Custom Made Bridal Gowns and Bridesmaid Dresses
Wedding outfits and evening wear individually designed and handmade in the New Forest
There’s something truly special about a bespoke dress. It has a story even before it’s been worn and that’s why collaboration is at the heart of everything I do. For over 35 years in the vibrant dress design industry, I’ve created a diverse selection of bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, grooms woman’s outfits, groom’s waistcoats, mother-of-the-bride dresses, evening wear, prom dresses and outfits for other special occasions.
Dress alterations & bespoke gowns
Every aspect of your custom-made dress experience is bespoke. You will have the control and freedom to create something truly unique – choose the silhouette, the fabric, the colour, the embellishments and any additional details you want. Your one-off gown is tailored to your measurements, meaning it will fit you perfectly.
Creative, committed and hugely passionate about my craft, I work closely with each client from the very first sketch to the final fitting to bring each beautiful and unique outfit to life.
Bridal Gowns
Each gown is individually designed, with the fabric chosen to suit your style of dress, your figure and your personality. The style of wedding and venue is also a big consideration.
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Bridesmaids & Pageboys
Wedding attendants want to play their part, whether as elegant maids of honour, young bridesmaids, sophisticated grooms woman or little flower girls and page boys!
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Evening & Prom Dresses
Dresses and outfits for special occasions and events: I can help you balance “looking the part” whilst also “being yourself”, helping your personality to shine.
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Special Occasion Outfits
A beautiful dress, suit or outfit, handmade to fit you perfectly, to suit your style, personality and the occasion. Bespoke made and alterations to existing favourites.
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I had the misfortune of trusting her and instructing
her to sew for me, she agreed with
what I requested to be done, but she ruined the material I brought to her and charged me extra for amending the mistakes she made.
Joanne agrees with her clients but she ignores clients requests.
Her greed and her arrogance speaks volumes about her. I reiterate that I do not recommend Joanne Bell as a seamstress.
We asked Joanne to add extra material around the neck area for one of the costumes and even showed her photos of example costumes, we verbally explained how we wanted the costumes to look and we even provided Joanne with the patterns for each costume with written instructions plus we provided her with the pattern for the extra material to be added around the neck area, we gave Joanne accurate measurements for each one and we bought expensive fabric material, elastics, zips and whatever was needed to make the costumes.
Joanne gave us a price and although she charges high prices, we gave her the go ahead to make our costumes, Joanne agreed to all our requests and said that the costumes were going to be completed between 3 to 4 weeks.
A few days later Joanne contacted us at a very unreasonable hour (3am) and asked us if we would like to go and try the costumes later that morning. Although we live a fair distance from where Joanne is based we travelled to her home, only to discover that she wasn't at home and had left a message with someone else saying that she had to go somewhere, this happened on several occasions and when we finally got a chance to see Joanne she had an arrogant attitude and said that she had to put the work on hold due to some other work.
Eventually when the costumes were made we were shocked and disgusted as Joanne didn't use the individual patterns we provided her with, basically she just did what ever she wanted and sewed both of our costumes extremely large and she didn't add the extra piece of material to the costume that we specifically asked her to do and which she agreed to.
When we raised these issues with her she even charged us extra to add the material to the neck of one of the costumes and she reluctantly shortened the arms and legs of both costumes. The costumes look ridiculously large and wide and they are actually hazardous making us trip over the extra wide material around the ankles.
We were in shock but most unfortunately we had no choice but to accept the costumes and to pay the extra money she demanded as we needed to have the costumes ready for our important event the next day in London to raise awareness about bear bile farming the event was with Jill Robinson the founder of Animals Asia, the actor Peter Egan and Virginia McKenna actress and founder of the Born Free Foundation. Joanne didn't take us seriously and she lied to us and agreed to go ahead with making our costumes when in fact she was just going to ruin our costumes and to charge us her high fees plus extra for shortening both costumes and for adding the extra material to one of them which we previously requested and she agreed to do at no extra cost.
We wonder why Joanne agreed to take the job when clearly she isn't competent, we feel as if when we mentioned bear bile farming and our cause she straight away discriminated against us and took a dislike to us and basically took her frustrations out on us.
We certainly do not recommend Joanne Bell as a seamstress for any work or alterations needed.
She has also done several alterations for me. I would highly recommend her
