Dress Recycling
December 29th, 2006 @ 4:56 pm by Mrs. Lemon
I was flipping through In Style Weddings a few months ago when I happened upon a nifty idea: recycling your mother’s wedding dress for your rehearsal dinner. I immediately called my mom and asked her to search her closet for her 1976 dress, and when I arrived home for the holidays the dress was hanging in my closet.
My mom’s height and size aren’t exactly the same — she’s 6″ shorter and my back is much wider, but I was still able to try it on. The sleeves (her favorite part) are the perfect length! I want to see if someone can keep the lace, but attach it to a new slinky fabric and refashion it into a tea length custom dress. Oh in my head it’s sooo pretty…if only my sewing skills were better!
So now all I need to do is find someone who can make my dreams come true! As I need my dress altered as well, I have an appointment to see one person in Pasadena, and I’m hoping she’ll be able to translate my wants into the dress. Otherwise, I’m in the dark. If anyone knows of an amazing dressmaker/tailor around West Los Angeles, please let me know!
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11 Responses to “Dress Recycling”
Try the famous Elias in Santa Monica. Google should bring up info on him. I also have maybe 2 other ‘true’ tailors on the westside with info that I got from a friend. Email me, and I’ll send it to you when I get home.
That’s actually a cute idea, but my mom’s dress is somewhere in storage halfway across the world :(. Plus she was like 80 pounds when she got married, so I’d definitely have to let a lot out or add to it somewhere…
My grandmother didn’t wear a dress when she was married. She wore more of a 20’s suit, but with a beautiful lace top over it. She told me on my last visit that she is planning to have the top made into 7 handkerchief, one for each of her granddaughters. We can each carry one as we go down the aisle. Isn’t that sweet?
Murat’s. Jenny Yoo recommended them to me for my BM dresses, and most swanky Beverly Hills stores send their clients there. They are also frequently the tailor on Extreme Makeover, etc.
There are three locations. Best for you are probably these two:
9731 Little Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills (down the street from Sprinkles), (310) 276-2672
1113 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, (310) 393-9219
From what I think you are saying, you want the whole dress remade with the lace which looks like it is blue or slightly heavier in the picture? A tailor will probably be very expensive, as what I think you are talking about means taking out all the stitching, making a pattern, recutting slinky material and remaking the dress. But in LA you should be able to find a design student or very talented seamstress in the El Monte area who can do it for less than a tailor, as I think you are asking about more than just alterations, but I can’t see the dress very clearly. Any chance you can’t have this professionally ironed, starched up a little, and wear a flower crown or tiara in your hair with it and some pretty shoes?
If you lived in Seattle I would be happy to help you because it sounds really fun and sweet, but it is going to be somewhat time consuming.
that’s such a cool idea ! i would have seriously considered this if my mom hadn’t sold her dress in a garage sale when i was little ! 
Take a look at McCalls pattern 5137 or Simplicity 4072. Also Hot Patterns has something made for knits that is similar and might work.
I always go to Susie at Ann Tailor Custom Tailoring.
729 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-5756
Her rates may be a little high, but she is an excellent tailor.
try daily candy… they just had a post a couple of days ago about a tailor who does fabulous work.
[...] Dress Recycling by Miss Lemon [...]
I know this is an old post but in case anyone comes across it, definitely do NOT go to Murat’s. I took my wedding dress there for alterations and it was $900! All they did was take in the sides and take the hem up a little in front. They seemed to think that $150/ hour was a very reasonable rate for tailoring. Apparently $30-$60/ hour is the going rate, so they are WAY overpriced.
Mrs. Lemon, Los Angeles/Monterey
Age and Occupation in 06: 26, Graduate Student (Public Policy)
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Environmental Consultant
Engagement Date: April 7, 2006
Wedding Date: July 7, 2007
Venue: Rosary Chapel & Monterey Marriott, Monterey, CA
About Me: My FI and I met online, but we like to tell people that we met at a "cookie shop" which is the technical location of our first encounter. He proposed exactly 1 year, 1 month and 6 days after our first date (it's the only part of his proposal speech that I remember), and we're planning long-distance from Los Angeles for a July wedding in my hometown of Monterey, CA. I have a passion for all things "cool, cute and quirky" and I enjoy video games, reading blogs (WeddingBee, trashy celeb, consumer & political) and crafting in my spare time, if I have any!
That’s such a great idea! Her dress looks SO 70’s! I love it!