Tailoring
A gown that has already been worn needs a tailor more than a new one does, not less, and almost nobody selling pre-owned bridal offers one.
What can be done
Most gowns can be taken in two sizes and let out one, depending on the seam allowance, which is why every listing here publishes the range rather than a single number. Straps, sleeves and necklines can usually be reworked. Backs can be reconstructed. Hems can nearly always come up.
What cannot
A hem that has already been shortened can only be let down as far as the allowance that remains, which is stated on every listing. Heavily beaded panels resist reshaping. And a gown cut for a very different frame is usually the wrong gown, however much you love it, and we will say so.
When it happens
After you have bought it, never before. Until the moment it sells the gown still belongs to the woman who wore it, and we do not cut a dress that isn’t yours yet. In the room, the tailor will tell you exactly what she would do; you just won’t leave with pins in it.
Time and cost
Two or three fittings over six to eight weeks is typical. Simple work starts at around £250; a reconstructed back or a substantially resized bodice is more. You will have a written quote before anything is cut.
