We have been taking a look at the recent resurgence of demand for Made in Britain goods. Do you think it is worth paying up for goods made here in the UK from start to finish? Does this guarantee you quality, is the old saying ‘You get what you pay for’ true? We undertook a recent poll of brides to see whether they would be prepared to pay more for a wedding dress completely ‘Made in Britain’, and we were very surprised by the positive results we got back. Many of you said you would be more than happy to pay extra in the knowledge that you were receiving a dress made completely in the UK. It was generally felt that quality and finish would be visibly better by doing so, and most felt better service would be obtained this way. A number of you cited horror stories of dresses ordered cheaply which turned out to be poor quality copies. Some of these brides had the expense then of buying another dress in time for the wedding – often incurring rush charges on top at that point! When you read some of these stories you can understand why people are once again reflecting on the desirability of a ‘British’ dress, no matter what it may cost! We spoke to Victoria of Look Darling to ask about their recent decision to branch out into a higher end collection that is totally ‘Made in Britain’: “Following a lot of research into bride’s buying trends, we took the decision that the time was right to introduce a higher end Couture Collection for our brides. We had received a number of enquiries for wedding dresses that were British made and sourced and thought this was definitely worth following up. Having carried out a few opinion polls it seemed that the trend was turning and brides were turning away from the cheap deals, and were seriously considering investing that bit extra to ensure quality. On the back of this we decided to take a leap of faith and undertook a lengthy search for a UK designer who not only made the dresses in the UK, but could also offer us a range of tea length alternatives. We are absolutely delighted to announce that we have partnered with Lyn Ashworth by Sarah Barrett to bring a Couture Collection of British made tea length gowns of stunning quality. Very few British designers have developed a full range of tea length dresses to fit so wonderfully with our niche bridal wear range, so we were over the moon to find a full collection that was impressive in both style and quality. The Lyn Ashworth Couture Collection is continuing under the inspiration of British designer Sarah Barrett, who has recently taken over the company. Sarah wishes to keep the ethos of the company the same, beautifully hand crafted couture that is proudly ‘Made in England’. The ultimate in elegance, where attention to detail, cut, fit and drape is paramount. All of Sarah’s dresses are created with great care and attention to the important little details that matter most. They all have an inner corset that ensures a beautiful fit to every figure and makes you confident that you are comfortable and secure for your big day! Each dress is made by one dressmaker from start to finish in their beautiful studio in the middle of the English countryside. Sarah’s designs are made from exquisite fabrics and where possible, locally sourced. The 2014 Collection encompasses beautiful English lace, sourced in a breath-taking old mill that is less than an hour away from the studio, in the heart of England’s lace triangle. All the dresses are designed to carefully flatter every figure. The styles are aimed to provide timeless and elegant structure with a modern twist, whilst retaining the romantic and feminine soft fabrics that swirl and move with the bride as they did in years gone by. We are thrilled to be able to add this collection to our range and hope that it will help us to meet the demand for the discerning ‘Made in Britain’ brides! For the first month we have an introductory offer on these dresses of 10% discount, which we hope will tempt our brides to book that appointment now!” Sarah’s comment on the new partnership: ‘We are so excited about our new partnership with Look Darling. To be able to offer made in England couture wedding dresses to a boutique that specializes in shorter length and fifties style gowns is fantastic. We have really noticed an increase in popularity for our tea length skirted gowns this year. Our brides simply adore the ready-to-wear element of the style and the unfussy silhouette glides effortlessly from aisle-to-reception in comfort and elegance. Of course it also means that brides get to indulge in a pair of stunning shoes, the most important accessory to pair with a tea length dress!’ Courtesy of www.lookdarling.com and www.lynashworth.co.uk
We have been taking a look at the recent resurgence of demand for Made in Britain goods. Do you think it is worth paying up for goods made here in the UK from start to finish? Does this guarantee you quality, is the old saying ‘You get what you pay for’ true? We undertook a recent poll of brides to see whether they would be prepared to pay more for a wedding dress completely ‘Made in Britain’, and we were very surprised by the positive results we got back. Many of you said you would be more than happy to pay extra in the knowledge that you were receiving a dress made completely in the UK. It was generally felt that quality and finish would be visibly better by doing so, and most felt better service would be obtained this way. A number of you cited horror stories of dresses ordered cheaply which turned out to be poor quality copies. Some of these brides had the expense then of buying another dress in time for the wedding – often incurring rush charges on top at that point! When you read some of these stories you can understand why people are once again reflecting on the desirability of a ‘British’ dress, no matter what it may cost! We spoke to Victoria of Look Darling to ask about their recent decision to branch out into a higher end collection that is totally ‘Made in Britain’: “Following a lot of research into bride’s buying trends, we took the decision that the time was right to introduce a higher end Couture Collection for our brides. We had received a number of enquiries for wedding dresses that were British made and sourced and thought this was definitely worth following up. Having carried out a few opinion polls it seemed that the trend was turning and brides were turning away from the cheap deals, and were seriously considering investing that bit extra to ensure quality. On the back of this we decided to take a leap of faith and undertook a lengthy search for a UK designer who not only made the dresses in the UK, but could also offer us a range of tea length alternatives. We are absolutely delighted to announce that we have partnered with Lyn Ashworth by Sarah Barrett to bring a Couture Collection of British made tea length gowns of stunning quality. Very few British designers have developed a full range of tea length dresses to fit so wonderfully with our niche bridal wear range, so we were over the moon to find a full collection that was impressive in both style and quality. The Lyn Ashworth Couture Collection is continuing under the inspiration of British designer Sarah Barrett, who has recently taken over the company. Sarah wishes to keep the ethos of the company the same, beautifully hand crafted couture that is proudly ‘Made in England’. The ultimate in elegance, where attention to detail, cut, fit and drape is paramount. All of Sarah’s dresses are created with great care and attention to the important little details that matter most. They all have an inner corset that ensures a beautiful fit to every figure and makes you confident that you are comfortable and secure for your big day! Each dress is made by one dressmaker from start to finish in their beautiful studio in the middle of the English countryside. Sarah’s designs are made from exquisite fabrics and where possible, locally sourced. The 2014 Collection encompasses beautiful English lace, sourced in a breath-taking old mill that is less than an hour away from the studio, in the heart of England’s lace triangle. All the dresses are designed to carefully flatter every figure. The styles are aimed to provide timeless and elegant structure with a modern twist, whilst retaining the romantic and feminine soft fabrics that swirl and move with the bride as they did in years gone by. We are thrilled to be able to add this collection to our range and hope that it will help us to meet the demand for the discerning ‘Made in Britain’ brides! For the first month we have an introductory offer on these dresses of 10% discount, which we hope will tempt our brides to book that appointment now!” Sarah’s comment on the new partnership: ‘We are so excited about our new partnership with Look Darling. To be able to offer made in England couture wedding dresses to a boutique that specializes in shorter length and fifties style gowns is fantastic. We have really noticed an increase in popularity for our tea length skirted gowns this year. Our brides simply adore the ready-to-wear element of the style and the unfussy silhouette glides effortlessly from aisle-to-reception in comfort and elegance. Of course it also means that brides get to indulge in a pair of stunning shoes, the most important accessory to pair with a tea length dress!’ Courtesy of www.lookdarling.com and www.lynashworth.co.uk
