Practical Advice: Work that Train like a Pro!

What's not to Love about Miss J. from America's Next Top Model!

Here's his advice on how to work a gown train from the Bride's Magazine Blog:

  Tips From a Catwalk Pro on How to Work a Train

At Seams Couture we take each one of our Train-Sporting Brides for a studio walk thru 

to train them a few tricks too, based on a million years of Theatre Training our little advice is simple:

First of all, remember that YOU are now a Wide Load!  Simple tip from truck driving.

• Don't step backwards!  Or sideways without sliding your foot, otherwise you're stepping on the gown from the inside and you may trip.
• Getting in and out of a car or down a flight of stairs will require a minute to stop and pick up the back so it doesn't get caught on anything.
• If you start to walk and realize you're stuck?  Someone is standing on your train!  Stop, Don't Pull!  If you keep walking or pull you will rip your gown.  Turn your head and ask the person to get OFF, Please :)
• Imagine yourself walking around an imaginary potted plant at all times. In other words walk around yourself in a circle so the train stays flat on the ground and you don't step on it.  

Don't forget to vote!

for Seams Couture as Northshore Magazine's 

BONS Best Bridal Salon Of The North Shore: 

http://nshoremag.com/bons-2012-bridal/

We won BONS last year as you can see!

Bridal: What better way to get the exact wedding dress of your dreams than to get one custom made? SEAMS COUTURE in Wenham starts the dressmaking process from scratch, collaborating with brides on the whole design process to ensure the perfect finished product for their big day. All gowns are made-to-measure, custom fit, and handmade here in Seams’ local workroom. 152R Main St., Wenham, 978-473-3398, seamstheshop.com

READERS’ CHOICE: Bella Sera Bridal, 85 Andover St., Danvers, 978-774-4077 

Hey Congrats to Bella Sera for winning 2nd place :)

Behind the Scenes: Photo and Video Shoots

We Wedding Vendors love Teaming up for themed Weddings-related style shoots in between working on our real bread and butter.  It's a great way for us to work our creative magic for ourselves, network, and get some really wonderful photos of our work.  Sometimes these shoots get published in major Wedding Blogs and Magazines!  

It usually starts with an Inspiration Board on Pinterest for all of us to see.  This shoot was all about the color YELLOW and Early Spring:  

Binita Patel and her fabulous Team Photographed and Videotaped the entire day at the Willowdale Estate in Topsfield, MA www.willowdaleestate.com.  Our model Kendra wore the 'Dalia' Gown in pearl white silk from our Ready-to-Wear Wrapture Collection and Accessories were made for her and her real life Groom Matt in yellow silk that perfectly matched the Flowers, Table Settings, and Invitations.  More pictures or our style day on Binita's Blog www.binitapatelblog.com

Makeup Artist Liz Washer www.bridalbyliz.com and Maricruz of www.maricruzhairstyles.com did a gorgeous glamourizing job on Kendra!  

How cute is this: Kendra + Matt are not only married for real, they're the team behind Summer Street Photography :)

Here's the Video shot by Binita Patel Cinematography of our day: 

http://vimeo.com/39169854

Kendra's yellow silk bow headband is now for sale in our Etsy Shop: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/95145409/yellow-silk-bow-headband-a-la-chanel

 as well as other colors and Special Order colors, there is always a discount for Bridal Party Orders!  Now until April 15th use code #TAX2012 for an Extra 20% Off Anything in the Seams Etsy Shop!

The Wrapture Collection 'Dalia' Gown is our one shoulder top and pleated skirt combination in pearl white 100% silk Retails for $680. and can be ordered in any color or style combo from us at the Seams Showroom or at Antonio's Bridal in Birmingham, Michigan.

Tales From the Workroom:

Circles, Circle Skirts, and Patterns

Recently we had a Muslin Fitting at the shop with a Circle Skirt and it started a debate.  The muslin was for a 2-Circle Skirt, but what would it look like if it were a Circle and 1/2?  What is a Circle Skirt and why is it called that?  Well if you lay the pattern out flat on a table it's literally a massive circle with a hole in the middle, like a donut:

Computerized CAD Pattern by Instructables.com 

(I don't use CAD btw, preferring the old school way of using a Client's waistline measurement, length, and a compass on paper.)

