Becky's Wedding : First Fitting

As I was drafting Becky's dress I soon realised I could do something more flattering for her fuller bust as well as making it a little more of a feature.

This was the final design I drew for Becky's dress. Though the shape of the dress did not change much after this point, the features were still interchangeable and the look would change depending on the fabrics chosen.

The first fitting of a dress is usually in a calico mock-up of the basic dress called a toile. This fitting is to:

- finalise design features that would effect the cut of the dress,

- check the fit and cut,

- discuss fabric options as well as design features.

As my dresses are all drafted specifically for the person each pattern is individual and requires extra time to draft, as well as the time taken to construct the toile. It differs from dress to dress depending on how complex the cut is but this process can take anything from 1 to 3 weeks solid work (based on a 8 hour day, 5 day week). For this dress it took around a 2 weeks to draft and construct, with additional time for the altered bodice.

With an army of safety pins to back me up I began the task of fitting the dress so it would sit snugly and comfortably.

The first fitting went smoothly and Becky was very happy with the cut. I drafted 2 versions of the upper bodice so Becky could see how each design would look and decided on this one. It was more flattering and more interesting, leaving more scope for design features such as beading or a lace insert.