Shopping for your dream wedding gown can be a wonderfully exciting, yet overwhelming and confusing process. In this fast-paced life where we have the entire world digitally at our fingertips, all you need to do is type in the words ‘wedding gown’ into your Pinterest or Instagram search page and your feed is inundated with thousands upon thousands of images. You will see terms such as Couture or Custom and Ready-to-Wear, but what do these phrases really mean in relation to wedding gowns?
What is an Off-the-Rack Wedding Gown?
There are many terms that can be used interchangeably for an Off-the-Rack wedding gown. Sometimes called; Pret-a-Porter, Ready-to-Wear, or Ready-Made, these gowns are manufactured and often mass-produced in a selected standardized size range.
What is a Couture Wedding Gown?
Couture wedding gown designed by Elise Spigott Couture
A couture wedding dress is a one-of-a-kind, made-to-measure gown of an original design made out of the highest quality of materials. These dresses are made completely from scratch for each individual bride.
Now that we have covered what each of these terms means, let’s dive in and cover the differences between an off-the-rack gown versus a specially designed custom gown:
Design Differences Between Couture and Off-the-Rack Gowns
Elise and her client discussing the design specifications for the wedding gown
Off-the-Rack (OTR), and Ready-to-Wear (RTW) gowns come in an array of styles and designs. As these styles are mass-produced, it is a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of scenario.
Typically changes to the design are not an option in the production of the gown. If a bride wants to change the style or design of the gown, this is done during alterations.
More often than not, when these additions or changes are made, it is apparent that they were not a part of the original design.
Many couture bridal designers work with each bride to create an entirely unique gown just for her. At Elise Spigott Couture, we draw sketches from the collaborative ideas between the bride and the designer and we adapt the style throughout the creative process to suit the bride in both fit and function.
Removable Sections
With couture design, there is a high capability to create many looks within one garment. Should you want to be more modestly covered for a church ceremony and showing more skin for the reception, we can create pieces of your gown that fit and look cohesive but are also removable.
Additionally, for example, with a couture gown, if you aren’t completely certain if you want your gown to have sleeves or not, we can be partway through creating the gown and you still have time to decide.
Should you choose to add them, we ensure that they are added in a way that makes sure they don’t appear as an afterthought.
Ready-To-Wear Wedding Gown Sizing, Fit, and Alterations
Elise measuring her client to make sure the dress fits PERFECT!
RTW gowns are purchased either online or at a Bridal Salon. To order, you will need to be measured, then they will compare your measurements to the size chart.
Whichever size that your largest measurement (hips, bust, or waist) falls under is what you will need to order.
It’s important to note that the standardized size guide for bridal is very different from everyday casual clothing.
You may wear a 4 in jeans, but according to the size guide, you could be an 8 in bridal.
In actuality ‘standard size guides’ are completely arbitrary and there is no regulating body for clothing sizing.
Will my Off-the-Rack Gown Require Alterations?
When the OTF gown comes, it WILL require alterations to fit properly. Whether it be taking in or letting out the waistline, adjusting the hem, adding boning, or lengthening the straps, alterations are a necessity to ensure a proper fit on your wedding day.
Be aware that there is simply only so much that can be done to a gown when getting it altered. Every time a gown is taken apart at a seam, the fabric loses some of its structural integrity.
When gowns are manufactured and mass-produced, they are cut with minimal seam allowance. The seam allowance is the extra fabric at the edge of a garment pattern piece for the creation of a seam or hem.
With only having minimal seam allowance available, if a gown needs to be let out in any way, there can be merely 1cm of wiggle room.
If a gown needs to be taken in, the fabric will likely need to be cut away, and should it be a major adjustment, this can alter the intended design of the gown. This is particularly of note in gowns that have patterns or motifs on them.
It is imperative that when your off-the-rack gown requires alterations that you seek the best alteration professional you can find. A dress that is improperly altered will be apparent in the fit and finish of the gown. Should your gown not fit correctly it could impede your special day.
Custom Couture Gown Sizing and Fit
At Elise Spigott Couture, our design process consists of us drafting a pattern specifically from the bride’s measurements and we take over 60 measurements to create this pattern.
We use the pattern to create a toile, which is a mock-up of the gown made from muslin fabric.
Throughout a series of toile fittings, we adjust every aspect of the gown until it not only fits but also creates the line of the body that the bride wants.
What this means is that we manipulate every seam to ensure a perfect fit, but also visually create the desired curve of the body.
This is something that simply cannot be done in OTR/RTW gowns. In modifying the placement of the seams and adjusting the proportions you can elongate the body and accentuate or deemphasize the curves of the body as the bride desires.
Will My Couture Bridal Gown Require Alterations?
As a couture gown is made specifically for you and your exact body measurements, NO ALTERATIONS of any kind are required.
