Altering Brand: Is it okay?

It is a bolero, btw.

>>8997028
Your money, your dress, your choice.

You bought it, if you can see yourself wearing it, do whatever. If you sell it, let the buyer know of what you've done. Beyond that, no fucks given.

When it comes to tailoring, do you think if someone doesn't fit a dress, they should just not own it at all, or is it okay to have it altered, thus essentially damaging the dress?

>>8997044
Your money girl, just don't expect people to pay you retail if you resell

It's very immature to give a shit what other people do to their clothing. They bought it, it belongs to them. There is no collective right to lolita clothing. I'd say taking a black permanent marker to cats tea party would be about the most offensive crime to burando you could commit but it's still not my business.

>>8997044
If you paid for the dress, you should be allowed to smear shit all over and set it on fire if you want. Anything is fair game for criticism if it looks bad worn, but the alteration itself should not be a point of contest. Brand is not communal property.

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>>8997044
I did some smaller alterations on quite a few pieces of mine (moving buttons, lengthening straps with ribbon/lace) and planning to do some bigger alterations on three more dresses. My biggest problem is my bust in combination with my height, so most dresses just sit too high up and end up not fitting, even though I'm within the given measurements. So I'm planning to alter two round collar JSKs by ripping the seam at the shoulder and add two nice bows there, to lengthen the straps (which are nondetachable but part of the bodice). With pic related, I want to try to alter it into an underbust dress.
You see, why keep something you won't wear if you could just alter it to be perfect for you? It's your money and I'm sure you will get more compliments if you dye it in a pretty color than for wearing a stained item.

Don't think that I won't laugh at you if it looks like shit though.

>>8997028

A quick note about tea-dying, the "dye" is transparent, so it's not going to cover up anything. There's a high chance your bolero turns out tea colour with a darker tea-colour stain on it.

If the stains don't come out, you're better off bleaching the whole thing (if the bolero isn't polyester), or pulling a Momoko and covering up the patch with some trim, embroidery or decoration

>>8997108
>you're better off bleaching the whole thing
Or color it black

Since when is it not okay? If you own the item do whatever you want with it. It's clothes, not a historical artifact.

>>8997044
No, it's not okay. Brand belongs to the public, you're not allowed to do anything to it because it needs to be preserved for the other lolitas.

Just kidding, you can do whatever you want to your own dresses. I'm tall, so I've done minor alterations to every single piece I own (moving down buttons or lenghtening the straps), as well as more significant things. If I don't like something about a dress or the fit isn't right, I'll alter it. If I fuck it up, it's my problem (but thankfully, that hasn't happened yet).

it's okay of course, just know that the resell value will go down.
that's the main "problem" with it. but if you intend to keep the item anyway then why bother about that? also it's just a bolero, go ahead and dye it i hope for you it works out!

>>8997028
Your money, your shit. Personally I havent done anything like dye an item a different color, but I have had stuff taken in/out when needed.

>>8997066
I agree with this. It's your money, and you should be happy with your purchase.
I am within the measurements for gathered chiffon, but my shoulders and height raise the dress too high, so it didn't fit in the chest area. I lengthened the straps at a tailor. From the front, you can't even tell it's altered. And from the back, they've done a nice job.

>>8997206
no no no no... dying things black is very, very hard. dark color that isn't black, like wine, or dark grey, or dark blue. Not black.

Not OP, but any chance I can get photos of those anons who have altered their dresses by adding materials? Like >>8997066 or >>8997395 for instance.

I have a similar problem but there's a few dresses I don't seem to be able to find a good solution for, I'd love to see what other people have done.

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>>8997408
I'm >>8997066

The lighting is awful in my room right now, so please excuse the ugly pictures. In this case I needed to add more length in the front of the straps instead of the back for the ruffle to stil sit exactly on my shoulder. So I adde a velvet ribon and some lace, which both were an okay-ish match. It's visible in the close-up pictures, but it looks fine when worn, especially with more accessories/curly hair. I was quite in a rush when I did it (the morning of the meet-up), so it's not as nice as I would like it to be (maybe I'm going to add small bows where the ribbon meets the straps), but it's the biggest alteration on a dress that I have access to right now.
Another advantage of lenghtening the straps in the front is the fact, that they are still adjustable with the original buttons. If I had added the ribbon in the back the former button holes would have been visible.

