Behind the Dress: Victoria (Part 1)

In another edition of Behind the Dress, our lovely client Victoria shares her journey with us on tailoring and the process of making her envisioned dress comes to life.

First venture to tailoring

Victoria and her husband, Yuan, ventured into tailoring first with Assemble, where they originally intended to get a matching suit for their simple ROM.

"Before stepping foot into Assemble, we were dismayed and a little abashed that the cuts offered by high street brands or even places that were known for tailoring of shirts and pants fell short in terms of cut, quality, and knowledge/advice. Yuan isn’t the leanest of bodies after going to the gym five times a week, and off-the-shelf jackets and pants aged him twenty years or so."

With that, they did their research and decided to go to Assemble, in search of their matching and practical suit. Taking in their occasion, needs, and wants, our tailor, Ken recommended the couple for a matching pair of safari jackets.

"Ken was very patient and thorough to explain the different fabrics and their traits, as well as what we could expect from them in terms of their look, feel and comfort if we were to choose them. We ultimately went with his recommendation of safari jackets for a more versatile and functional feel in the choice of linen and a simple cotton weave for our pants. We couldn’t have been happier for the outfits were so easy to maneuver in when we were having our pre-wedding shoot. Even in the hot sun, Yuan who perspires easily was still dry after shooting quite a bit outdoors!"

Change of Plans

"However, as time passed, the simple ROM ceremony evolved into a Holy Matrimony cum Wedding Luncheon. With how flattering the fits were for our safari jackets and pants – it was a no-brainer that Yuan went back to Assemble to design a proper suit. With so many different fabrics to choose from, we were presented with a curated selection of fabrics within our budget and what was deemed to work best for Yuan’s body type as well as its comfortability."

At first, Victoria did not think much of her outfit as she had never taken fancy to wedding gowns until Yuan collected his suit from Assemble. 

"Mermaid cuts, sparkly gowns, or nude and lace combinations with long trains were too much fuss, and the classic A-skirt Cinderella gowns were hardly appropriate for the occasion and venue. After much deliberation, I thought wise of myself to order a dress from an Australian high street brand – in favor of its Victorian-inspired design whilst maintaining a modern look but alas, I found was met with disappointment and panic when I tried it on."

She realized that her body was not suited for Western cuts, in which the smallest size was still 2 sizes too large for her. "Standing at 1.64cm with a rather compact frame despite larger thighs and chest, I often found myself struggling whenever I shopped for bottoms or tops – because they never really fit my body proportions right. With only three weeks to work with, I prayed that Accent would be my saving grace – I wasn’t sure if it was worth spending on another dress, only to have it shipped to my dismay. I’m truly grateful to Lyn, Tai Ann, and their team for accepting this urgent order of mine on such short notice!"

Thank you Victoria for sharing with us on your journey to tailoring. You can read the Part 2 here, where she will be sharing more about behind the dress and the process of making her visions come true!

Victoria is wearing a Custom Safari Jacket and Bespoke Silk Satin Dress from Accent. Kiew Yuan is wearing a Custom Safari Jacket and 100% Wool 3-piece Suit from Assemble.

photos: @thegoodcitizen.sg