Fit is an absolute guarantee with a couture gown. We ensure that you will be able to do exactly what you want to on your wedding day.
Whether it be dancing around in a strapless gown or sitting down and eating that delicious wedding meal in a mermaid style, a couture gown will be functional in every way without hindering you in the enjoyment of your day.
The fit of a couture gown feels unlike anything you can buy in a store. The beauty of a couture wedding dress is that you’ll get a fit that is both flattering and unique to your specific body just the way it is.
Quality of Fabrics in Custom Gowns versus Off-the-Rack Gowns
Elise and her client discussing the design specifications for the wedding gown
Typically, RTW gowns come in a narrow number of fabric configurations. While there are some colour and fabric choices, brides are limited to the more traditionally accepted options such as white, off-white, or ivory, champagne, and blush.
Usually, these fabric options are used across the collection, and there will be a number of brides with the exact same combinations.
The majority of RTW brands use synthetic fabrics such a polyester and nylon for their gowns. Synthetic fibers such as these are not moisture-wicking, and can also produce an unappealing odour when perspired in.
Another item of note is that when photographing a true white gown, it tends to appear blue in photos. This is because pure white is not a naturally occurring colour on the spectrum, and thus can not be a natural fibre such as silk.
To be a custom couture gown, by definition, is to use only the highest quality of materials. No matter the style of fabric, pattern, or colour, the designer and the bride work in collaboration to find exactly what the bride desires.
For example, our ESC brides can select with confidence and know these fabrics are from some of the highest-class suppliers in the world. Our fabrics come from some of the finest mills in England, France, and Italy.
Yes, typically higher-quality fabrics such as silks are more expensive than synthetics, but when you wear high-quality fabrics, they look, move, feel, and photograph unlike anything else. When wearing a luxury fabric such as silk, it will feel like you literally wearing a cloud as it is so incredibly lightweight and sensuous to wear.
How Ready-to-Wear Gowns are Constructed versus Couture Gowns
Most RTW gowns are mass-produced and manufactured in a factory. In the manufacturing process, these gowns are cut, and machine sewed, using as few seams and pieces as possible.
This is done to cut down on costs and can often affect the end product from fitting correctly. Little to no thought is put into pattern placement, which can draw unnecessary attention to certain parts of the body.
Think about an Art Deco style pattern for example. If not properly placed upon the body, the lines essentially can draw a line pointing right to an area that a woman may not want attention drawn to.
Additionally in the construction of an RTW gown, the underpinnings (foundation) of the gown are not necessarily done with the highest quality of materials. Poor quality hooks and eye closures, and flimsy and breakable plastic boning is used.
At ESC we employ European Haute Couture methods in the construction of our gowns.
From using bridal canvases and spiral boning in the foundation of our garments to the types of stitches we use when sewing our seams, every facet of a couture gown is meticulously crafted.
We pay very particular attention to the placement of our pattern pieces. From where the seams align on the body, to the placement of a lace motif, we ensure that each and every aspect of our gowns flatter the figure of each of our brides.
We construct our gowns with our bride in mind—to fit, flatter, and function for her special day.
Price Differences Between Couture and Off-the-Rack Gowns
When purchasing an off-the-rack gown, there are several additional factors to consider when looking at the sticker price. $1500 is the average price for a wedding gown in Canada, and you will need to budget anywhere between $500-$1000+ for typical alterations above and beyond the cost of your dress.
These would include alterations such as hemming, taking in or letting the bodice out, adding a bustle, etc.
Those numbers are based on industry standards and could fluctuate based on your body type, style of dress, and fabric used.
Should you choose to change the design of the gown, the alteration cost will increase. By adding sleeves, for example, you would need to factor in the purchase prices of the material as well as the cost to fabricate and add the sleeve to your gown, as well as other incidentals.
It is impossible to say exactly what a couture gown will cost without first having a consultation, Elise Spigott Couture gowns start at $3000 not inclusive of the price of materials.
With this said, the cost of a couture gown is determined by your prescribed budget. We work with our bride’s design inspiration to create a gown that works for them and their desired price point.
We do this by selecting appropriate fabrics and adapting the design if required.
At any point in time in the couture design process, we can adjust the design, if desired. This is truly unique to couture because we work so closely with our brides during the creative process. The only factors that this is dependant upon, are material availability and budget constraints.
Conclusion
While off-the-rack gowns are the right option for some brides, a custom couture gown is made for the bride who dares to be different. Couture gowns are at the absolute highest echelon of wedding fashions. Every single aspect of the couture gown design is chosen by the bride. Whether it be lace, silk, sequins or feathers, strapless or sleeved, ballgown or mermaid, the choice is all hers, and she can be confident in knowing that her gown is truly meant for her and made for her.