Why are your clothes so expensive?
Whilst they might SEEM expensive, you are probably comparing them to mass manufactured clothes from retail outlets. Mass manufactured means just that - factories produce 10,000 coats at a time. Your Bluebell Design garment is a one-off, totally original and, depending on the Service level you choose, made to measure for YOU. Nobody else will ever have one. It will be made entirely by myself, in my studio in my home. It will be in the fabric you want it to be in (according to suitability) and it'll be exactly what you want it to be. If you want something unique, then you should be prepared to pay a fair price for it.
Mass
manufacture is vastly different from made to measure, with factors such
as economies of scale, huge discounts for purchasing hundreds of metres
of each fabric used and incredibly detailed and precise manufacturing
structures - a machinist may spend their entire working week just sewing
in zips, one after the other. Another may just sew on buttons, day in,
day out, year after year.
Made
to measure is all about you as an individual, not making 1000 garments
in a week. I take the time I require to ensure your garment is made to
the highest standard and incorporate multiple skills into each garment. I
do it all, myself. My skills and experience have a value that I will
not compromise.
Can you copy something that I've seen in a magazine?
I can use the original design as inspiration and make you something similar, but I can't copy directly. Not only would this breach copyright, but it would never be possible to make an exact copy unless I had the original design to work from. Photographs are wonderful resources for inspiration, so don't be afraid to show them to me. Between us we can make something utterly unique for you that references the original inspiration.
Can you make me this dress, but cheaper than the shop's selling it for?
In a word, no. This is quite possibly the worst question to ask a professional dressmaker. If an item is mass manufactured and therefore has been fine-tuned to be as cost effective as possibly, it's hardly likely that an individual dressmaker could make a similar garment for any less. In actual fact, you will pay significantly MORE to a dressmaker as it's a one-off.
Please
remember that I am a fully trained professional and my time has a
value. I will not make you a garment for less than you pay for it in a
retail store.
Can I supply my own fabric?
You can indeed, although I reserve the right to refuse to work with it if I deem it unsuitable.
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