When it's on a body it drapes in a certain way staying smooth up at the waistline and upper hipline with all the fullness at the bottom.  

Think 1950s Poodle Skirt.  Here are some examples of various circles in various amounts worn by Seams Couture Brides to give you an idea.

Here's what a 2-Circle looks like in action:

This is a Circle and a Half:

  

Here is a Full Circle:

Here's a Half Circle:

photo by Benoit & McCarthy

A Quarter Circle is your basic A-Line Skirt, slightly re-patterned.  

The more Circles, the fuller the skirt and the more volume at the hem.  Great for dancing which is probably why Square Dancers love it, but Brides who intend to hit the dance floor love it too for freedom and it makes for a great photo op!  Karen's skirt pictured below is another example of Circle and a Half:

photo by Jared Charney

See related blog post about Simple and the construction of a Circle:http://seamstheshop.blogspot.com/2012/01/simple-isnt-always-as-it-appears.html

Ooo ooh one more!  Duchess Kate's Wedding Party Gown by Sarah Burton:

My guess is 2 full circles?  Lovely in a thick silk organdy, this must have had to hang in the workroom for a month before hemming.  Must have been a stunner on the dance floor!

Ames Wedding Event 

What a glamorous night hosted by Boston's Ames Hotel and lolagraceEVENTS!  

Boston's most stylish and innovative Vendors came together for an evening of networking, and to meet Brides and Grooms recently.  Seams Couture Gowns and Accessories were featured in the informal Fashion Show, Demiche Beaute' made our models even more gorgeous.  Still photo of the Wrapture Collection 'Dalia' gown below is by Joe Prezioso, watch the video taken at the Event by Lucky Quarter Productions:

http://vimeo.com/37685937

Who else was there?  Beantown Bride, Dogwood Floral Design, Elevin Studios' Photobooth, and JessFoto took tons more pictures of our models!

Tales From the Workroom:

Ruching (roo-shing)

While sitting in a movie theatre watching Marie Antoinette costumed by Milena Canonero and trimmed with miles and miles of silk ruching (see the pink silk edging of the dress below) I remembered suddenly that I have a ruching foot for my machine....  Then a small part of me wanted the movie to end just so I could run to my studio and make miles and miles of ruching!

What is it exactly?  Strips of just about any kind of fabric, tulle, or lace cut into solid edge or pinked or scalloped yardage, either cut on the straight grain or on the bias and fed thru a special machine attachment that will systematically pleat and sew it into perfect gathers or deep pleats depending on the setting turning it into strips of trim.  (Run-on sentence alert.)  

The official dictionary definition:  

ruche

 [roosh] noun

a strip of pleated lace, net, muslin, or other material for trimming or finishing a dress, as at the collar or sleeves. < French

Here's my coveted ruching machine foot in action:

When the miles of said ruching trim are sewn, it is then pinned flat on to the fabric of the garment into any number of patterns and then sewn on top of the ruching stitching line like so:

In this case I am using hand dyed silk chiffon which has been cut in 2" wide bias strips and ruched down the middle.  It can take a deceptively large amount of fabric to make the trim, a general rule of thumb is 1 yard of fabric to cover 1 square foot of fabric.  Here is a close detail up of my finished ruching on a skirt:

I particularly love doing spiral ruching which is inspired by Jaqueline Kennedy's Wedding Gown.  A little something every Bostonian will point this out whenever we show this detail!.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress_of_Jacqueline_Bouvier  Jackie's gown Designed by Ann Lowe is at the JFK Library in Boston, I haven't seen it in person yet.  Someday!

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

Except when it's blatant plagiarism. 
Food for thought about artistic and website plagiarism by Kara Buntin of a Cake to Remember, a Virginia Cake Designer who's work and blog I admire: http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/search?q=plagiarism

Gown by SEAMS Couture in our Dressing Room.

This recently happened to us at Seams Couture by a local young person fresh out of the Art Institute of Boston's Fashion Program, who thought this was just the kind of business she wanted to have someday.  Instead of spending years actually learning our craft, she simply copy and pasted all the Seams Couture website language on to hers, added her pictures (luckily for her) and voila: Instant Couture House.  

If only it were that simple!

