WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SORAYA
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Blog post 1.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WARDROBE LOOK EXPENSIVE
According to Vogue Australia, turning to your tailor is one of the top ways to make your wardrobe look expensive! They write “Say goodbye to ill-fitted garments... taking your pieces that don't fit to a personal tailor—will see you from the office to dinner and back again, making you look very expensive whilst doing it”.
We couldn’t agree with this sentiment more! Whether you’re tailoring a Dolce and Gabbana Blazer or one from Target, having a piece that fits correctly, with the right lengths and proportions is what completes a look, making the outfit look put-together and expensive.
Visit one of our experience stylists for assistance tailoring and elevating your wardrobe today! To read the full Vogue Australia article click here.
Blog post 2.
VIP SERVICES
We value our VIP clients and are more than willing to go above and beyond to create excellent customer experiences for them. Who are our VIP clients you ask… all of our clients we want to treat as VIP’s! All of our services we offer to VIP clients can extent to anyone, just ask!
We offer private in-store fittings (before or after hours), pick up and drop off options to your home or office, urgent alterations and of course, our traveling tailor fitting service - bringing the alterations experience to the comfort and convenience of your home. If there’s anything else can we do to better your experience, please free to ask and if we can do it, we will! For any further information on the above offerings, including quotes and availability, please get in touch here.
Blog post 3.
ONLINE WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING
We caught a fantastic read by The Sydney Morning Herald discussing the rise of brides buying their wedding dresses online. One of the key points made by Tessa Jay was to “have a good alterations person” and we couldn’t agree more! She noted that “they can also add touches to make the dress your own” which we love so much and believe so strongly in.
At Soraya Tailoring, our specialised bridal boutique in Crows Nest has the most skilled and creative team who are passionate about making your dream dress a reality, regardless of where you bought it. Maybe all you need is the hem shortened or the bust taken in, we’re here for that. But maybe you want to add a bow or sleeves, remove skirt layers or straps, we can do all of that too.
Buying a wedding dress online can allow brides to find a wider range of styles, sizes and price points, giving a broader range of options to suit all needs. Some top tips mentioned in the article were to cross-check garment measurements and size charts to ensure you order the closest size to your body, to order fabric swatches and to not feel pressured to disclose where your dress is from or how much it cost.
Blog post 4.
THE TIMELESS TRENCH
We know it, we love it, the trench just keeps on coming back and we’re here for it! The trench coat is one of those staples that transcends time. With various styles, colours, lengths and design details, it remains a classic and an essential wardrobe must-have every winter… and spring and autumn for that matter!
When it comes to the trench coat, there is one brand that comes to mind. Burberry. The original trench coat designer that continues to bring out timeless staple variations along with amazing reinvented designs, year after year. They are unmatched for quality and style. If there was one wardrobe piece to invest in, this is it.
We are honoured to have a partnership with Burberry here in Sydney, tailoring their beautiful trench coats for their clients to get the right fit and right proportions. Enquire via our contact page or in-store for all your jacketing alterations and more.
Blog post 5.
SHOPPING TIPS TO MINIMISE YOUR ALTERATIONS
There are a few things you can look for when shopping to help you get a great fit, even before coming to us. See the below points to simplify your shopping and alterations, saving you time and money.
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For anyone that finds everything too long or too short, look at shopping in short/petit and long/tall ranges. You will find this offering in a lot in suiting as well as online shopping. It can be great starting point to not only avoid the alteration of shortening or lengthening, but also helps to get the correct proportions through the whole garment, i.e. the waistline sitting on the waist.
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When trying on garments, try on more than one size. You’ll be surprised at how much variation there is between sizes and being open to buying a different size than your normal, may save you a lot of when it comes to alterations. In particular, when buying tops, look for the best fit through the chest/bust/shoulders and for bottoms, look for the best fit through the hips/seat.
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When shopping for co-ordinates (be it a suit, a bikini or a matching top and trouser), be aware of the option of buying separates. Some brands will sell the two pieces individually, allowing you to get split sizes if you need it. This can save you time and money, taking in or letting out one piece to fit.
Blog post 6.
HOW CAN WE UPCYCLE OUR CLOTHES?
Upcycling our clothing is a great way to combat a range of growing concerns in today’s climate. From environmental issues through to the increasing cost of living, finding ways to work with garments we already own can be a fantastic solution. Perhaps you have a dress that you no longer wear, but it could be transformed into a top; jeans with worn knees that you could turn into shorts, a maxi skirt you love the fabric of but don’t feel like it suits you in an apparel sense, we could make cushion covers or a bag out of it. The options are endless! And don’t forget, if you love an item but it just needs some TLC to keep it in rotation, we can do a wonder of repairs too.
Blog post 7.
CUSTOM-MADE EXPLAINED
Ever wondered what is meant by the term Custom-Made? Or what the difference is between Made-to-order, Made-to-Measure and Bespoke?
When it comes to the variety of custom-made options, there are a few big and important differences to know. First off, made-to-order is exactly that, it is something that is not made until you order it, as opposed to buying ready-to-wear or off-the-rack garments. Made-to-order can have some customisable sizing, but not always. It is generally an existing design and not customised.
Made-to-measure is also custom made to order, but it involves customising the fit to your measurements. However, made-to-measure will still have a limited amount of fit options, not every detail is customisable, only a set selection. This option will usually have a basic set design, with some design details customisable.
Bespoke is your full custom-made service, making the entire design and fit, specifically for you. This option generally means all areas of the body fit are customised as needed and the design can be fully customised to meet your requests.
