DRESS Q&A

How do I get a gown?
I take a very limited number of gown and costume orders a year. I recommend that if you are looking for a gown you order as soon as possible. 
Some gowns take anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months to create. 
To start your gown you can choose between custom or concept design and together we will get your dress started. 

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What is the difference between a custom and a concept dress? 
A custom dress is when you let me know what you are wanting and I decide if it is something I am interested in taking on as a project. If it is I will create a sketch based on the budget you give me. Upon approval of the sketch you are invoiced and I start on your dress. 
A custom gown will be created similar to the sketch but may not be exact. The Shape of the gown will remain as close to the concept as possible but lace/embellishments, and fabrics may change as needed. 
Many of my gowns include floral and your concept/custom gown, as you imagine floral is difficult to sketch and recreate so your floral pieces may vary based on what products are available. 
A Concept dress is a dress in which you choose the size and I create the dress based on the already provided sketch/fabrics. There is limited changes to these dresses and the price is already set based on the design and work that will go into it. 

Will you make a concept gown in another color?
Yes! If the fabric is available I am happy to make a gown in your favorite color(s). 

Will you make me a dress based off of another designers gown? 
No is the short answer. But I would be thrilled if given the opportunity to design you your own custom gown. If you are looking for a character or movie dress I can make an "inspired" by gown but I will not replicate a dress designed by another designer. 

Do you use Steel Boning?
No, my  dresses are costume pieces  only  and are not intended to be undergarments for structural support. 

How long will it take to get my gown? 
Before you purchase any dress I will go over the timeline with you. I don't recommend waiting to make a purchase if you are on a timeline. Custom dresses can take anywhere from a few weeks or up to 8 months to complete. Dresses are completed in the order of which they are purchased.  Your gown completion date is listed as an estimate. While I try to make that estimated date there are a lot of  factors that can cause the date to extend. One of those factors is not returning measurements or making payments on time.  If you have questions about your dress completion time please email me only at kimberlyscottphotoart@gmail.com

When will you start making my dress? 
Your dress will not be started until 75% of your dress payment is made. 
After your initial retainer fee is paid which confirms and locks your commission into place I will place the fabric order for your project but I will not start any work on the dress until 75% of your payment is completed. It is your responsibility to make payments on your dress. I will not send reminders or constantly request you to make payments on your dress. 

 

What sizes can you make dresses? 
Custom and Concept gowns can be made in any size you need. Ready to Ship and pre-made gowns are sold as is in the size that they were made in. 

How do I measure for a custom gown or concept gown? 
We will discuss your measurements and I will let you know based on your design what measurements I need. 

How do I pay for my dress? 
Upon approval of the design a PayPal invoice will be sent to you.  
You can make payments as often as you would like but remember that your dress does not started until 75% of your payment is made. 
Local payment must be money  order or  CASH ONLY. No checks or CC available for local pickup. 

Is shipping included in the price? 
Unless otherwise stated shipping is not included. 
I will pick the best/affordable shipping method for your purchase. All pieces are shipped/tracking/insured and signature required upon delivery. 

How long will shipping take? 
I only ship on Saturdays and shipping time depends on the method used. I find that most of my packages go out via USPS flat rate shipping which usually takes 2-3 days to arrive. Please remember that I am located in Alaska and during the winter shipping could be delayed a few days if there is a weather related event. 

Can I get a refund? 
Because of the custom nature of the gowns there are no refunds.

Can I cancel my order? 
Once your order is placed you cannot cancel your order. If you have only paid your retainer fee for the gown that retainer fee will be forfeited. 

Have a question that I didn't answer here? 
Send me an email kimberlyscottphotoart@gmail.com 
DO NOT rely on FB messenger to keep in contact with me. 
When I am deep into sewing I don't even log into FB this allows me to stay focused. 
I also receive an excessive amount of message request through FB and if you message it may go unnoticed. 

Why do you post other dresses all over social media and not mine? 
You may have questions why you are seeing other dresses posted before your own is completed or sent. 
- I work on multiple gowns at a time. Sometimes one piece needs to be painted and needs to  dry and  this allows me to wo on another  dress during that process. 
-Sometimes some of your fabric has come in but not all of it. So I can start your design but not finish it until the rest of the fabric arrives. 
- Some special equipment might be used. For example when applying grommets to corseted gowns I use a piece of equipment to make the holes and this is a heating tool that gets up to about 400 degrees and I like to only use this tool a few times a month. (doing this reduces the risk I will burn myself or my house down.) So I will let all the corsets pile up for a couple weeks and do them all at once. 
- You are not seeing a gown being completed before you. You are seeing pieces that I have already created and had the photos or pieces saved for sharing at a later date. I do this when I have slow periods and I need to keep my social media active. 
Some of these post are pre-scheduled post that I have been saving. I do this a lot with seasonal gowns so I don't share a lot of spring gowns in the winter and vice versa.
and last but not least. Sometimes I just need  a break from working on the same gown and need to give my brain some time to work on something else.  

Why are your stitches not perfect?
This is a really great question that I love answering.  Consumers are accustomed to fast fashion purchases. These items are often machine made in mass production. Usually when a garment is factory made the same sewist does the same part of the production thousands upon thousands of times. So your hem on your sleeve is going to be perfect because they have literally done that step and only that step for years. Mass produced garments are often times assisted using custom made template/guides so your items are placed in between two "boards" and there is usually an opening and the worker just has to run the sewing machine down the cut-out template channel to get the same exact stitch every single time. 
In custom creations such as these your stitches may not always be perfect. If you are looking for a costume or garment that looks perfect down to the last stitch I may not be the designer for you. 

Can I buy wings by themselves? 
Yes you can! However wing orders are currently closed because of a supply chain issue. 
I am currently unable to get anymore of the special material I use until I fly back to the lower 48. So check back in mid to late summer to see if we were able to secure a resupply.