Anyone ever had clothes made for them?

[GrumpyOldHorsewoman]

Have a fab skirt, needs a jacket.

Was considering getting one made, but is it very expensive? Also what happens about pattern/design/fabric choice etc? I know what I want - can't find it anywhere - so thought I'd go bespoke, but don't know how to approach it.

Have you seen a good pattern for what you want or something very like it a dressmaker could work with?

Obviously recommendation is best. There's a fair bit of work in making a fitted lined jacket. I've had dresses made on occasion. Think I might get something straight forward done first and see how I liked the workmanship/fit etc before having a jacket made up in expensive cloth.

Haven't actually seen anything I want yet, but have a fair idea - fitted jacket, preferably in duck egg shantung silk. Hence the difficulty!

Recommendations are hard to come by, as I haven't lived in this area that long, and don't know many people. In fact, I will be surprised if I can find a dressmaker in these parts at all. I'm just desperate to get a jacket done before the summer.

Is there a good quality bridal shop near you. They might have dressmakers who make things up to order.

With dresses, I knew what I wanted but couldn't buy it and being petite it's always a hassle anyway (stoutish petite these days). I'd flick through Vogue and see if I could find a dress pattern that was more or less what I had in mind and then discuss it with the dressmaker and she'd make it up. I was happy with the things I had made.

Thanks for that - had never thought of a bridal shop. There must be one of those nearby.

Fabric shops that sell dress fabrics (rather than upholstery fabrics) often have lists of dressmakers too. I used a dressmaker that I found this way to make an evening dress that I was very pleased but it was 20 years ago, when I still had a social life.

I've had clothes made for years, cos I'm not a regular shape, and the lady who did all my alterations eventually pointed out that it would actually be easxier to make things from scratch than take stuff to pieces. It doesn't work out any more expensive than buying good quality clothes (altho you will be shocked at the price if you normally shop at primark).

I love it, because I can see some gorgeous fabric and buy it, then either look for a pattern, or just discuss with myu lady what I want and she'll do it. Mind you, she is VERY talented, so much so that I drive a 55 mile trip to see her. I did try someone nearer when I was pg, very dissapointing.

I don't know how you find someone good, but I'd look in the local paper for someone advertising doing wedding dresses and so forth.

Oh, and for a fitted jacket, you may be better asking a tailor.

My dressmaker doesn't do fitted jackets, she says tailoring is a specialist skill.

So try yellow pages for a tailor.`