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>>8997408
>>8997566
And this is what I'm plannng for two other JSKs with a similar cut. As there are no real straps, I'm thinkig of adding two bows on the shoulders...similar to the JeJ dress, but not as big. I'm still not sure what material to use or if this is really the best solution, but it's the only idea I have. Maybe some other anon has some suggestions on how to alter a dress like this?

>>8997566
The keyboard on my laptop sucks, seriously...sorry for all the stupid spelling mistakes

It's your dress, you paid for it. Do whatever the fuck you want with it. Set that shit on fire if you really want to.

Sorry but I get so tired of people bitching about altering a piece of clothing like it's something new. Plenty of people alter shit that's much more valuable than Lolita and literally no one cares. And if you don't want to buy someone's altered brand, then um... Idk don't buy it.

>>8997575
The bows are cute, I didn't think of that.
If I need material, I usually take a bow from the dress to the fabric store and pick something that is as close as possible feel and texture. Or if the dress has waist ties in the same fabric, you can use that. I think your idea is the best/easiest solution though unless you want to take apart the bodice.

>>8997051
someone posted a secret about doing something similar on BtB this week just to piss off people who act like brand is communal property. except with tomato sauce, not permanent marker.

>>8997028
do what you want with it. if anyone gives a shit about what you do with clothes you bought with your own money, they're probably not people you want to hang out with or talk to anyway.

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>>8997408
I feel like I always post in these threads, but ah well. I modified AP's frill marine jsk into pic related, because I bought it severely damaged. I actually like it a lot better now.

I'm going to be modifying my Holy Theater jsk into the fashion show version as well, just because I'm mad that AP didn't release that version.

>>8997028
>hanging up shirred straps

Fuck you, too, CC

>>8997820
>liking shirred straps

this is what you deserve

>>8997028
No, it's not ok.

>>8997751
Wow, that looks significantly better. You removed my least favorite part about that JSK.

>>8997028
It's a piece of clothing, of course its okay. It's not like some kinda fuckin relic.

>>8997839
Thanks anon, it was also my least favorite part. But the process taught me a lot about the construction of brand dresses, I would definitely recommend taking one apart.

>>8997751
>That looks amazing! Did you remake the waist bow and the smaller striped bows too?

>>8997855
Who are you quoting?

>>8997855
Thank you! I did remake the waist bow and smaller bows mainly because the lower bows caused a lot of bleeding when I tried to clean it. I ended up with plenty of striped fabric then I had originally ordered so I just replaced everything. Bonus is now it won't bleed when I wash it.

>>8997857
I fucked up, forgive me padre

>>8997863
speak English you fucking spic

>>8997751
>getting yourself rid of the original ricrac worm disease
You're a goddess. You made the JSK look infinitely better.

>>8997907
>ricrac worm disease
kek, thanks anon. Although it was really nice ricrac, I also hate how it looks.

>>8997751
wow this looks amazing! a lot better than original

>>8997751
It looks really lovely!

>>8997842
People get really bent the fuck out of shape over plus size lolitas trying to fit into brand - damaging seams, etc.. It's not a stretch to think people might look down on it.

>>8998142
Everything is fair game until you're fat.
>except what is fat is up for debate.

I'm fine with alterations, and well-done alterations, even to make something larger or smaller is fine. There will always be people looking for items that will fit them better. As long as it's done well, there should be no real problem with resale value, really.

I think the only time most people get up in arms about alterations, is the infamous Tifaret CTP, or the other girl that added purple quilting fabric to the side of Whip Magic (but who really cares about radioactive cupcakes anyway).

>>8998142
Not hard to see why when one-size clothing means size inevitably gets tied to status. Being smaller means getting to fit into more exclusive and coveted brands that not everyone can wear. Fatties end up being second class citizens. Same with plus size versus straight size in normal fashion.

