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Why don’t you have a catalog?
All of our costumes and tutus are made as one-of-a-kind custom orders. We do not want our dancers meeting themselves backstage at a competition. Since we engineer our costumes to last for many years, we design them to the customers’ specifications.
I can’t find prices on your web site. Why?
Each costume is priced according to what our customers want. A basic, undecorated tutu will cost $500.00 and up, depending on fabrics chosen by the customer. We have also sold tutus for $1500.00. The average cost is around $650.00-$900.00. Yet ALL of our tutus are made to the same exact specifications when it comes to how the tutu is engineered. The cost all depends on the materials used, the details on the finished tutu, and the time involved in the production of the costume.
I LOVE your tutus! They are the best, but I have found some cheaper ones on other sites. Why do yours cost more?
As with most products you buy, there are different price points. We do not “mass produce” a recital line of costumes, and we do not produce the “off the rack” type of costume that you find reproduced in seven or eight colors. Also, we do not pad our prices, where we offer a tutu at a lower price and then charge for any extras you might want. (EXAMPLE: We do not charge extra to scallop or dag the tutu edge. We do not charge extra to do a nude front bodice. We do not charge extra to do arm puffs or other decorations. We do not charge extra to send out fabric samples for approval, and if you give us enough time, we will not charge extra to make a muslin sample bodice and basque to send out to assure a truly custom fit.)
Why does it take 12 - 14 weeks to make a costume?
We want to do a good job for each costume, and we will not rush an order. We work on a production schedule as orders come in. Sometimes, we have more time than others, but as orders come in, they get in line behind the orders we are already working on.
What about rentals? What if you don’t have what I need?
If you give us enough time, we will try to make a costume for you if we do not have one available. Just give us a call, and we will do our best to work with you. What happens a lot is that we will make a rental for a customer, and once they get it, they decide to buy it. We lose a LOT of rentals that way.
What “style” of tutu bottom can I get from you?
The classical styles that are most requested are the “Pan Cake,” the “Bell-shape,” and the “English.” The “Pan Cake,” also known as the “Russian,” is very flat and stands out the most. It is most often used today or in more modern times. This skirt is always hooped with a hidden metal hoop inside the layers of netting to provide the desired stiffness and “flat-look.” The “Bell-shape” has more droop and flounce, and the skirt is built with longer, softer layers; this style is never hooped. The third style, the “English,” is a lot like the “Russian” shirt, but it is not hooped. Some directors like this softer, more feminine look. It is all a matter of preference, or sometimes the ballet will dictate which style is best. We can do all styles.
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