So the term ‘custom-made’ can really refer to any one of these, more often the second two, but depending on a businesses branding, sometimes all. Additionally, Bespoke services will generally include all alterations, whilst Made-to-measure may or may not include some alterations and made-to-order generally will not include any alterations. We recommend looking at the fine details of any custom-made purchases to see what is included and be able to plan for any alterations you may need to have done at your own tailor afterwards.
At Soraya Tailoring we offer Bespoke dressmaking and tailoring services - get in touch for a quote today! We can also offer our alterations services for any made-to-order or made-to-measure items you have purchased and need assistance with. We look forward to working with you in any way you need!
Blog post 8.
TAILORING TERMINOLOGY
Hem
A hem is the bottom edge of the fabric on a garment i.e. the hem of pant legs, the hem of a dress/skirt or the hem of a coat. Hems are generally stitched in a way to create a clean finish and stop the fabric from fraying, usually turned up or rolled up and stitched in place.
Break
A break refers to the fold sitting above the hem of the trouser legs. A ‘full break’ is a large crease formed by extra fabric sitting above the shoe, a ‘half break’ is exactly how it sounds - half as much fabric folding due to a shorter hem and lastly ‘no break’ can be achieved by shortening the hem to sit above the shoe and thus no overhanging fabric folding or ‘breaking’.
Dart
A dart is a seam created in the middle of a section of fabric, as opposed to a seam made by joining two pieces of fabric. Darts are commonly found on shirts, tops, dresses, skirts and trousers. They are used for shaping, enabling a flat fabric to curve to the body, especially through the chest, waist and hip.
Seam
A seam is where two edges of fabric are joined together. It occurs when joining two sections of the same piece of fabric, like a tube sleeve, or two separate pieces, like a front and back. There are many variations of seams used for different fabrics and functions, such as silks, denims, stretch fabrics etc.
Taper
Tapering in tailoring is equal to its meaning in the English language, it describes ‘gradual narrowing’. Tapering is very common for the legs of trousers, but can also describe slimming down skirts, jackets, sleeves, tops etc. It is essentially taking in the length of an area.
Vent
A vent is an open overlapping split at the bottom edge of a hem. It is commonly found on jackets and coats, particularly on the back, at the bottom edge of a jacket. The function of a vent is to allow the hem to widen as needed - i.e. to fit comfortably over the hips and offer increased mobility.
Seam Allowance
Seam allowance refers to the additional fabric on the inside of a seam, not seen from the exterior of a garment. It is usually 6mm, 10mm or 12mm, with some garments specifically designed with more if they are intended to be let out to make them larger. The seam allowance is given for machinists to construct the garment with ease and can also allow them to put marks or 'notches' in areas to ensure seams are matched together correctly.
Pleat
A pleat is a section of fabric that is doubled back on itself and secured in place, creating a fold or tuck. In terms of functionality, they are used to create more space in a garment, for fit, comfort and movement. They allow a large area of fabric to be narrowed into a smaller area - i.e. hip to waist.
Bias
Bias-cut garments refer to those made with fabric that is cut on a 45-degree angle, as opposed to on a straight grain. When cut at this angle, woven fabric moves and naturally stretches to hug the body. Bias fabric is commonly used in women’s fashion, especially for dresses and skirts, but can also be used for some styles of tops.
Fusing
Fusing is a type of fabric that is used to support, thicken and strengthen another fabric. It is usually produced with an all-over glue, which is heat pressed to the fabric needing support - fusing them together, hence the name ‘fusing’. It is commonly used in tailoring, especially for jackets and blazers. It is also used in small fiddly areas of garments, such as pockets, plackets, belts etc.
Placket
A placket is an opening or split on a garment, usually accompanied by a form of fastening, such as buttons. The placket is usually finished in a way that seals, strengthens and supports the edges, often by adding extra fabric. This also helps to support any additional buttons, zips, hooks etc. Plackets are commonly found on shirts, the front button closure of a shirt has a placket, as does the cuff of the sleeve. They are also common on jackets as well.
Overlock
An overlocker is a type of machine used in sewing and tailoring. It cuts and seals the edge of the fabric. It is most commonly used for unlined garments to stop the seam edges from fraying. Overlocking can additionally be used to join two edges of fabric as a seam, usually done for stretch fabrics. It can also be used to edge the bottom of a hem - in this scenario, a specific overlocker called a ‘baby lock’ machine is used to create a very small, neat and tight edge finish.
Rise
The rise describes how high up a trouser waistband sits on the hip or waist. A high-rise pant may sit on or above the natural waist, while a low-rise pant may sit lower down on the hip bones. The rise can further describe the actual measurement of this distance, from the crotch seam to the waistband.
Blog post 9.
HOW TO WASH YOUR JEANS
Firstly, you don’t need to wash your jeans after every wear, rather every few wears will suffice. Washing too regularly will ultimately reduce the lifespan of your jeans. It can cause early fading, stretching, weakness and loss of shape over time. The exception of course is to wash as needed in the occurrence of spills and stains.
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Turn your jeans inside out before washing to help prevent the colour from rubbing and fading.
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Wash in cold water to prevent the dye from bleeding or running.
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Select a gentle or delicate cycle on your washing machine to help prevent any unnecessary wear and tear.
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Use a mild detergent and if possible one that is specifically formulated for dark colours or denim.
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Don’t use fabric softeners or bleach.
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Air dry in the shade to help preserve the shape and life of the denim. Using dryers can potentially shrink jeans, whilst also breaking down the fibres faster.
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