BUYING VS. SEWING
For women and girls over the age of 14, the price
differential between buying and sewing narrows significantly.
Whether you're looking for something reasonably priced or
expensive, it's worthwhile to compare prices between stores
and seamstresses.
One of the biggest concerns women have about using a
seamstress is whether what they choose will look right on
them. "There are many women who won't go to a seamstress
because they don't know what they want: they'd rather go to
the stores to find it," comments professional seamstress Judy
Singer. "Conversely, they want something they saw two years
ago that isn't in fashion any more."
Even if you don't care about fashion, you don't want to be
the only one at your wedding wearing a floral print while
everyone else is wearing solids, Mrs. Singer explains. Black
is still popular now but it's no longer the height of
fashion; bordeaux (a color between violet and red) and greens
are now `in.' Five years of plain round necklines have bowed
out to a soft, cowl type top, and sleeves sport a long, cone
shaped cuff.
"Look at what other people are wearing at simchas and
check store windows so you know more or less what you want
and what's in style before you buy," suggests Mrs. Singer.
If you decide to use a seamstress, make sure she has enough
time to complete your order. Four to six weeks is a
reasonable amount of time in which to expect one (or more)
finished garments. Ask for a total price up front, even if
it's a high end estimate. "Don't use a seamstress who says,
`I work by the hour,' " Mrs. Singer cautions. "Then you'll
pay more than what you think it's going to cost."
"I tried to go cheap and everything that could have gone
wrong, did," admits Mrs. Z. after her first simcha. "I
found a seamstress who was very cheap and I got what I paid
for -- she took too much time and made too many major
mistakes. I had to run around buying her buttons and threads,
went four times for fittings because she kept losing my
measurements, got my dress the night before my simcha
and I wasn't even happy with it. Next time I will spend twice
the amount to go to a real professional. The aggravation
wasn't worth any of the money I saved."
When it comes to teenagers, buying or sewing fancy dresses
may not pay off in the long run. The long gowns Mrs. Z. had
sewn for her two teen daughters are now hanging in the
closets, unused.
"I bought inexpensive material, but the gowns we made were
too fancy," she says regretfully. "I should have spent more
money to make good dresses that the girls could continue to
wear on Shabbos. And my three younger sons all wanted to look
grown-up with suits, ties and belts -- all of which are now
hanging in their closets, unused."
Several mothers recommended choosing teen gown styles that
can be shortened later. One mother had a seamstress make a
long black jumper tied with a sash and bow for her teenage
daughter to wear over a satiny bordeaux blouse to the
wedding. Afterward, she trimmed a few centimers off the
length and removed the sash so her daughter could wear the
same jumper on Shabbos with a more conservative blouse.
A final word on buying and sewing: "If you end up buying
something that doesn't fit well, don't expect a seamstress to
wave a magic wand over it," Mrs. Singer warns. "You'll end up
paying a lot more money for alterations. Stay away from
bargains that don't fit."
Simcha Rentals
Combining the ease of borrowing with the assurance of wearing
something new and in season, rentals have emerged as a
popular option for mothers, grandmothers and teens over the
past five years. Rental shops offer new or like-new clothing
at less than half the price of buying or sewing, and allow
customers to take their gowns to simchas overseas.
"Because many women won't be wearing their simcha
dress again right away, they think, "Why should I spend money
on something that will soon be out of season or out of
fashion?" notes Miri Grossman, owner and designer of Sister
of the Bride in Sanhedria. "With a rental, a mother can feel
good that she's wearing a dress that was made within the last
three months and which could even be brand new. I'm getting
less and less business for custom sewing because people
realize that renting is so much more affordable."
Rental fashions are guaranteed to be new because the elegant
materials they use -- velvets, silks, satins, beading and
embroidery -- simply don't hold up under repeated dry
cleanings in between customers. Before a season is over, Mrs.
Grossman will retire a quarter of the winter gowns and half
of the summer gowns from her collection, and sew new ones to
replace them.
Gown rentals for women and teens range from 500-1,000
shekels; there are shops that charge up to 1,500 shekels.
