If the wedding dress is made to order, then the first task is to choose the fabric of the wedding dress. CHOP x CHOP is the place to find inspiration and find the most special fabrics.

A high-quality and suitable fabric for a wedding dress is a prerequisite for the dress to turn out in accordance with your dream and vision. Different cuts of wedding dresses require different fabrics, because it is the fabric that determines the shape the dress will take. The fabric also depends on how comfortable and easy to care the wedding dress will be, whether it will not wrinkle and electrify. When choosing to sew a wedding dress to order, you have the advantage of choosing a quality fabric that will not only increase your comfort on the wedding day, but also create a much more sophisticated impression.

Dace Sāmīte from the CHOP x CHOP fabric store, created under the auspices of the House of ARISTOCRAT, tells about what fabrics are used to sew wedding dresses and how to choose the most appropriate fabric. However, as the conversation will reveal, CHOP x CHOP is not just a fabric store, it's a place to get inspiration, get valuable advice and even hold a private master class.

From thread to wedding dress and suit

According to Dace Sāmīte, CHOP x CHOP was created as a place to be inspired and encouraged to create and play with different fabrics, buttons, laces and sewing accessories. It is a place where everyone is welcome. The shop feels a bit like an old fairy tale sweet shop, only instead of candy, there are the most beautiful buttons hidden in many small drawers, ribbons, needles, threads and beads.

CHOP x CHOP stands out with its carefully selected selection of fabrics. A unique selection of exquisite fabrics is available in the store. Dace says that preference is given to natural materials that stand out for their quality, elegance and story. Here you will find a wide range of different silk, cashmere, wool, cotton fabrics, as well as a wide selection of beautiful Solstice lace.

Tāpat ir iespējams iegādāties pasaulē slavenā zīmola Lochcarron of Scotland oriģinālos tartan audumus un Harris Tweed tvīdus, kurus izvēlas arī Anglijas karaliskā ģimene. Men are not forgotten either, they are offered elegant and high-quality suit and casual fabrics.

CHOP X CHOP also offers sewing services. House of ARISTOCRAT, under which CHOP X CHOP is also founded, have been experts in the evening and casual tailoring niche for over 10 years, creating fabulous outfits for clients around the world. Not only the making of various outfits and wedding dresses for women is offered, but also the tailoring of suits for men. In principle, a couple can go to CHOP x CHOP together - everyone will be matched with the most suitable suit fabric, and they will also be coordinated with each other.

It is important to highlight that CHOP x CHOP offers fabrics for all kinds of outfits and moments in life. here you can find high-quality fabrics for a long-lasting coat, jacket or dress for a bachelorette party . Therefore, you can go to the salon for fabric not only for the wedding dress, but also for other components of the bride's wardrobe. The offer also includes particularly luxurious and unique fabrics for creating outfits for special life events or simply for a more magnificent everyday life.

CHOP x CHOP also features a variety of exquisite finishing materials and candy-like buttons. CHOP x CHOP designers like to experiment with creating different images and encourage others to play too, so they are ready to make any day special, because clothes are our business card after all, it gives the very first information about the personality. Just as red lipstick can lift your mood, a well-tailored blazer can straighten your back and give you confidence.

What to consider when choosing fabric for a wedding dress

Dace Sāmīte says that the mood the bride wants to create and feel on the wedding day is important when choosing the fabric of the wedding dress. How a bride will feel in her wedding dress can set the mood for the entire day. Observations show that to be the right dress, it must match the bride's personality. In the CHOP x CHOP store, fabrics tend to be given the same character traits and characteristics as people, so when choosing a wedding dress, brides are advised to start by recognizing some of their unique character traits in order to match them with a related fabric.

An advantage that must be used when tailoring a wedding dress individually is the possibility to choose not only the outer appearance of the dress, but also to specifically examine the fabric for the inside of the dress, or the lining. To guarantee a special feeling of well-being on the wedding day, the store selects the most pleasant and velvety lining. CHOP x CHOP does not forget about matching the season either - a cooler or, on the contrary, a warmer inside of the dress is chosen.

