The Cost of Custom Sizing

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There is nothing quite like a piece of clothing that fits you perfectly! Many lolita fashion brands, specifically indie lolita brands, offer a custom tailor fee for their pieces. This option is wonderful for lolitas that desire apparel made to their measurements. As a plus size lolita, many of the articles in my lolita wardrobe have been tailored made for me. I have smaller friends that need to have items made to their measurements as well.

​Here are 3 ways to combat custom sizing.

©Strawberry Rabbit, SouffleSong

Buy the Available Size

Even the most popular lolita brands create items that can accommodate customers larger or smaller than the "standard" size. The gathered material, known as shirring, is the most common feature to allow for a wider range of sizes. Many of the indie and name-brand lolita dresses feature partial or full shirring. If the dresses do not feature shirring, these items are often smaller than the typical size.

©Eternal Carnival Special JSK Set, Angelic Pretty

©Melty Berry Princess, Angelic Pretty

Indie lolita brands tend to have much more size diversity than the name-brand lolita companies. Instead of just S, M and L, quite a few indie fashion brands offer XL and beyond without the need to pay a custom sizing fee! Be sure to check out the sizing table before you complete your purchase.
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Custom Size Your Main Piece

If the need to create a custom size is inevitable, choose to pay the custom sizing fee on your main piece. This is especially true if you love the dress or skirt that you wish to purchase. To have the centerpiece of your coordinate to be one you adore is well worth the price for the personal value.

While you may need to pay the added fee to have your main piece tailor-made, this is not the case for the other coordinate needs. There are quite a few quality indie Lolita brands that offer a custom tailor option for free! From blouses to petticoats, here are a few brands that have you covered:

• blouses, dresses, underskirts, boleros •

• blouses, dresses, underskirts, overskirts, boleros •

• blouses, petticoats, bloomers, underskirts and underdresses •
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Do It Yourself!

If you have the skills and the patience to alter or create items yourself, that's amazing! You should absolutely take advantage of those skills. There are many free and paid resources to do-it-yourself lolita patterns. Otome no Sewing and the Gothic & Lolita Bible series have pattern inserts to help you make your own lolita items. Shops like TeaandTreadle on Etsy have a wide array of patterns to choose from. Whether you would like to create a blouse or a dress, there are tutorials to assist you.

A seasoned tailor may find the challenge of lolita alterations exhilarating! If you are interested in some tutorials so you are able to make these adjustments yourself, there are some great resources online. For those of us who are not comfortable adjusting any of our lolita garments, there is always the option to connect with a talented tailor for an alteration service. I have a trusted seamstress that I could take my items to if needed. If there is a chance to get my hands on a few highly desired garments that can be altered, you'd better believe that I would snatch them up in a heartbeat!

What are some of your tips on custom sizing? I would always love to read your responses!

​Stay Frilly,