Inside a Couture Gown



For a military ball, the Colonel's wife
looks elegant, feminine, and dignified in iridescent blue silk taffeta.


































In the Ready- To-Wear world, shopping for an evening gown that fits and has sleeves can be an exercise in frustration and humiliation.

With a custom made gown, you get exactly the dress that you want and need, with friendly, warm, supportive service.

There's more to a hand made gown than just what you see on the outside.

With custom, you get much better construction techniques than in RTW, and those techniques make the garment attractive and wearable. Like the engine in a car, what's in the inside of a garment is what really makes it run. 

For example, couture gowns are usually underlined, often with silk organza. The term refers to the process of adding an extra layer of fabric to the inside of each garment piece and treating the "sandwich" as if it were one piece of material. Underlining supports the intended architecture of the garment, helps prevent seam slippage (that fraying and shredding along seam lines in closely fitted garments),  and it conceals inner construction details such as seam allowances and dart folds. It adds opacity for light colored garments, and it substitutes for a lining. Note that typically RTW garments use linings rather than underlinings because the construction to make them is cheaper. However, linings can often cause distortion on the outside of the garment, so except for outerwear, they are seldom used in couture clothing. 

Lots of little touches of hand work distinguish the inside of a couture garment.


The inside of the waistband is sewn down by hand with a tiny pick stitch.

  

The end of the zipper is bound to prevent poking.

 

 


The hem is supported by two inch wide nylon braid for a beautiful flare, and the hand hem stitches go through the organza only, so no stitches show on the right side of the skirt.

   


Simple on the outside and complex on the inside:  jacket seam allowances are clipped to allow the curved shape of the garment pieces to conform to the curves of the body, finished to prevent raveling, and pressed open to reduce bulk and enhance the drape of the garment (no 1/4" serger seams!); facings are lined for a smooth finish and tacked by hand to stay in place;  two layers of narrow nylon braid supports the shape of the bust curve in the front princess seams.

 


The armscye is hand bound in organza for comfort.

   



Sturdy snaps on the underlap hold the jacket closed, hand covered in matching taffeta.




And on the underlap.






Hem lace for a bit of pretty.

 


Each piece is signed and dated, and made in the USA!



The next time you go shopping and you can't find what you want, look inside the RTW garments and you'll realize how little you get!

For quality construction and fabrication, contact Barbara Deckert Couture!