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**Paging Chellebelle- bolero questions**

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havernell

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I''m hoping you still check the BWW board even though you are married now, Chellebelle, because I have a quick question for you (or for anyone else who has had a bolero made).

I am thinking about getting a bolero to go along with my dress. I remember you said you had yours made for you (it was really gorgeous by the way). Could you tell me about the process? A few specific questions I have are:

Did you just give the seamstress photos of what you wanted or did you find a pattern?
What kind of lace is your bolero made from?
Did you pick out the lace yourself and bring it to a seamstress or did the seamstress source the material for you?
If you don''t mind, how much did the whole thing cost (materials and labor)?
Any other tips/hints?

Thanks for any info!
 

October2008bride

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Not Chellebelle here (obviously!) but as far as I recall she had it made by the dress designer - Lea-Ann Belter. Hope that helps!
 

Morgie44

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I''m butting in, because I am hoping to add a bolero to my dress as well, but on a tight budget. Anyways, this seller on Etsy makes custom boleros. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=13253217

I also believe someone posted about the Jenny Yoo bridesmaid dress collection having boleros as well.
 

jcrow

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you bet me to it morgie! that''s who i was going to post about as well!
 

havernell

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Oooh, thanks to all three of you for the useful information! October, I knew Chellebelle''s dress was from Lea-Ann Belter, but I didn''t realize that''s where she had the bolero made too. Thanks for filling me in.

And Morgie and jcrow, thanks for the great suggestions! Both the etsy seller and Jenny Yoo look like really good options! I''m very excited. You ladies rock! Thanks again!
 

surfgirl

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I had a lace bolero made and to answer your questions:

1. I had the dress maker make a muslim mock up first, and from that she told me how much lace to get.

2. Finding good quality lace is difficult! I had my bolero made from Alencon lace and not only is it difficult to find high quality Alencon, but in champagne it''s ever more difficult. If you want white or ivory it will be easier to find. Alencon is the type of lace that Monique Lhullier and Jim Hjelm use. It''s gorgeous but costs about $50/yd at the cheapest. You can also get Chantilly, which is cheaper and easier to find but it''s thinner. The Alencon holds its form better, IMO.

3. We also decided to put in an inner lining of champagne tulle to bring the color closer to my dress and to add more body to the bolero.

4. Pricing is very arbitrary. I was lucky in that I paid about $225. for all the materials and the making of the bolero but there was another seamstress who wanted $250 just to make it, not including the lace, which is $$$.

I''d be sure you find a seamstress who specializes in wedding dresses, not your general seamstress repair person. You can get references from higher end fabric stores, check the yellow pages, and let people her know where you live, maybe someone knows someone...I''ll try to post a photo if I can find one..
 

surfgirl

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Here's a not so great photo of my wedding bolero...

You really need someone who knows how to work with fine lace to do this for you. For example, all the edging needed to be hand cut around the edges without cutting into the lace. And the scalloped effect around the neckline has to be matched on each side so it's not lopsided, etc. IIRC, the liner tulle also needs to be hand sewn onto the lace.
 

surfgirl

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Here''s a better photo of it all put together for real...
 

Guilty Pleasure

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surfgirl, I am in love with your bolero! hmmm, so what type of necklines do y''all think look good with a bolero. Obviously, the spaghetti straps and the strapless, but how about other necklines? Have y''all seen it done before?
 

surfgirl

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Guilty Pleasure, I think the necklines you mentioned - strapless of any type, thinner straps, etc. - work well with a bolero. But you also have to consider the type of fabric on the dress as well, especially the bodice. Some people try to match the lace trim if they have a simple dress with lace trim. Others want a contrast. I had a dress with plain bobinette tulle, which is very fine tulle, so I wanted a textural contrast and I wanted lace to make it more bridal. If you have a dress with alot of embellishments though, I think a bolero/jacket only looks good in a plain simple fabric like satin or silk.
 

havernell

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Surfgirl. Wow, thanks for giving me the low down on getting a bolero made. Very useful information! Yours turned out very well! It''s beautiful and really visually interesting against the lines of your gown. Sounds like a labor intensive process though- no wonder it''s not cheap! If I decide to go the custom made route I will definitely scout around for a seamstress who has experience with lace. Great tip!

