1950's Wedding Dresses: Style Inspiration From The Fabulous Fifties

If you’re planning your big day and are someone who favours a vintage wedding dress style, what better era to take inspiration from than the fabulous 50’s? A period of youthful rebellion set to the soundtrack of rock and roll and doo-wop, the fifties were the ultimate era of change. With a new generation of style emerging from the booming economy, fashion was no longer reserved for the super-rich and, instead, was more accessible than ever. Think voluminous skirts, nipped in waists and ultra-feminine touches. From wedding dress alterations to finding the perfect accessories, whether you’re searching for a look that is full vintage or are simply looking to channel your inner Audrey or Elizabeth, we’ve got you covered.

What to avoid when choosing your wedding outfit

Being invited to a wedding is an honour, a couple is inviting you to celebrate their love with them and you should be going with the full intention of respecting that. Choosing what to wear can be really stressful, especially if you have a few weddings to go to this year. After hours of searching it can be hard to remember what the absolute must nots are for a wedding guest, so we’ve put together this blog for you to refer to! Keep reading for what you should avoid wearing to a wedding as a guest.

Take Inspiration From Wedding Dresses Throughout History

The Royals are embedded in British society… whether we like it or not, when people think British, they think of the lovely posh people that live at Buckingham Palace. They are a family adored all over the world, mostly due to their fancy and extravagant traditions. A large part of this being the weddings – and of course, royal wedding dresses . When there’s a royal wedding, everybody knows, and it is watched by millions globally, leaving no room for a fashion faux pas. So why not take some inspiration from the wide array of elegant British wedding dresses that have been worn by princesses over the centuries? Here at the Alterations Boutique, we have proven our ability to transform any dress, so go ahead and book an appointment to let us restyle your bridal dress to resemble a beautiful royal wedding dress from history.

Something old, something new… with our vintage wedding dress alterations service, you can rock vintage bridalwear with confidence and style. As high-end bridal seamstresses with decades of experience, you can trust our team to treat your dress with the utmost care and consideration. We regularly transform dresses both old and new to ensure the perfect fit for your big day.

Vintage Wedding Dress Alterations

Clients come to Alterations Boutique with vintage wedding dresses for a variety of reasons. Perhaps your dress is a cherished family heirloom or a vintage purchase that you simply fell in love with when you saw it. Some of our clients have an entire vintage-themed wedding planned and need their dress to be perfect for the occasion. No matter what you’re looking to achieve, we can help you with our specialist wedding dress alteration services.

From Tailoring Dresses, Veils and Memories

Here at Alterations Boutique our experienced team of seamstresses have been styling, pinning and stitching Bridal alterations and Bridesmaid dress alterations for over 20 years.   

Located in the West End of London with award-winning customer service, we specialise in working with all different type of luxury fabrics, embroidery and beading so whether you require minor re-sizing, a complete dress re-construction or re-creation, we are the team of experts for you!

The planning of a wedding can be a busy and stressful time so give yourself peace-of-mind and entrust us with the tailoring and safe keeping of your gowns. 

Your own dedicated seamstress will carry out your project from start to finish. We understand that walking down the aisle with a dress that flatters your figure and reflect you as an individual is important. Each client project is carried out in a timely and stress free manner with 1-2-1 consultations and fittings.

Not forgetting those all-important finishing touches, we can create a selection of bespoke accessories such as boleros, stoles, veils, hair pieces and sashes which are beautifully crafted to match your gown. 

After the wedding you may wish to extend the use of your dress by undergoing the transformation into a Christening Gown or a versatile wardrobe piece to treasure for special occasions to come. The possibilities are endless.

In addition to being a first choice to designers and celebrities, our reasonable pricing and high quality service make us the number one choice for any special bride to be. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you plan for one of the most special memories of a bride-to be.

Based in London, Alterations Boutique delight in welcoming families and celebrities looking for the perfect wedding attire.

Our award-winning Bridal Alterations services cater to all roles of a wedding party starting with the Bride right through to Mother of the Bride, Groom’s Men and Flower Girls.

With over 20 years of experience, our services include the tweaking or complete re-design of dresses, suits, veils, jackets or matching accessories. We are at your service!

The importance of a tailored piece means your garment will contour and compliment your body better than any other, so whether you’re looking for simplistic or intricate attention to detail, our team of visionaries can bring your ideas to life.

The Dress!

When it comes to the Wedding Dress Alterations we encourage any new bride to factor time and budget into their wedding plans. On your first consultation we will supply you with this information and introduce you to your own dedicated seamstress to craft and care of your gorgeous gown.

From laces to fabrics with a satin finish, we work with all types of materials so you can ensure your finished outfit portrays your personality and complements your body perfectly.

The skill and vision we dedicate to each garment allows our clients to sleep well at night as the big day grows ever nearer.

Chilly?

Now the cold has set in, we find ourselves, pulling old coats out from the cupboard under the stairs and dropping it off to the dry cleaners. A yearly tradition we yield to year in year out. Well not any more...in the name of style, out with the old and in with the new!

Long or short winter warmers, waterproofs and wondrous wedding wraps, you name it we can create or re work it to you Coat Alteration needs.

Guided by your ideas we make that perfect piece for you to parade around in, in all its tailored and unique glory! Enjoy being the envy of onlookers once again. No more dusty duffels!

Contact our team of super seamstresses today and tell us how we can help you!

Being a bridesmaid or a groomsman isn’t always easy. Dealing with bridal meltdowns, planning, organising and delegating can be challenging, with most brides and grooms relying heavily on their bridal party to make the day run smoothly.

