/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

[Altering dresses No.9367714]

Gulls, whats your opinion on altering dresses? Especially brand?

I just got my dream dress, but its too open on the sides. I was considering getting it tailored, but am worried if they will be able to do a good job. Especially with the lace trim at the bottom.
Also considering removing the bow on top to make a clip, opinions?
Will I end up fucking up the aesthetic?

Have you ever gotten anything tailored/done it yourself?

[Anonymous No.9367718]

>>9367714
>its too open on the sides
If you're talking about the dress in your pic, it's a salopette, what did you expect? That's how it's meant to be. If you wanted a tighter fit you should have gotten the JSK.
Anyway it's your dress, do whatever you want with it, just don't expect to get what you paid for it when and if you decide to sell it.

[Anonymous No.9367719]

as a posthumanist, i incorporate my enthusiasm for better selves via technological enhancement into my lolita wardrobe. all my items have been tailored, with varying rates of success, to suit my body and my aesthetic. sometimes i like to sketch what popular dream dresses would look like in a world where weeaboos have the power to give themselves cybernetic implants or wings or whatever. i really want to watch an anime that features otaku lolitas physically emulating their fandoms

[Altering dresses No.9367723]

>>9367718
I did, and do want it to be open on the sides, but i'm just very thin, it gaps so much you can see down the sides.

Thanks for the consideration on selling it, I know it ill make it more difficult to resell.

[Anonymous No.9367738]

>>9367719
anon what the fuck

>>9367714
do what you want if it's that important to you, but like someone else said keep in mind that you are not going to fetch anywhere near the same price you got it for. people who charge the same price as everyone else with an altered piece are silly. i'm also just triggered because i saw a candy sprinkle set only to find out that it was modified to fit fatties.

[Altering dresses No.9367744]

>>9367738
Do any modifications at at all make a dress less valuable?
Personally I would be delighted if I found a dress modified for a smaller person, because most things are too large for me. But i do understand it would eliminate a portion of people from fitting into afterwards.

[Anonymous No.9367749]

>>9367744
yes, even though i feel the same way and smaller pieces would be cool. all mods fetch a lower price because that's just how it is. i mean, people can price their stuff however they want, but lolita is a buyer's market and people shouldn't really expect full price for hacked up brand

[Anonymous No.9367752]

>>9367744
Yes because it does change the dress' condition, it's not "like new" anymore. The heavier and more obvious the mods the less you can sell it for. But it's not that much of a problem as long as you're aware of it; brand doesn't belong to the entire community, and you're not obligated to sell any dress you own.

[Anonymous No.9367758]

I think for the most part, things like taking off bows are pretty accepted and don't significantly reduce the resale value of an item (those kinds of alterations tend to be reversible).

If you're doing more extensive modifications, I don't know that people will look down on you, but it does significantly reduced the value of the dress if you plan to sell later.

In the end though, its your clothes. You can do whatever you want with them, and there's nothing wrong with making something you own fit you better.

[Anonymous No.9367771]

>>9367714
When you get down to it lolita dresses are still just clothes that you've purchased with your money, you should feel free to do what you want with your clothes and modify them/tailor them if you want. Just don't expect to sell it for very much after you've altered it, and make sure you go to a professional seamstress if you aren't sewing savvy.

[Altering dresses No.9367774]

>>9367749
>>9367752
>>9367758
>>9367771

Thanks gulls, this was really reassuring! It is my dream dress, so I might go ahead and get a tailor to quote for changes

Have you ever had experiences with trying to fix things yourself? Like removing bows or fixing rips?

[Anonymous No.9367777]

>>9367774
I usually just move buttons on JSK straps to make them longer for a better fit, and I have an old Meta OP that has some plain and rather ugly buttons that I want to replace with cuter ones when I get around to it. It's nothing major, that's just about the extent of what I do to alter my brand.

[Anonymous No.9367781]

>>9367774
I've popped bows off that I didn't like and have lengthened/shortened straps. I try to make sure that any little alterations I do like that are easily reversible so I can still sell the dress someday. I know there's a pic out there of an alteration a lolita did to widen the waist of that one real bodyline dress a lot of people have (not squirrel party, maybe something with bunnies? Cinderella bunny??) where she added an entirely new bustle section that looked really cute.

[Altering dresses No.9367784]

>>9367781
I saw that she widened the waist by a couple inches, which was really impressive!

[Anonymous No.9367919]

>>9367744
Same here. I'm petite, and I have a BTSSB dress that was actually gapes at my chest because it's cut with the expectation you have a typical-width bust and not-flat titties. I have a few dresses that need a bit of tailoring, but damn, I can't bring myself to take the risk. Might just sell them.

If I did tailor and then sell a dress, though, I'd probably price it a bit under what it goes for normally and lower it as time goes by until I have a buyer.

[Anonymous No.9367940]

>>9367714
I am alll for alterations as it is your clothes and you can do what you want, especially if it will make you fit better.

But if you are talking about the salopette in the OP picture, all of the alterations sound completely awful, please don't do them. It is meant to be open like that, as the other anon said, and i dont see any way of you closing the gaps that will look good. Also removing the bow just to make a hairclip will make it look so unbalanced. Why not just buy a hairclip from the set or another AP clip? That's something people do with Bodyline dresses all the time and it always leaves the dress looking bare.


If your dream dress has so many things you want to change than it can't be the dream dress. Why not get another?

