At Alan Hannah we are very proud to have retained all the skills and traditions of real couture dressmaking. As we never tire of telling you, all our gowns are made to order for each individual bride here in our own workrooms. Designer Marguerite Hannah works hand in hand in a close partnership with the retailer on every dress which requires to be made to measure.

Here is how the process works. If you are lucky enough to fit more or less perfectly in one of our stock sizes then the shop will order the size you need or we may alter the pattern to achieve a better fit and then perhaps the retailer will make a few small alterations to make sure you have the perfect result. If you need the dress made to measure then we start the couture process.

The retailer will send us your measurements and we will make a special pattern to your measurements. We then make a “toile” bodice which is essentially a mock garment made in calico fabric. We then send this to the shop and they will call you for a fitting. The toile is then “fine tuned” and pinned to make an even closer fit. This is then returned to us and we will then follow any alterations which the retailer has advised and cut your dress in the final silk fabric. Dressmaking however skilled, is never a perfect science, and when the dress comes back to the shop it is possible that you may have gained or lost a little weight and the dress may need a small alteration at the last fitting. Whichever process we use to make your Alan Hannah dress you will know that from the designer downwards a hugely skilled and dedicated professional team has put together your dream dress in a very traditional and crafted way which is increasingly rare in these days of mass production and homogenous design.

The retailer will advise you of extra costs of having a made to measure dress.