Congratulations! You’re getting married. We’re here to help.

We’re two Chicago dames who went into business because we loved sewing and vintage clothes. Our wedding dresses combine retro details with modern lines, for a fresh take on bridal. And if you don’t see exactly what you like on the rack, we’re happy to customize a style or start from scratch. We love to come up with that one detail that makes your dress perfect for you.

At Dame Couture, you’re not just a number. We don’t care what your dress size is—because at Dame, every dress is custom-fit to the client. We hand-craft each pattern and make sure it’s right for you through a series of fittings.

Think global, shop local. All Dame Couture dresses are made sweatshop-free right here in the Windy City, at a woman-owned sewing facility (let’s hear it for grrl power!).

Just the facts, ma’am. Prices for our styles range from $1,600 to $5,000, with many dresses around $2,200. Custom designs start at $2,000. Turnaround time for any dress is usually four to six months. For more info on how it all works, see “The Process” below.

Ready to embrace your inner Dame? Stop in during our walk-in hours, every Saturday from 9 to 11 AM. For more personal attention, we strongly recommend that you make an appointment to meet with us, see our studio, and look at a few dresses. There's never any charge for an initial consultation.

The Process

Most often our clients visit Dame Couture between four and six times. At your initial consultation, you’ll probably try on some dresses, look at fabric swatches, and talk to us about your wedding and the dress you envision. If you’re feeling confident about a style or custom design idea, we’ll take your measurements and a deposit of half the cost of your dress. Or you can sleep on it and let us know your decision later.

Once we’ve measured you and taken a deposit, we’ll make a pattern and mocked-up version of your dress, called a muslin, for you to try on. Sometimes a complicated style or fit requires two muslin fittings. Usually fittings take no more than 30 minutes. These fittings are your opportunity to change a neckline, add or subtract length, or move a seam you don’t like, so be sure to speak up! It’s usually necessary to bring your shoes and any “special” undergarments to your muslin fitting.

When we feel confident about the pattern, we’ll make your dress in your actual fabric. Most brides come back once or twice for a fabric fitting and once more to pick up their finished dress. The other half of your payment (plus sales tax) is due at final pickup. Pick up can be any date you prefer, from one month before your wedding to just days before.

Make an Appointment

If you’d like to see our dresses in person or discuss a custom design, please call 773.463.2162 or email to info@damecouture.com. There’s no obligation or cost; it’s simply easier for us to give you our full attention if we schedule a time in advance.

We prefer to take appointments Thursdays from 12 to 7 PM, Fridays from noon to 4 PM, and Saturdays from10 AM to 3 PM. Since we know people have crazy work schedules, we can sometimes take appointments at other times; let us know what will work best for you.

Your initial consultation will probably take about an hour. Feel free to bring sketches, clippings, photos, swatches, and anything else you'd like to show us.

If you're not sure we're for you, feel free to come by during our walk-in hours, 9 to 11 AM every Saturday. You can see our dresses in person, look at our photo albums, and talk to us about how we work. We don't have time to do full consultations during walk-in hours.

Our studio, 4316 N. Elston, is about five minutes by car from the Irving Park Road exit off I-90/94. There's usually plenty of metered street parking available right outside our door. We're also about a 15-minute walk from the Irving Park blue line CTA stop and a half a block from the Montrose bus.