As already mentioned, CHOP x CHOP is a unique fabric shop that also offers tailoring services. Here is an opportunity to create your own unique wedding dress from sketch to final result. Dace Sāmīte describes the process of sewing a wedding dress. Making a wedding dress in their atelier begins with an introductory meeting during which wishes and ideas for the big day are discussed, followed by the development of a sketch together with the designer. The sketch and unique measurements of the bride's height are passed to the skilled craftsmen to create the first mock-up dress. The work continues, developing corrections in the model, and only after that the unique wedding dress is created. in this process, the bride has the opportunity to be fully present in the creation of her gown.

Although CHOP x CHOP itself offers sewing services, other designers, tailors and seamstresses are also welcomed here, giving the opportunity not only to find everything you need for the wedding dress of your dreams together in the store, but also to provide an inspiring environment where you can talk with the customer, sketch ideas, play with different combinations of fabrics. Beautiful fashion books are also available in the store, from which to capture ideas together with customers.

The king of wedding dress fabrics - silk

When asked about what fabrics are most often used to sew wedding dresses, Dace answers that CHOP x CHOP always prefers natural fiber fabrics and their properties, so different types of silk are most often chosen for creating wedding dresses. She introduces the different types of silk, their advantages and wedding dress silhouettes that can be sewn from them.

• Silk chiffon - transparent, falling and flowing, light fabric that will move freely in the wind. The fabric has a semi-matte sheen, it will create an airy free image.
• Silk georgette - very similar to chiffon, but slightly heavier and less transparent, matte fabric. Suitable for flowing silhouettes, especially the skirt part of the wedding dress.
• Silk crepe de chine - a fabric with a slightly creased surface and a very light sheen, which was especially popular in Hollywood in the 60s for making elegant flowing evening dresses.
• Silk organza - a light fabric often used in wedding dresses, which stands out for its dryness and ability to keep its shape. Will create a very plump silhouette with sheer lightness. Also suitable for creating an elegant veil that can be embroidered with beads.

• Silk taffeta - a shiny stiff and crisp fabric that especially holds its shape, it is possible to create very plump silhouettes without making them heavy. Princess Diana's wedding dress was created from this very fabric.
• Silk douche - a fabric with a particularly rich, creamy sheen, suitable for elegant outfits that will maintain shape.
• Silk satin - super shiny, flowing fabric, very pleasant and cooling when touching the skin. It is possible to create a free-falling silhouette with a luxurious glow.
• Silk velvet - will be a particularly suitable choice for a wedding dress in winter, this fabric stands out for its luxury and elusive shine. Thick, flowing and warm fabric.
• Lace - will complement the wedding dress in various ways. Lace tends to be very different and according to the design, you can find the right one - more down-to-earth cotton or, on the contrary, luxurious and embroidered with beads, each of which will be able to complement the outfit in its own way.

Fabric trends for 2024

The CHOP x CHOP team believes that the most current and powerful trend is the opportunity to be different, unique and find the real and your own in everything. They see people getting tired of mass-produced things and increasingly opting for thoughtful and sustainable things with a story. The store team is pleased that people have a desire to return to long-tested values, natural materials and find time to go deeper and create something special for themselves and for a specific event. They recognize that while the textile industry has focused on the development and mass production of man-made fabrics for the past 50 years, natural fabrics are now coming back to the fore with their skin-friendly and recyclable properties.

CHOP x CHOP - a place for inspiration and creation

As we already mentioned, CHOP x CHOP is not just a place to buy fabrics and sewing accessories. The store has also created a separate room for master classes, where it is also possible to organize small, closed events. The store offers the opportunity to choose evening hours for the event, when the entire store space can be booked to jointly organize the process of creating the bride and bridesmaids' dresses, choosing fabrics, ribbons, buttons and laces to put together in a grand outfit. It is also possible to organize various private master classes.

Wedding dress - an outfit for one day or forever?

A wedding dress is a special outfit, the choice of which brides invest a lot of time and thought. Therefore, it is a pity if after the wedding day this dress sits in the closet, turns yellow and quickly loses its nobility. However, if you choose a quality fabric, the dress will last much longer and even if you don't wear it again, it will be a beautiful memory and become a family heirloom.

Also, when making your wedding dress at a tailor, you can especially follow the bride's wishes. For example, creating an outfit for a wedding that will be suitable in its silhouette and mood to be worn for other events in life, not just once on this special day.

Author of the article: Renate Berga

Story: Dace Sāmīte | CHOP X CHOP

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