New ‘Vintage Dressmaker’ collection – A homage to the 1930s

[swinggal]

Blogged about this wonderful dressmaker today. Irma is based in London her handmade clothing range is based on vintage patterns that she sources in archives and old fashion magazines. She also uses vintage fabrics, buttons and notions for her designs.

You can read my post here http://www.swingfashionista.com/2012/01/new-vintage-dressmaker-collection-a-homage-to-the-1930s/

Here is a sneak preview of what she has offer. Just gorgeous!

 

[Flicka]

Wow! Beautiful!

 

[Miss Tuppence]

They are all lovely!

 

[Mae Croft]

How do I go about finding this person, so that I can kill them and steal all those lovely clothes? Hmm, I might have given too much of my evil plan away... *reads over what I wrote* Nope, still good.

 

[swinggal]

Haha..the link to her page in in my blog

 

[AdrianLvsRocky]

I love the Elise. They're all just beautiful.

 

[kamikat]

They're pretty dresses but the price range is a bit ridiculous. I've seen similar dresses for sale on Etsy at half the price. Having a background as a professional seamstress, I understand the need to charge a liveable wage for labor, but $300 for a viscose dress or $280 for a cotton dress is a bit much.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

They're pretty dresses but the price range is a bit ridiculous. I've seen similar dresses for sale on Etsy at half the price. Having a background as a professional seamstress, I understand the need to charge a liveable wage for labor, but $300 for a viscose dress or $280 for a cotton dress is a bit much.

Agreed. Her stuff is really nice, but I'm glad I can sew myself so I know TRULY how much a garment costs (both materials and time).

 

[RodeoRose]

Oh, they're gorgeous!! Such lovely eye candy. Though unfortunately with that price tag, they're just inspiring me to take sewing lessons at long last lol.

 

[swinggal]

I can sew too, but some people can't and don't have the time. I mean, I have friends who pay that much for a modern dress in a store, and I think they are crazy. Anyway, I just wanted to show what she had done to inspire others.

 

[AuroraFisherman]

Thank you for the eye candy! I really love the Claudette and I think all her dresses looks well tailored. In that case I think they migt be worth the price. Mabey I am crazy
And I'd like to ad that I can sew!

I mean, I have friends who pay that much for a modern dress in a store, and I think they are crazy. .

Yep, this could be me! Not always but sometimes! The most expensive shoes I bought cost me 3500 swedish crones= thats about 500 dollar... Ooops! This is really a secret (I haven't told my darligt that!) This was when I was young and stupid

 

[LizzieMaine]

$280 for a well-made cotton dress might seem ridiculous, but when you're making them one-at-a-time you might be able to do
two a week, maybe three if you're really fast and do nothing else. Factor out costs of materials, equipment and maintenance,
Federal taxes, state taxes, self-employment taxes, and other such expenses, and you'll make a pretty marginal living at it. That $280 retail might leave half of that in your pocket once all is said and done, and that doesn't amount to too much high living.

It's only economy of scale that made the $1.98 cotton dress a reality in the Era. Five hundred seamstresses working in a sweatshop turned out a lot more work than one working out of her home.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

$300 is a car payment to my po' self. lol

But her stuff is very nice and best of luck to her!!

 

[kamikat]

Here's a similar dress, made to your measurements for $185. This seamstress has a good reputation and uses vintage fabrics and gives you a choice of colors. I don't dispute the $300 price tag for the original seamstress' wool dress or silk dress but not a cotton day dress.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/43263746/1930s-spectator-dress-in-lightweight

 

[kamikat]

I mean, I have friends who pay that much for a modern dress in a store, and I think they are crazy. .

Really? I didn't even spend that on my wedding dress.

 

[sheeplady]

I think her stuff is beautiful. While the price is high (and admittedly, it would be high for me too), it is handmade and I imagine she does a wonderful job. I couldn't turn out dresses for much better prices, after you figure in a decent salary, materials, etc. like Lizzey says.

There's a tipping point between volume and price: if you charge too little for something you are working like a dog and can't ever raise your prices (people complain to high heaven). If you charge too much you never get any sales. There's a little play in there surrounding quality and service which typically results in a good spot; you can have slightly higher prices and manufacture less product but your time is going into quality and service rather than just the assembly line. In the end, the market will bear what the market will bear for prices.

 

[Lady Day]

Well said, sheeplady.

LD

 

[swinggal]

I agree

 

[Miss Flora]

Having worked for a clothing designer, I understand the prices! So I don't think she's out of line, especially since I have a lot of sewing to do before I could sew and finish a garment that well. I know many of you already sew fantastic garments for yourself.

I especially like the wedding dress she just posted on. The silk print is really pretty.

 

[Lady Day]

Here's a similar dress, made to your measurements for $185. This seamstress has a good reputation and uses vintage fabrics and gives you a choice of colors. I don't dispute the $300 price tag for the original seamstress' wool dress or silk dress but not a cotton day dress.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/43263746/1930s-spectator-dress-in-lightweight

Nudeedudee lives in LA, where we have an abundant fabric district and can get bolts of cotton for pennies. I've read some stuff floating around the tubal interwebs on her and she works HARD at making those at that price point, and I think she takes a loss.

I actually think her prices are about 25% less than they should be. If it takes her 8-10 hrs to sew a dress, not factoring in the cutting, alterations for sizing it to the person, prepping the fabric for construction, etc., that dress making time is now 15+ hours.

Let's say you should get $15 an hour for a dress (you can make that working less hard at most retail places), she should be making about $225 per dress, but she has to price for a frugal clientele who don't know what goes into making a dress, and those gals who take a big loss at custom sewing because they *want* the business.


LD