Alterations typically add another 50-125 shekels to the bill.
"If a person has to spend more than 125 shekels on
alterations, we encourage her not to take the gown," Mrs.
Grossman says.
Rental customers pay a non-refundable deposit (between 20%-
50% of the total cost) at the time of ordering. This deposit
is credited toward the final bill. It should be noted that if
one signs a rental agreement and then decides not to wear the
gown for any reason, she forfeits this deposit.
The responsibility for dry cleaning the gown before it
is worn also falls on the customer. "I don't have the gowns
dry cleaned after they're worn because many people come in to
try them on," explains Mrs. Grossman. "Everyone wants a fresh
gown to wear to her simcha. We make people very aware
of the prices at the beginning so they know what they're
getting into."
Simcha Gemachim
Ten years ago, many Israeli women were horrified by the
thought of wearing a used dress to their wedding, relates
Esther Ruchi Reichman, found of one of the first and most
famous simcha gemachim in Eretz Yisroel. "Today, it's
become an institution and people are used to it. Even
teenagers are happy to come, because we have more up-to-date
styles than we used to, thanks to Sari Dress Rental in
Flatbush which sends its surplus to us."
Borrowing simcha dresses also lost its stigma due to
the variety of women who patronize this service. Mrs.
Reichman started her chessed to benefit families of
Bnei Torah, but she accepts clients from all socio- economic
and religious circles. "The ones who can afford to buy a gown
new, but who come nevertheless, legitimize it for those who
can't afford it," she comments.
"My gemach is set up like a store, which reinforces
the impression that it's not an embarrassment to take from a
gemach."
The quality of dresses has also improved dramatically. New
and like-new gowns are donated regularly from abroad. And
some well-preserved gowns never go out of fashion. "I never
know what to throw out because I'm amazed at what people
want," says Fayge Parker, who just opened Chasdei Rivka Dina
in Har Nof with several hundred long gowns and short, dressy
suits for women and girls aged 12 and up. "In fact, I put in
the dress my mother-in-law wore to my wedding 27 years ago,
and several people have already tried it on."
Typically, simcha gemachim levy a 200 shekel security
deposit, refundable upon return of the gown. The customer
pays for dry cleaning, which isn't necessarily cheap. A full-
sized dress for a young teen can cost anywhere from 70-150
shekels, depending on which dry cleaner the gemach
specifies. A long satin gown with petticoat starts at 70
shekels; a beaded top cost 45 shekels or more.
If you find what you want at a simcha gemach, you have
some leeway in tailoring it to your own tastes. You won't be
allowed to resize or remake a dress, but you may take it in
at the sides, hem it, and add snaps or even trimming.
Simcha gemachim also let you shop ahead; you can take
home your selection a month or two before your wedding, and
take it to an overseas event.
Simcha gemachim provide an opportunity for women of
all ages to perpetuate the chain of chessed. "There
are so many women who have beautiful gowns in the closets
that they'll never wear again," says Mrs. Parker. "We welcome
their donations."
[We would like to ditto that comment with regards to clothing
gemachs which are desperate for Purim costumes and will
gladly accept gowns no longer serviceable, ditto for
accessories, as well as sheitels etc. in general!]
Aufruf and Sheva Brachos
The many celebrations surrounding the wedding present more
challenges in the clothing department. Many mothers would
like to wear something different to the aufruf,
wedding, and Shabbos Sheva Brachos, but their budgets don't
always agree.
"One idea is to buy or sew a basic dress and add a chiffon or
sleeveless jacket to wear over it," suggests Mrs. Singer.
"That gives you several different looks."
"I wore my basic black dress plain, with gold jewelry, and
with silver jewelry," says Mrs. F. "It really looked like
three different outfits."
"I generally buy outfits with classic lines and avoid
youthful looking styles that won't last more than two
season," adds Mrs. D. "And if you know what colors look good
on you, you'll always look good even if you're not in the
height of fashion."
[And repeating another great idea: borrowing a clothing rack
from a gemach to store the long and sometimes fluffy
extra clothing before a simcha. Listed in Madrich
Chareidi.]