Aside from the fact that what she did to us is illegal, it's downright dishonest to pass oneself off as a trusted Wedding Vendor to new Brides to Be.  A basic internet search for Custom Wedding Gowns in the Boston area can turn up anything real and otherwise including the .coms who can simply pay for Google placement.  How do YOU the Bride know who to trust?  Make an appointment with all your potential Wedding Vendors and see their real work!  Don't just rush to the least expensive Vendor, make sure the business is established and has real reviews from past Brides.  Unfortunately for all of us there has been a rash of Faux Cake Designers, Florists, and Couture Gown Designers emerging on the Wedding Scene!


How do you protect your own Website from Copycats?  
Wording, writing, ad copy can be instantly checked on Copyscape: http://networkedblogs.com/x0YCT  
Find your poached photos instantly anywhere on the internet: http://www.tineye.com/

Simple isn't always as it appears.

Any garment that appears 'simple' on the outside may be hiding some secrets.  Think of Audrey Hepburn's classic simple black Givenchy gown in the opening scene of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.  

Simple in appearance and yet not in construction.  

A Couture dress has some secrets inside that cannot be rushed or taken down to the easy route in order to be perfect, take for instance a simple circle or half circle skirt.  It has an outer shell layer of silk which is basted to an interlining and then covered with a lining.  All three layers need to be cut then pinned on to a dress form and left to hang for several weeks, and this step cannot be rushed.  They were each cut with a perfect paper pattern made with a compass, and yet since all three are different fabrics they will all stretch differently and eventually become uneven at the hem.  When the stretching has stopped, the layers are pinned together and marked for their new perfect hem line, cut and only then properly hem stitched for good.  Years from now this Bride can pull her dress out of a garment bag and the hem will be as perfectly straight as it was on her Wedding Day.

More of this 'simple' Couture Wedding Dress and the lovely Seams Bride Lissa who wore it on Poptastic Bride!  Photos by DMPJ by Glen Cooper at the Codman Estate, one of the beautiful Historic New England Properties.

Couture: What is it?  

How to Shop for a Couture Gown 101

Just like any other service no two Couturiers (or Dressmakers) are alike and vary on level of expertise.  Take the time to make an appointment and meet your Designer in person, look closely at their sample gowns to see the level of work involved both inside and out, and always ask to see photos of work they've done for other clients.  

Always make sure to beyond someone's website and what it claims, ask to see references and even a resume when you visit for your Consultation Appointment!  See if they will let you peek into the workroom, if not that may be a sign that the gowns are made elsewhere and they're not being honest with you about where their work is done.  Don't forget that you're interviewing someone for a very important job, make sure you find someone for the job who has tackled bigger projects than yours before.  Experience is priceless and the work should speak for itself.  

Seams Couture gown inside, Photo by Authentic Eye

Charles James, American Couturier gown detail

It's not just semantics.

Not just anyone can simply call themselves a Couturier without years and hopefully decades of experience. Couturier is the same Title as 'Chef' and means the one who knows the entire craft and everyone's job under them, Couturiers can virtually do all tasks from Design to Patternmaking, Cutting, Fitting and Handwork Finishing.  Just learning how to properly FIT a garment takes years of on the job observation while assisting a Fitter.  Training for Couture can only be done by assisting and working for others, there is no school even in Paris that can give someone a diploma in Couture.  Everyone works their way up and it takes 3 years before a new employee is even allowed to use the iron in an Atelier!  

Anyone with less to show in terms of experience and training is simply a Dressmaker.  Seamstresses (the lady you take your pants to for hemming) are simply a part of the Staff, and not the Chef.

The term Haute Couture is literally a designation by the French Government requiring an exam similar to the Lawyer's Bar or Architect's A.R.E., using it without certification in France is forbidden.
Haute Couturier Yumi Katsura showed at Bridal Market in New York, and we were blown away by her work in person.  This gown in the photo is covered with thousands of hand crocheted petals, truly a Couture Work of Art:

Much as we love watching 'Say Yes to the Dress' we cant help but chuckle every time they face the camera and sternly advise the viewer against having a gown made.  It's not that simple is it?

