Maids to Measure on perfect bridesmaids’ dresses

Maids to Measure was set up by sisters India and Sinclair Sellars in 2012, offering UK-designed and made bridesmaid gowns with style to match the bride. Here, they share their back story and tell us how they ensure team bridesmaid find their perfect dresses

India says, I was working at Vera Wang back in 2012 and brides kept asking if I could recommend anywhere for bridesmaids. The market then was dominated by two US manufacturers – there seemed to a big gap in the market. Sinclair is a lawyer, so she had the business side covered and I had the design side. We began by creating bridesmaid dresses for a friend who was getting married – we still can’t believe she let us do it – and before we knew it we had a queue. Bridal parties would arrive expecting a shop and there we were in our flat. The changing room was our spare bedroom, but girls loved the personal touch.

At first we were just made to measure, but over time we found the right factory in London. Investment support from Touker Suleyman [of Dragon’s Den] has been a huge help – meaning we carry stock of everything and offer short lead times on anything made to order. For some bridal parties, geography or timing makes a visit to our showroom inconvenient, so we’ve expanded online ordering via our newly redesigned website.

“Before we knew it we had a queue. Bridal parties would arrive expecting a shop and there we were in our flat”

Showroom personal styling appointments are still a huge part of what Maids to Measure is about. One-hour appointments can be booked online – we’d recommend two hours for six or more bridesmaids! We lock the door, put the music on and the bridal party have a massive trying on session, glass of bubbles in hand. Our range comes in sizes 8-24 – all dresses are double lined, which is really important – and with lots of different styles so girls can find their individual look. Bridesmaids are a really big part of the look of a wedding, so we think this is a good element to organise early, especially if you have a bigger group, which many brides do now. The showroom session can be a reunion, but sometimes it’s the first time all the bridesmaids have met, so this is a way to break the ice and make choosing the dresses a great experience.