Custom clothing requires time for planning, design, fabric sourcing, pattern drafting, not to mention the sewing. Your dressmaker must also take her other client projects into consideration when scheduling for your project. It is a good rule of thumb to secure your designer/dressmaker at least 6 weeks in advance of your date requirement for your finished garment. If you can plan even farther in advance, secure her 90 days in advance!
Some designers and dressmakers can even be booked up to a year in advance, so if you call them at 90 days you may not be able to secure them for your design.
If you are planning to have a custom made garment, do not think 'off-the-rack' pricing. The labor for designing and constructing a garment is time intense! Most designers are creating every stitch of your garment themselves, or perhaps with the help of one person. They are most often making a pattern designed to your measurements and personally selecting fabrics and trims on your behalf. Many times, your designer is hand finishing the interior of your garment with delicate, precision hand sewing to hide hem and facing stitches. An endeavor like this is not assembly line sewing, so you should plan your budget accordingly.
In my studio, a custom garment or costume is priced starting at $450. But, the cost can and will increase depending on the fabric selections and design details of your particular project.
So, shop smart. Have a relatively good idea of what you want when you approach a designer. Know your budget and stick with the plan once it is developed. Making changes in the middle of a project will lead to additional cost in fabrics & labor that will skyrocket the cost of your project and could create deadline problems, as well.
If you keep these things in mind, you will be a happier client and your designer or dressmaker will treat you right!
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