Thanks again- I really appreciate it!
 

Guilty Pleasure

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Date: 7/16/2008 1:17:12 PM
Author: surfgirl
Guilty Pleasure, I think the necklines you mentioned - strapless of any type, thinner straps, etc. - work well with a bolero. But you also have to consider the type of fabric on the dress as well, especially the bodice. Some people try to match the lace trim if they have a simple dress with lace trim. Others want a contrast. I had a dress with plain bobinette tulle, which is very fine tulle, so I wanted a textural contrast and I wanted lace to make it more bridal. If you have a dress with alot of embellishments though, I think a bolero/jacket only looks good in a plain simple fabric like satin or silk.


I would be going the same route. I am not engaged, so no dress... yet
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However, I know that I love lace, and I also love not paying an arm and a leg for a fancy bridal gown. I figure having a simple dress with a pretty lace bolero like yours would be a great compromise. Plus, I could wear that bolero again possibly.
 

surfgirl

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You're welcome havernell...but actually my bolero WAS cheap. VERY cheap! Monique Lhullier's boleros start at about $950! And Jim Hjelm's not far from there. Going custom was actually much cheaper.

Guilty Pleasure, I totally plan on keeping my lace bolero and wearing it again! I think with a plain white t and jeans it could look really nice. I'm still deciding whether or not to cut my wedding dress and make it shorter for a cocktail length but either way, the bolero will stay in my closet for life...
 

chellebelle

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Date: 7/14/2008 6:49:28 AM
Author:havernell
I'm hoping you still check the BWW board even though you are married now, Chellebelle, because I have a quick question for you (or for anyone else who has had a bolero made).


I am thinking about getting a bolero to go along with my dress. I remember you said you had yours made for you (it was really gorgeous by the way). Could you tell me about the process? A few specific questions I have are:


Did you just give the seamstress photos of what you wanted or did you find a pattern?

What kind of lace is your bolero made from?

Did you pick out the lace yourself and bring it to a seamstress or did the seamstress source the material for you?

If you don't mind, how much did the whole thing cost (materials and labor)?

Any other tips/hints?


Thanks for any info!
hi havernell! sorry i'm a little late in replying! i read the boards pretty often, but have been out of town-- new job.
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thank you for the kind comments regarding my bolero, i really did love it! i actually had it custom made through my seamstress, i didn't go through lea-ann belter. i brought in pictures of the style that i liked, and my bridal shop also had a bolero from a different designer. i tried it on and pointed out the changes i wanted to make. (the cut was off, the sleeves needed to be shorter, the lace was different, etc.) i wanted the lace to match the french alencon lace on my dress, so she found some for me. and it helped that she had my dress right there in the shop and could see exactly what lace we were looking for and could ensure that the lace matched. but if you don't have lace on your dress, you can pretty much pick whatever you like! as far as how much it cost, i think it was around $200-$250? i'll attach some pics too in case you liked that particular style. hope that helps!
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chellebellebolero.jpg
 

chellebelle

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sorry if these are huge, i'm horrible at sizing pics! here is a back view.

ya know, i just realized we celebrated our one year anniversary last week and i have yet to post our pro pics!! i should get on that! lol
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chellebelleboleroback.jpg
 

chellebelle

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ok, last one... all by herself.
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chellebellelacebolero.jpg
 

havernell

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Hey Chellebelle, thanks for popping in, and yay for the new job! Hope it is going well for you so far.

Merci for the info about having the bolero made by your seamstress! It''s good to know that both you and Surfgirl had a good experience going the custom made route. I appreciate the photos a lot- they will definitely come in handy if/when I start talking to my seamstress about making one.

As for posting your pro photos, YES you should get on that pronto! I''m sure a number of us would love to see them!
 
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