If you’re about to tie the knot, you’ll want to repay your bridal party for all the help and support by making sure they look good and feel great on the big day. Investing in dresses and suits that fit perfectly will help your nearest and dearest feel truly valued and appreciated.

However, with body shapes varying dramatically between individuals, finding one dress or one suit that’s perfect for everyone can be all but impossible. Even if your friends wear the same size, variations in body length, arm length and chest size can significantly alter the look and feel of their outfit.

Bridesmaids dresses

The chances of your chosen dress perfectly fitting all of your bridesmaids are unfortunately low. Even small differences in height, weight and body size can change the way that a dress hangs, resulting in outfits that don’t make the most of their wearer’s figure.

Luckily, if you know what you’re doing, bridesmaid dress alterations to suit each individual body shape is easy. A few strategically placed stitches hear and a few clever cuts there will transform the way the outfit sits, giving your bridesmaids a dress to be proud of and ensuring that they’ll feel like a million dollars on the big day.

Groomsmen’s suits

If you thought that every suit and every cut worked on every man, think again. There is a huge difference between the way a well fitting suit and a poorly fitting suit look on a man, and your groomsmen and guests will be able to tell the difference straight away.

On men, the main offenders are generally arm length, leg length and shoulder width. Even if your friends look roughly the same size, an extra inch here or there will transform the way the suit sits on their frame.

Though groomsmen may pretend not to mind how they look, all men feel more confident in a well fitting suit. Most minor suit alterations can be done very quickly and can transform the entire look for an affordable fee.

As well as helping your bridal party to look as good as possible, altering your bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s suits will show your friends just how much you value their participation in your big day. Small touches like this will help to make your wedding a truly special event and ensure everyone remembers it for the right reasons.

To find out more, get in touch with a member of our team today.

For many brides to be, the dress is one of the most important things about their big day. Whether it’s going to be a small intimate wedding, a big elaborate affair or a quirky occasion, the look and fit of the dress will determine how confident, and how beautiful, the bride feels on her wedding day.

However, with so many things to think about, it’s not uncommon for brides to put off dress shopping till the last minute. Even if they do find the perfect dress well before their wedding, many brides still run out of time to arrange fittings and alterations, leaving them with a dress that isn’t quite right on the big day.

Changing shapes

As most brides shop for their dress months before their wedding day, it’s inevitable that many will find their body changes shape in the intervening period. Whether it’s because they’re losing weight in preparation or they’re comfort eating in apprehension, brides’ bodies are very likely to change shape in the run up to their wedding.

In most cases, these changes are relatively minor and some basic wedding dress alterations will be enough to ensure the gown fits perfectly come the big day. However, if the bride has lost or gained a large amount of weight, or if they’ve become pregnant, they may find that their original dress is no longer flattering. In these cases, some brides may find they need to start their dress search again, looking for a design that’s a more flattering for their new body shape.

Leave time for a final fitting

However manic the run up to the wedding is, it’s crucial that brides leave plenty of time for a final fitting at least a few days before the big day. If they leave the fitting too late, there won’t be time for any adjustments and brides will have no choice but to walk down the aisle in a dress that’s not perfect.

At this fitting, it’s important that you wear the underwear you’re planning to use on the day itself. That way, your tailor will be able to see exactly where adjustments need to be made. If you’re going to be wearing a coat on the big day, bring it along too. If it doesn’t fit properly, your tailor will be able to make the necessary coat alterations to ensure every element of your outfit is just right.

If you want to share the love and make sure every member of the bridal party is feeling their best, have your bridesmaids come along to this final fitting and invest in some bridesmaid dress alterations as a special treat.

To find out more about wedding dress alterations, have a look around our site or get in touch with a member of our team.

A well fitted wedding dress on your big day is a must. More and more so people tend to shop for dresses months before their actual wedding day. In that time leading up to the wedding day anything can happen, we’re only human and our bodies are ever changing, what if you gain or lose some weight? It’s your day, it’s all about you, and an ill-fitted dress shouldn’t be a thing to ruin it. But fear not our Wedding Dress Alterations service has you covered.

We know it’s not only the bride which can have the same problems occur but also the bridesmaids. Like the bride the bridesmaids will also more than likely be trying to lose a few pounds before the wedding day, the dresses you picked out before may not fit quite right come the big day. Small changes in our body are emphasised through the fit of a dress, give your bridesmaids the chance to feel just as beautiful as the bride by using our Bridesmaid Dress Alterations service

As careful as we can be, accidents happen, if say the brides dress was to split or tear. All panic sets in as the big day looms ever nearer, this needs to be fixed and fast! In no time at all by utilising our Bridal Alterations service our staff can restore calm by having any repairs / alterations complete in time for the wedding day.

Once you’ve had a taste of the improvement altered clothing can bring in complimenting and comforting your figure, and seeing as unfortunately you won’t be able to wear a wedding dress forever, why not look to improve the fit of your regular dresses? By asking a skilled and experienced tailor to perform a few Dress Alterations, a few measurements and then magic begins. 

Here at alterations boutique we have established ourselves as London’s leading wedding alterations provider due to our personalised one-to-one service and attention to the details. If you have a wedding coming up soon and are therefore in search of someone to alter your attire to perfection, look no further. We have over 30 years of experience in the industry and consider ourselves to of seen it all by now, there’s nothing we don’t have the expertise to handle. Throughout the process you will be allocated a tailor / seamstress who will work tirelessly with your from start to end. Whether it’s a few bridesmaid dress alterations or something more niche, contact us today to book an appointment for a fitting and begin your journey towards the perfect wedding.