Semi Stitched vs Made to Measure Lehenga: Which Suits Your Wedding?

Semi stitched vs made to measure lehenga is one of the first questions brides abroad run into when they start looking online. The words sound similar, but they mean very different amounts of work after the parcel arrives. Here is what each term means, what it leaves for you to do, and why most brides choose made to measure for the main wedding outfit.

The four terms you will see

• Unstitched: you receive fabric, often already embroidered, for the skirt, blouse and dupatta. A tailor has to cut and stitch everything.

• Semi-stitched: the skirt is mostly made, with room left at the waist and length to adjust. The blouse usually comes as fabric for a tailor to cut and stitch.

• Ready size: made to standard sizes such as small, medium and large. You pick the closest and alter it.

• Made to measure: cut and stitched to your own measurements from the start, with your choice of neckline, sleeves and skirt fall.

What semi-stitched means in practice

A semi-stitched lehenga is flexible, and that is its appeal. But the flexibility only becomes a fit once someone does the work. Before the wedding you will need a tailor who can:

• stitch an Indian bridal blouse, with its cups, darts, lining and back opening;

• take in the skirt waist and adjust the length to your heels;

• finish the hem and add tassels or latkans if you want them.

In India that tailor is easy to find. Abroad, it can be harder, and a bridal blouse is not something to leave to someone who has never made one. The blouse is also where the embroidery and the fit meet, so it is the part you least want to improvise.

Why brides choose made to measure

A made to measure lehenga is cut for one body. The blouse sits where it should, the skirt falls at the right length with your shoes, and the embroidery is placed with your proportions in mind rather than a standard size's. You also choose the details: the neckline, the sleeve, how heavy the skirt is, where the names or motifs go.

A made to order lehenga also means you can personalise it. Our karigars can embroider names, the wedding date, a lotus border or a dulha-dulhan scene, none of which a ready piece can give you. For more on the process, read about our made to measure bridal lehengas.

When semi-stitched still makes sense

Semi-stitched has its place. It can work well when:

• you need a guest outfit quickly and already have a tailor you trust;

• the outfit is for a smaller function and the fit does not need to be exact;

• you want to change the blouse design yourself, with your own tailor, after you see the fabric.

For the main bridal outfit, most brides abroad find the alterations take more time and worry than they expected, especially with a wedding date fixed.

Questions to ask before you choose

• Who will stitch the blouse, and have they stitched a bridal blouse before?

• How much alteration does the skirt need, and is there enough fabric in the seams to do it?

• Will the embroidery still line up after the waist is taken in?

• Can I see a trial before the wedding, or will the first full fitting be close to the day?

Getting the measurements right

Made to measure only works if the measurements are right. Our designer guides you through them on a video call, and our guide to body measurements for Indian clothes tells you what to expect. We leave extra margin in the seams so a tailor near you can make final adjustments. If you are coming to India before the wedding, you can have a bridal lehenga trial at our Golf Course Road store in Gurugram when you land.

Planning the blouse separately? Our post on custom bridal blouse design covers necklines and sleeves.

How to order from abroad

Message us on WhatsApp +91 92896 79666 with pictures of what you like. We talk through the design on video call or WhatsApp video, and the designer shows you the price before anything is cut. Payment is in full in advance. Once the design is approved, the designer gives you a delivery date, which depends on the design, so start early. Our karigars embroider it to your measurements, and we ship worldwide. For the full ordering steps, read how to order a lehenga from India.