Marly's Dresses

(All client names have been changed due to privacy.)

Marly is a fabulous girl.  She's a beautiful redhead with a bold, vivacious personality to match.  She thinks outside the box, and I've had the pleasure of altering three of her prom dresses.

Here is Marly's first and second prom dress from her Junior year in high school:

I wish I had a better pic of Marly's first dress!  It looked beautiful on her and flattered not only her figure, but also complemented her skin tone and haircolor.

Marly's dress had two main alterations.  She wanted more of a mermaid effect on the skirt portion requiring two long darts where a side seam would be located.  I assured her that darts would not be noticeable and that people would see the beautiful silhouette of the dress.

In addition, the back of the dress was altered to highlight (or rather emphasize) a nice booty curve.  It was an alteration similar to a bustle, yet not a true bustle due to the style of the dress.  The alteration was not conventional, but it was effective and the result was beautiful.  Her mother had a big beautiful earring we affixed to the back waist to highlight the alteration.  The first method I tried for the back did not work very well.  It didn't stay secure, so I opted for a secondary fix to be completed on prom day.  I met Marly and her mom at the library, headed to the bathroom, and completed the alteration in about 10 minutes, and she was good to go.  She looked spectacular!

I thought Marly was going to wear the same dress to a second prom that year, however, she picked out another dress off Ebay for $20!  What a steal.  She figured if it didn't fit, I could alter it for her.  She is a smart girl you know!  :)

The problem with the pink dress was that it didn't have much shape in the mid-section.  It was loose, kind of baggy.  So I pinched two vertical darts in the back to provide shaping in the mid-lower back.  I assured her that vertical darts were quite common and found in many types of garments.  Darts create shape, and these darts were no exception.  People don't notice darts, they notice gorgeous fit.  And that is exactly the goal we were trying to achieve.  Look at that fitted back and booty curve!  She is rocking the look.  Total cost?  $20 for the dress and approximately $20 for the alterations.  Can't beat that, huh!

Fast forward one year.  Now it's Marly's Senior prom and she has her dress picked out.  She asks if I can do her alterations, and they were very simple.  We nipped in the side seams a bit, and I shortened the straps.  The straps were beaded so it did require removal of beads and subsequently reattaching them,  Overall, an easy fix for a Grecian Goddess.

I told my younger daughter (who is friends with Marly) that Marly is the type of girl alteration specialists love to work with.  She is a girl that knows what she wants and is very specific.  When I pinch here and there, she is quick to offer her approval or refusal of specific alterations.  This is such a blessing.  A person who is specific and knows what they want and what effect they're trying to achieve is likely to get the look they want.  I'm dealing with yes or no's, no I don't know or maybe's.  In a way, it's kind of like the interaction between a beautician and a customer.  The more specific one can be about how their hair is to be cut, the more likely it is for a better outcome with a style they love.   Although my preference is to work with a girl and her mother at an initial consultation, she is one of the few where I feel comfortable working with in the absence of parental input.

Can you tell I loved working with Marly?  She's a beautiful girl, has a great sense of style, and knows what she wants.  It doesn't get much better than that!