So here it is:  Just like any Retail Store selling gowns off the rack you should enter into the experience feeling calm and like they not only get you, are listening, but have your back.  If not, keep shopping!  Ignore 'SYTTD' and have your gown made by an experienced Couture House who can properly take care of you every step of the way.  They're probably warning you against the local Dressmaker lady who may be taking on more than she can, or someone right out of Fashion School who hasn't earned their chops yet.


Seams Couture is taking Consultation Appointments for 2012 and 2013 Custom Wedding Dresses, Gowns, and Women's Tailored Suits.  Or anything else you can dream up!
Email WraptureDress@yahoo.com or call 978 473-3398.

Tales From the Workroom:

Chanel-ly Gown Upgrade/Upcycle

You know that "Walmart of Gown Stores" National Chain with the seriously inexpensive yet sometimes good basic dresses?  I love the challenge of taking one of their dresses and doing a hardcore Alteration and Design Upgrade to them.  Here's one example of an Oleg Cassini interesting basic dress, the fugly flower that was on it now removed.  It's a good start:

The Inspiration (or mine anyway) was the Chanel Spring 2010 Ready To Wear Collection, which was set on a faux Normandy farm runway complete with hay bales.  Click here for Style.com's slideshow coverage of the entire event: www.style.com/S2010RTW-CHANEL  (Yes that's Lily Allen rockin' out in the background!)

The Bride's inspiration had to do with her matte silver metal, wheat and burlap color scheme that was going to weave throughout the event from invitations to decor to her awesome rope heeled espadrille shoes.  

The Result included a beautiful raw linen net over silver metal organza made into cap sleeves, a waistband with long back trailing ties down the back, and lots and lots of little hand made flowers with beads and matte silver sequin centers.  Raw (yet sewn for stability) fringed edges a la Chanel around all of the new pieces finished the look.

Upgrade complete!  Chanel-inspired glamour for a fraction of the cost.  

Btw I used to work the inhouse fashion shows at Chanel NYC, hours of fun being able to inspect everything from The Suits, RTW, to the OOAK Couture Gowns and even the Fine Jewelry.  

<3 Coco and Karl!

Thanksgiving Weekend is a great time to start 

talking about Wedding Gowns!

We're taking Consultation Appointments on the 25th and 26th for upcoming 2012 and 2013 Weddings, 

Bring your Mom (or other Supportive Cohort) and let's talk Gowns: 

978 473-3398 or WraptureDress@yahoo.com

What is a Consultation Appointment?

Time for us to sit down together and DESIGN brainstorm!  Bring all your inspiration photos (magazine cutouts or your laptop because we have Wifi in the building)  I start drawing pictures until you fall in LO<3E!

Does it cost anything?  Your first hour is Free, and we waive the rest if you're ready to take the plunge and make it official with Seams Couture.  Sometimes it takes a while to make the decision and that's okay, but getting started on your gown is a major part of Wedding Planning and should be underway soon after you have the Venue booked.  Cross it off your list and put it in the hands of an Expert with over 25 years experience in Wedding Gowns and high Fashion Couture construction.

Seams Couture has Exclusive Resources for top notch silks, eco fabrics, metallics, tulle, lace and more!  You'll be inspired by the fabrics we have to show you that few others in the area have access to.

As a Seams Bride, you will have access to and may borrow from our extensive Library of Current and Vintage Wedding Magazines and Books, and Fashion and Costume History Books!

Some advice: Winter is the time of year we book ahead for the coming year and as we only accept 5 Brides per month, some months like September and October fill up early!  Early birds have all the options.

You are cordially invited:

We're getting ready to show the Wrapture Collection at Bridal Fashion Week in New York City again!  New Wrapture Dress Styles will debut to the Wholesale Bridal Store Buyers and Industry Press.

New Wrapture TOPS to mix and match and re-wear, and Special Order Blue Label Wrapture.

The Wrapture Collection is a 100% Silk Made in the USA Wedding Gown or 2nd Party Dress for any Bride, Retails for under $600.

You really CAN wear it again!

Where & When:  

Couture New York Bridal Fashion Week

October 15-17 9AM to 6PM

InterContinental New York Barclay

Sutton Room 1, 3rd Floor

RSVP for an appointment: 

WraptureDress@yahoo.com

Follow us on Twitter during the show for updates, pictures, and more: www.twitter.com/HarperSEAMS