created equal. Those brides who are so set on a low-end price often end up spending more money on alterations than they did on the price of their dress because it is so inexpensively made.
In fact, most gowns that are sold at regular price for less than $600 that you see heavily advertised and promoted by the big box retailers are made from synthetic fabrics that have minimal construction details and are made this way by the store’s request to their manufacturer to cut costs. These dresses usually don’t have underlining, have minimal boning (if any at all) and are missing other structural supports to help the dress fit properly. These supports are extremely important as both boning and underlining fabrics help to hold the bodice of a dress up and securely in place. They also help provide a smooth fit over the bodice of the dress. If a dress doesn’t have boning or good lining, you will see more wrinkles and crinkling of the fabric in a wedding dress. The last thing a bride wants to see in her wedding dress is bulges in the fabric of her dress due minimal boning and lack of inner construction.
If you have been feeling stressed by the cost of your wedding and in particular a number you’ve budgeted for your wedding dress, I’ve written this just for you. I’d hate for you to make a mistake with such an important purchase that will be one of the focal points of your big day (especially since everyone will see you in it and will comment on how you look).
In this series, I’ll explore how myths like the $99 to $300 wedding dress have appeared and why wedding dresses cost what they do. I’ll also share with you several insights into how wedding gowns are constructed so you can be sure you are getting the best value for your money. The initial sticker shock of wedding dresses may have come as a surprise to you. Why does a dress you’ll wear one day of your life seem to cost so much? There are four reasons and they all encompass various aspects of how the dress is made.
Fabric
The first reason is fabric. This is what makes up the majority of the dress. Within each type of fabric, there are also many different grades or quality of fabric. Dresses can be made of silk, various types and varying grades of satin, chiffon, and organza. Many dresses today are also draped with exquisite lace. Most moderately priced wedding gowns ($600 to $2000) are constructed from much higher quality fabrics and ornamentation and use higher grade fabrics that drape more elegantly and show off their versatility in design. The ornamentation and beading that is sewn onto these dresses is also of a much higher quality. There are varying degrees of inner construction and most all dresses in this price range are fully underlined for stability and to give your finished dress a smoother appearance as it drapes across your figure. These dresses usually have some crinoline built into the skirt to provide additional support to that part of the dress.
In future installments of this series, I will cover Inner Construction, Workmanship and Ornamentation, as well as a way you can save money on your gown! Look for those installments, coming soon!
Following engagement, many brides discover that things are much more expensive than they thought they would be, particularly when it comes to a wedding dress. Many brides today come into bridal salons saying they have budgeted two or three hundred dollars on the low end for a wedding dress and maybe up to five hundred dollars on the high end. They are shocked to find the nearly impossible task of finding a well-made dress in this price range.
Most brides who have insisted on finding a dress in the $99 to $300 price range have found quickly that all dresses are not created equal. Those brides who are so set on a low-end price often end up spending more money on alterations than they did on the price of their dress because it is so inexpensively made.
In fact, most gowns that are sold at regular price for less than $600 that you see heavily advertised and promoted by the big box retailers are made from synthetic fabrics that have minimal construction details and are made this way by the store’s request to their manufacturer to cut costs. These dresses usually don’t have underlining, have minimal boning (if any at all) and are missing other structural supports to help the dress fit properly. These supports are extremely important as both boning and underlining fabrics help to hold the bodice of a dress up and securely in place. They also help provide a smooth fit over the bodice of the dress. If a dress doesn’t have boning or good lining, you will see more wrinkles and crinkling of the fabric in a wedding dress. The last thing a bride wants to see in her wedding dress is bulges in the fabric of her dress due minimal boning and lack of inner construction.
If you have been feeling stressed by the cost of your wedding and in particular a number you’ve budgeted for your wedding dress, I’ve written this just for you. I’d hate for you to make a mistake with such an important purchase that will be one of the focal points of your big day (especially since everyone will see you in it and will comment on how you look).
In this series, I’ll explore how myths like the $99 to $300 wedding dress have appeared and why wedding dresses cost what they do. I’ll also share with you several insights into how wedding gowns are constructed so you can be sure you are getting the best value for your money. The initial sticker shock of wedding dresses may have come as a surprise to you. Why does a dress you’ll wear one day of your life seem to cost so much? There are four reasons and they all encompass various aspects of how the dress is made.
Fabric
The first reason is fabric. This is what makes up the majority of the dress. Within each type of fabric, there are also many different grades or quality of fabric. Dresses can be made of silk, various types and varying grades of satin, chiffon, and organza. Many dresses today are also draped with exquisite lace. Most moderately priced wedding gowns ($600 to $2000) are constructed from much higher quality fabrics and ornamentation and use higher grade fabrics that drape more elegantly and show off their versatility in design. The ornamentation and beading that is sewn onto these dresses is also of a much higher quality. There are varying degrees of inner construction and most all dresses in this price range are fully underlined for stability and to give your finished dress a smoother appearance as it drapes across your figure. These dresses usually have some crinoline built into the skirt to provide additional support to that part of the dress.
In future installments of this series, I will cover Inner Construction, Workmanship and Ornamentation, as well as a way you can save money on your gown! Look for those installments, coming soon!
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