Hello! Since we’re both practicing professionals within our fields (dance and bridal) as well as designers for those fields, we wanted a place to share our thoughts and inspirations with you.
What to look for in a wedding dress
Nowadays it can be so frustrating for a bride to find a wedding dress. Most consumers do not have sewing or garment construction experience. What makes it worse is that there is such a HUGE array of prices. Here are a few items to pay attention to:
* dress should be fully lined
* many manufacturers are using Swarovski crystals at the top of the bodice (which would be the focal point) and then using cheap beads/embellishments at the bottom edge of the dress and around the train. The quality of beads should be carried throughout the dress, not diminished!
*be careful of gowns/dresses that have beads which were glued on. Many of the glues won’t last — sometimes not even throughout your wedding day!
* two items that can drastically change the cost of your dress — lace and beading. If you are trying to stay within a budget range, then look for hints of lace instead of an all-over lace design.
Good luck with your search!
Garment Labeling
All designers and manufacturers MUST, by federal law, have certain garment identification inside the garment. Unfortunately, a lot of home sewers and hobbyists (even some small businesses) do not abide by these rules. These laws are in place to help protect you, the consumer. You should not purchase any garment that does not have the following information adhered to the garment:
* Company Name
* Country of Origin
* Fabric Content
* Preferred method of cleaning
A hanging, detachable tag on the outside of the garment with this information does not suffice. It must be permanently attached to the inside of the garment in a location that the consumer can see.
Amanda’s Atelier is proud to say that everything we make is manufactured in the United States. We do most of our sourcing from within the U.S., but all workmanship on every garment is created here.
For more information on the federal labeling laws, please visit the website http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/textilejump.shtm.
Beading & Embellishments
Pageant Dress
No matter what the occasion, the beading and/or embellishments that are put on your Irish Dance solo dress, wedding dress, or pageant dress should be safe to clean. People who make garments “on the side” generally do not have enough background to be familiar with the applicable laws governing the garment industry. (We will cover some of those in another post.) If the dressmaker purchases the mega bag of craft beads that are 500 beads for $1.99, I will almost guarantee you that they cannot be cleaned or cared for properly.
At Amanda’s Atelier, we use beads and embellishments that you can clean. We want our garments to stand up to the test of time, be worn and be enjoyed.
The one common thread of all the garments we design is that they are a focal point for an event. It can be a solo dress at an Irish Step Dancing Competition (feis), or eveningwear for a contestant in a pageant, or a weddng gown for that once-in-a-lifetime dream come true. Attention and focus is on the wearer of the garment. Therefore, we really play close attention to the details of the embellishment and make certain that they enhance the garment, add that special touch of sparkle, and are able to be dry cleaned or washed when the event is over.
Why would you want to pay for an expensive garment that you know you will perspire in (sometimes extensively) and not be able to clean? The fabric of the garment isn’t happy if the only source of cleaning is spraying a little Febreze on it!
Inspirations for Irish Dance Dresses
Feis Dress
Our Irish Dance costumes are each unique and will give the dancer superior stage appeal. Amanda’s Atelier knows how to make a garment sparkle! We have had years of experience perfecting the right amount!
All of or Irish Dance costumes have traditional Celtic knotwork or designs on them. We feel it is important not to forget our history and incorporate that into the designs.
New Irish Dance Dresses
We can’t wait to get pictures up of our new line of Irish Dance Dresses!!! Almost everything we have been looking at has been inspiring us in one way or another. Be sure to check back in a few weeks so you can see the pictures!
Do you have an idea or inspiration that you have wanted to use for a solo dress? If so, let us know what your ideas are and we can come up with a suitable design for you.
What to Look for in an Irish Step Dance Solo Dress
We are often asked “how do I know what to look for when purchasing an Irish Step Dance Solo Dress”? Here are some things to look for. First of all, make certain that fabric is used throughout the entire construction of the solo dress. We have seen sad situations in which someone used posterboard inside the garment to stiffen it! That was absolutely appalling. However, the lining covered it so the customer had no idea this was used. Have you ever gotten posterboard wet? It doesn’t hold up very well! There is absolutely no way that should be used!
All seams should be finished. The only exceptions to this rule is if the fabric truly does not fray (as with some knits and lycra/spandex based fabrics). If I were the customer, I would ask the dressmaker to see the inside of the dress before the lining is sewn in. At Amanda’s Atelier, we finish all seams on the fashion fabric, as well as the lining pieces. That way, your Irish Step Dancing Solo Dress is going to last as long as possible — and always look great! We take pride in making sure that the inside of our garments look as good as the outside.
There should not be any fraying fabric or loose threads. This is a pet-peeve of ours. You will see fabrics used on solo dresses that are not appropriate for specific types of applications. When you look at the costume, you will see the fabric fraying.
Look for more tips on what to look for in an Irish Step Dancing solo dress in my next post.