You’ve just seen the dress of your dreams. It’s going to make you look like a princess at your prom or quinceanera. It appears like it’s going to flatter your body in all the right places and downplay anything you may be insecure about.
While the dress looks perfect online, how do you know when the dress of your dreams is high quality?
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some tell-tale signs your dress is being built to last versus a dress that’s cheap fast fashion and built to only withstand one evening.
Read on for more information.
It Comes From a Designer You Trust
There is a wide variety of designers, some you’re already familiar with and some you may have never heard of before. While a dress from a designer you haven’t heard of before doesn’t mean it’s not high-quality, going with a label you trust can help you tell if your dress is well-made. Read more about the selection of designer dresses and see if you find any of these suitable.
If you’ve never heard of the designer or label before, you can always have a look online at their reputation and see if they’re known for their well-made gowns.
While there might be some one-off bad reviews, if overall people seem to trust the brand, you know your dress is a winner.
Zoom In On It
If you’re unable to try on a dress in person before you order it, you’ll want to zoom in on it on the website and view it from all angles. Better yet, if the dress has a YouTube video showing it off from all angles or on a model, you can tell if the dress is well made. You should notice if there are any loose threads, if the embellishments look cheaply made or if it simply doesn’t look right on a person.
When buying a gown for a special event, don’t rush to hit that buy button; instead, browse several dresses for the big day before purchasing.
You Can See Through the Material
Unless a dress is expressly meant to be sheer, you shouldn’t be able to see through the material. This is a sure-fire sign your dress isn’t well-made and that the material used for it is subpar.
There Are Loose Threads, or the Embellishments Seem Precariously Placed
If, upon further inspection of your dress, you notice that there are loose threads or the embellishments don’t look like they’re on securely, that is a sign the dress is not high quality. If any of the embellishments come off when you’re trying to dress on, or worse still, just looking at it, it’s a definite pass. Glitter, however, might come off on your hands, and unfortunately, that’s the nature of it.
The Dress is Glued Together and Not Sewn
While this might sound wild, gluing fabric together can cut down on production time significantly. A good quality dress will be sewn, as will all of the embellishments on the dress. A glued dress, especially on its seams, can tear easily and won’t be flattering. It also won’t last, so you can’t wear it again or will have trouble trying to resell it later.
Sometimes dresses that are glued together may even have glue spots or splotches on them.
There Isn’t A Lot of Information About the Material of the Dress Available
The dress’ label should have enough information on it that you feel you can make an informed decision about the material of the dress. A dress that isn’t well made has something to hide, and that is often what the dress is actually made out of. If there is no mention of the material on the tag, or a salesperson at the boutique can’t help you locate more information about the material, it isn’t good quality.
When You Pull Gently at the Seams, They Start to Rip
We don’t advocate going around destroying potential dresses to see if they’re well made, but a gentle tug at the seams can say a lot about a dress. If a gentle tug at the seams makes it feel like the dress will give way, then it’s probably not a well-made dress at all. You don’t need to pull hard enough that the dress will rip, you only need a gentle tug, and you’ll be able to tell if there’s an issue with the dress.
The Dress Feels Cheap
While you can absolutely buy a winning dress online, you should always try it on before the big event. Many dresses will need a bit of tailoring to get the right fit for you, so you’ll want to try it on several times before the big night.
If the dress simply feels cheap, that’s a big sign that it is. Of course, what feels cheap can be completely subjective, but most of us get that feeling when we put on a dress, and it doesn’t feel well made.
Often, a dress that feels cheap also won’t have any structure on the inside and will look a lot different than how it is advertised. It may also fit awkwardly and look very unflattering.
Of course, not every dress is flattering on every body type, but a dress that isn’t well made isn’t going to be flattering on most women.
The Patterns Don’t Match Up
Not all dresses have a pattern or texture, but if they do, they should match up at the seams. A dress that doesn’t do so is not well made and shows poor craftsmanship.
Buying a Well-Made Dress
If you’re frantically searching the web to find a well-made dress for your upcoming event, it may feel overwhelming. But, make sure you start on time and check out several different places, try the dresses before the event and even check the online stores. With a great organization, you can easily do it and simply let go at the event.