>>8998025
>>8998136
Thank you anons!

>>8997566 This is pretty cool, the matches are pretty good, especially working with ivory, and I like how you kept the alterations consistent with the general style of the dress.

>>8997575 is the kind of stuff I'm having difficulty with myself, where the shoulder straps are printed fabric, so adding plain fabric/ribbon would stand out. I like the idea of making shoulder ribbons, although in this case I'm not sure how it'd work out with the frill going all around the neckline. Is it feasible to try and redistribute the lace so that it's less gathered, maybe? Or are you planning to remove the lace entirely?

>>8997751 Agreeing with other anons, I hate the original dress, and this is a pretty good improvement. Do post your Holy Theater when you're done, I'd love to see the results.


Thanks so much for posting examples. It's really interesting to see what kinds of alterations other people are making to their dresses, to get ideas from.

On a similar note, what's the consensus on using replica fabric of a popular print? I'd be making a dress just for myself and my stupid large chest, not selling it or anything.

>>8999060
I think it's sort of the same as just buying a replica, as you're still supporting the people who steal the art, just cutting out one stage. It's still art theft when you just buy the fabric.

>>8997044
>or is it okay to have it altered, thus essentially damaging the dress
It's not damage tho unless the person severely botched the alteration.

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>>8997408
Hi. Sorry for the late reply.
I'm the gathered chiffon anon from>>8997395

Here's a photo of the strap. You can see that it doesn't quite match because gathered chiffon had an odd, raised texture to it. She cut the strap so that from the front, it's the same original strap. The only difference is that the back is now just another material.

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>>8999301
This is an image of the cut directly. The other image is what the strap would look like worn. This image is focusing on the cut. Since its at the top of my shoulder when worn, no one will ever see it.

>>8997824
I don't like, need, or understand them. They are just a feature of a lot of oldschool sweet jsks which is my favorite style

>>8999301
I did the same thing to my Gathered Chiffon and now it fits wonderfully. It is such a good basic dress. I call it the "little black dress" that every Lolita should have. Biting the bullet and getting it altered such was a liberating feeling.

I got a JSK the other day with a bad shirring alteration (Fully removed and replaced with a thing made of mis-matched polycotton, loose stitching and weirdly placed elastic) and I had no way to make it look normal as a JSK since no fabric was close enough to the original colour.
I have a good deal of sewing experience so I made it into a skirt because it was the best I could do with the original fabric I had.

Basically, only alter if you can't do anything else and make sure you do it very well. Don't be afraid of sending it to a tailor if you have very little sewing experience.

>>8999301
>>8999308

This looks really neatly done. Much as I have some reservations about the shoulder cut I have to admit it's a very logical place to do it, and it looks really good here.

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Bumping with CDC alteration from Truly Darling

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>>9000219

I love the idea of altering brand into shorts or whatnot for ouji coords, though I don't see it done often. Does anyone else have stuff like this?

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>>9000711
Shit, dropped pic.

>>9000712
looks like absolute shit tbqh. would not be seen in public with someone wearing those shorts

>>9000717
Oh yeah no this totally looks stupid, especially because of the "corset". There really aren't any good examples of what I'm talking about because it isn't something people do often.

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>>9000712
>>9000726

forreal tho, I think pumpkin pants with prints will always look dodgy. These are designed to work with the print and I still think they're kinda iffy.

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>>9006644

A better idea might be to take apart the entire skirt and make regular short pants out them, like the ouji on the far left in pic.

Just wish there was some way we could get enough fabric out of a jsk/op to make like the coat as well.

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>>9000711

I'd say as long as you know what you're doing, go for it. It's your dress so even if you don't it's your mistake to make, but most brand is too expensive to make mistakes on.

>>9000711
I like the idea of this too, and when I have some time I'm going to see about picking up some damaged/taobao prints secondhand to experiment with (so if it goes badly, I haven't wrecked something expensive and irreplacable).

>>9006999
This could be so much better...