What goes into a $10,000 gown?

Have you ever wondered what goes into a wedding gown that costs $10,000? We have too! Kelly Leggett, Creative Director with Little White Dress Bridal Shop in Denver, Colorado is sharing the 4 factors that impact the cost of a gown.

Written by Kelly Leggett

At Little White Dress, we offer gowns in a wide price range – everything from $1,500 to $15,000 and beyond. We are strong believers in the value of our gowns at every price, and part of our job is to educate brides on what they’ll get at each price point and then let the bride decide which range she’s most comfortable in. We never push a bride into a price range she’s not comfortable with, and whether a bride wants to spend $1,500 or $15,000 on her dress, we want her to feel confident in what she’s spending.

So, what makes a gown priced at $10,000 or higher? The price of a high-end gown comes down to four main factors – design, fabric, construction, and fit. To illustrate, we’re sharing what goes into the gowns of our designer Mira Zwillinger, whose incredible, oh-so-beautiful couture dresses range from $8,500 to $15,000.

About Mira Zwillinger Gowns

Combining an ethereal, romantic ethos with an undeniably Couture sense of style, Mira Zwillinger’s creations are true one-of-a-kind beauties. With delicate details and feminine features, each dress has a statement-making element that elevates the design to luxury. Made in a Couture atelier in Israel, Mira’s gowns are available only at the most respected bridal salons around the world, and in Colorado only at Little White Dress.

1. The Design

Gowns priced $10,000 and up are typically designed by a designer with decades of luxury experience. Mira Zwillinger has been designing detailed, couture wedding gowns for over 30 years. She has built a following and an incredible reputation for designing new gowns each season that hit the mark between modern and classic, with ultra-flattering silhouettes, necklines, and details.

A lot of creative energy and talent goes into every detail. Before fabric and the dress comes to life, Mira hand sketches every gown. Mira thoughtfully considers the layering of the fabrics, the seamlines, the embellishments, the silhouette, and even the name of the gown.

2. The Fabric

The fabrication of the gown is one of the biggest factors to why some gowns are pricier than others. In a gown that’s $10,000 or more, the tulle, satin, and crepe fabrics are made of 100% silk, sourced from Italy and France. The embroidery, laces, and beadwork are sourced from specialized ateliers in Italy, France, and India. Even the under-layers of the dress are ultra-luxurious fabrics, giving the gown a soft and silky feel when it’s on the bride. These types of fabrics are much more expensive than man-made silks or poly blends, and you’ll see and feel the difference in person, in photos, and when you’re wearing the dress.

3. The Construction

The construction of a couture gown is truly remarkable. Each and every Mira Zwillinger dress is sewn by super-specialized and experienced seamstresses in a couture atelier in Tel Aviv, Israel. Every stitch and seamline, both inside the gown and outside, are carefully crafted, made individually for the bride who ordered it; a process that is much different from a gown that is mass-produced.

The construction of the gown starts with translating the pattern of the gown into carefully cutting each layer and each piece of fabric, and then sewing each layer and piece together to create the base of the dress. It also includes hand-placing and hand-sewing each applique, sometimes hundreds and hundreds on a single dress. It can include hand-stitching lining on the bodice of the gown if the bride requests a more opaque look. It can also include adding a sleeve or adding beading or any other number of customizations that are possible – all done by hand. Often the more customizations made, the pricier the gown can become.

4. The Fit

The gown can be designed beautifully, be made of luxurious fabrics, and be constructed expertly but if the fit of the gown isn’t spot-on, then why would a bride pay $10,000 or more for a dress? The fit is everything with a high-end gown because after all, it’s meant to look incredible on.

For every bride who chooses a Mira Zwillinger gown, we take approximately 30 different measurements, as well as photos and videos of the bride in the gown during her measurements. Mira Zwillinger’s team translates all this information into the fit of that particular gown, and the result is that each gown is truly made for the bride’s own body. Some small adjustments are usually needed when the bride is in her dress and doing her fittings with an alterations specialist where she lives, but typically they are minor because the gown has been made to her measurements instead of to a standard size. On the wedding day, these gowns fit like a glove and are so incredibly flattering!

Regardless of what you choose to spend on your wedding dress, we encourage you to ask about why your dress costs what it does. We believe in transparent pricing and want you to feel great about your decision!

Ready to book a fitting at Little White Dress Shop – click here.

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