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 CUSTOM DEBS DRESSES
- DESIGN IT YOURSELF DEBUTANTES
If you have a flair for clothes and creativity, designing your own dress can be a great way to showcase your talent.
Celebrity Inspiration
Like many people with an eye for fashion, Johanna Carr drew inspiration from one of her ultimate style icons, Gwen Stefani, and added her own personal touch. The idea for her dress came from Stefani’s John Galliano wedding dress and the fabric she chose was a light-reflecting dark pink satin with a sheer black material covering it.
“At the time, one-shoulder dresses were all in so I decided on a one-shoulder creation. The skirt had a big tail in the back and was made from two different materials.” Joanna wanted to draw attention to the fishtail detail by leaving the pink satin exposed in contrast with the black of the main skirt.
But let’s face it, few of us can afford high-profile designers like John Galliano so you have to be realistic when it comes to design, dressmaker and fabric. One of the best ways to cut costs is to make the dress yourself or ask someone you know who’s nifty with a needle and thread.
Joanna was lucky to have an aunt who could make her dream dress and once her measurements had been taken it didn’t take long to make. All she had to worry about was the cost of the fabric – around €100. “It was cheaper because my aunty didn’t charge, although, obviously I bought her a present to say thank you!”
Unique Creation
Business graduate and aspiring designer Karen Muckian had a fearless attitude to fashion when she went to her Debs ball. Her unique creation certainly turned heads. “I wanted something that would incorporate my personality and that reflected who I am.”
Her dress had a red mermaid skirt and a tight animal print corset. The skirt was a bold mix of cotton with silk thread woven through the fabric that shimmered in the light. Her unusual corset was made of the same red material but the main focus was on the animal print fur.
Although Karen designed her own dress she enlisted the help of a professional dressmaker. It cost around €250 to make, including the cost of fabric. “I was delighted with the look. I can look back and see that I had something that was not run-of-the mill.”
Alter A Pattern
Laura Keeley from Tallaght used a catalogue pattern from Hickeys for her Debs dress and her aunt altered parts of the pattern to make the dress edgier to reflect her style. The dress took about two weeks to make and cost Laura €200. She was thrilled with the final result.
“Everything fitted perfectly together – bag, shoes, make-up and eventually my hair! Everybody thought my dress was really unusual. The best part was no one had anything even slightly like my dress!”
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TIPS
FOR A CUSTOM DEBS DRESS
Get inspired – make a billboard
with magazine cut-outs of the latest trends, celebrity style or
catwalk fashion and collect fabric samples
You don’t have to be great at art...
...to create a fabulous design – buy a pattern or a dress off-the-rack
and customise it to your taste
Shop around for the best price –
and the best reputation – if you are hiring a dressmaker,
or cut costs by asking someone you know to make the dress
Be organised – give yourself plenty
of time before the Debs to allow for any hiccups along the way
Be bold – the idea is to showcase
your creative flair so use your imagination
COSTS
Depending on the quality, three to four metres of fabric will cost
around €100.
A dressmaker can cost €250-400.
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