A dressmaker in Gravesend, made to measure.
Can’t find it in the shops, in your size, in the colour you want? We will make it — for customers in Kent and London. Your design, your choice of fabric, cut to your body — for special occasions, for everyday, and for children.
Most of what we make in the studio is for fashion labels, but the same people and the same cutting table make clothes for individuals too. It is the most personal work we do, and some of our favourite reviews come from it: a silk skirt made after years of not finding the right one in any shop, and a velvet dress cut so closely to its owner that she said she felt like she was living in the eighteenth century.
Made for your body, not a size chart
Shop clothes are cut for an average that very few people actually are. A made-to-measure garment is patterned from your own measurements and then fitted on you, so it sits properly across the shoulders, waist and hips at the same time. You do not need to be any particular shape or size — that is exactly the point of having something made.
Your design, and your own fabric
Bring a sketch, a photograph, a garment you love that no longer fits, or just an idea. We will talk it through and tell you honestly what will work in which cloth.
You buy the fabric yourself. We do not supply cloth for dressmaking, and that is deliberate: fabric is personal, and a cloth we choose for you is rarely the one you pictured. Instead we tell you exactly what to look for — weight, fibre, width — and how many metres to buy, before you spend a penny. Bring it to your first appointment, or send it on.
What people have made
Occasion and evening dresses. Skirts, trousers and tailored jackets. Wedding guest outfits. Christening and ceremonial wear. Copies of a much-loved garment that has worn out. Clothes for bodies the high street ignores — very tall, very petite, or a different size top to bottom.
Children’s clothes
We make for children as well: party and occasion wear, christening gowns, bridesmaid and page-boy outfits, and costumes. Children grow, so we can build in room to let out where the design allows.
How it works
A first meeting to discuss the design and take measurements. We draft a pattern and, for most garments, make a toile — a trial version in cheap calico — to fit on you before your fabric is cut. Then the garment itself, with a final fitting before you take it home. Allow a few weeks, and longer for anything elaborate; tell us your date at the start.
Things people ask
How much does a made-to-measure garment cost?
It depends on the design, the fabric and the construction, so we price each piece after the first conversation. You get a firm price before anything is cut.
How long does it take?
Usually a few weeks, including fittings. Elaborate occasion wear takes longer. Tell us your date at the first meeting and we will say honestly whether it is achievable.
Do you supply the fabric, or do I buy it?
You buy it. Fabric is a personal choice and cloth chosen on someone else's behalf is rarely what they pictured, so we would rather you picked it. We will tell you what to look for and exactly how many metres you need before you buy, and check it over at your first appointment.
Can you copy a garment I already own?
Usually, yes — including one that has worn out or no longer fits. We pattern from it and can change the size or details while we are at it.
Do you make children’s clothes?
Yes: occasion wear, christening gowns, bridesmaid and page-boy outfits and costumes.
Do I have to come in for fittings?
Yes, for anything made to measure — the fittings are what make the garment fit. Each one is booked in advance, so you are never kept waiting. We are on Burch Rd in Northfleet with free parking.
Other things we make and mend
Tell us what you would like made
Bring a sketch, a photo or an idea. Free parking on Burch Rd.