[Anonymous No.9367984]

>>9367723
I'm not even thin and that's just how salos fit (gapping a bit on the sides) As long as you're wearing bloomers and a small petticoat, who cares if it's loose

[Anonymous No.9367996]

>>9367984
Same here. I'm tall and pretty average weight but still ap salopettes fit 'weird' or well they do indeed have gaps on the side. Just like everyone else said.

>small petti
>blouse
>buy a hairclip

That's it. Then you can at least sell it for a decent priece.

Or sell it now and get the jsk instead if you think that the salo cut is too off for your shape/taste

[Anonymous No.9368011]

>>9367996
I will keep the bow intact.

how much does your gap on the sides? mine does so much that you could see down the sides of the dress, of that makes sense.

[Anonymous No.9368096]

>>9368011
Mine did so too. It's just how salos fit desu. Just look up some photos or maybe videos of lolitas wearing them that show how they fit when seen from the side and not the front.

[Anonymous No.9368113]

>>9367723
I know what you mean anon, it's happened to me. I just safety pinned mine so it's fine when I wear it. It depends on if you want it to be permanent though. I just don't want to bother with a tailor and I can only wear it when the season is right.

[Anonymous No.9368119]

>>9368096
I'm pretty sure she means down into the dress, basically seeing petti waistband etc. Pin at the waist, not at the sides of the bodice.

[Anonymous No.9368138]

>>9368119
thank you that is a good idea!

[Anonymous No.9368148]

>>9367719
AUTISM
U
T
I
S
M

[Anonymous No.9368241]

>>9367714
I love alterations, the improvement on fit is immense. I've had sleeves and collars removed off OPs to make into JSKs, removed trim, waists taken in, skirts rehemmed, sleeves shortened, etc.

Makes you look less like you're borrowing someone else's clothing. And as the others have said, I only do this on stuff I know I'm going to keep or I'm comfortable taking a financial hit on when selling.

[Anonymous No.9368273]

I wouldn't hesitate to get something altered to make it fit better. It's silly to spend so much money on something and not be happy with how it looks on you. Brand dresses usually fit me well right out of the box but I always have to have jacket sleeves taken in and shortened or else I look like a kid playing dressup. Baggy af anything is a definite way to ruin an otherwise great coord imo.

I would do the same with expensive designer clothing, fancy formal wear, etc. Lolita isn't more fragile or easily ruined. That being said, there will be things the tailor can and can't do, so just make sure to ask and be specific about what you want. And of course, if you do end up selling, describe what alterations you did and give the new measurements.

[Anonymous No.9368314]

>>9367719
Please post more, marilyn manson-chan

[Anonymous No.9368339]

>>9367723
>>9367984
>>9367996

Yeah, no, being a beanpole i can attest, these things gape SO much that anyone taller than you could see straight down to your legs (or i guess petti) sometimes. It goes above and beyond the way a salo is "supposed" to fit. BABY's salos fit me the "right" way but AP's are fucking huge in comparison.

[Anonymous No.9368345]

>>9367744
I've paid more for dresses that were altered. If it's a print I want that's already been altered to be the size I want, then that's really rare and it's worth more to me. The alterations have to be professional quality though.

[Anonymous No.9368452]

>>9367744

It’s not the sizing, or that it’s not “as new”. It’s the unknown quality of the alterations.

With burando, girls expect a certain uniformity to the quality — AP will always use cutesy tulle lace, old school should use cotton lace, all seams and hems should be straight, skirts are generally lined, etc etc. And although we say girls are paying a premium for print or design, brand particularly comes with an expectation that quality should be at an acceptable level. That’s why indies and new brands find it hard to find buyers even if the print is pretty, people don’t know the quality and aren’t sure if the price is worth it.

For those dresses that have been altered, you’re basically taking away the assurance that the acceptable quality is there. Don’t get me wrong, your alterations could make the dress much better, but until you become famous for doing that, your buyers don’t really know what they’re getting. That’s why it’s mostly burando that has this taboo for being altered, no one cares if you’re altering Bodyline or indie, because people generally don’t expect much quality from Bodyline anyway.

You can try to take away some of the uncertainty by photographing all your alterations, unfortunately I think most buyers will always be wondering if there's a hole or something else somewhere that you didn't photograph.

[Anonymous No.9368682]

>>9367714
I have this really pretty velveteen Baby skirt, the problem is that it's tiny and it doesn't fit.
This skirt seriously is not suitable for anyone with a waist over 60cm and my waist is 65cm.
It has no shirring, no stretch and it also has a zipper in the back. Moving the button also won't work.
I found a identical skirt (except lost it's waist ties), I bought it so I can alter my skirt and maybe make so accessories for it (like a handbag, kc, etc.).
I don't know how tackle this, it probably needs more work than just making the waistband longer, the skirt would probably be out of proportion if that is done?
Where and what kind of alterations should be made?
Extra panels, etc can all be made since I have second skirt to take apart.
My seamstress is a old lady with no knowledge of Lolita so I think I'm better off asking here first.

[Anonymous No.9368683]

>>9368682
you COULD find a similar fabric, sew a new waistband, remove the skirt from it's waistband and re-gather it onto the new waistband. If you made it slightly shorter you'd have more fabric to gather up. (you could also use the extra fabric to make the waistband) That's the only way I can think of without somehow adding a panel in.

[Anonymous No.9368743]

>>9368682

If you have no issues with the skirt’s fullness (ie- aside from the waistband there’s enough fabric to make the lolita poof without looking odd), then yeah, carefully detaching the waistband and then regathering the skirt to a longer waistband is the easiest answer. You could get matching colour fabric and resell that second skirt you bought.

If you actually need to add more fabric to the skirt itself, oh boy.