More DIY dress design

Last fall we covered StyleShake, a site that lets consumers design their own dresses, and recently we came across a like-purposed site called Studio 28 Couture. Founded in February 2007, Studio 28 focuses on dresses that have vintage appeal. Customers begin by selecting a bodice style for their dress, followed by the skirt style. They can then choose from more than 100 fabrics and trims, including many antique-style florals and prints. The resulting dresses are made individually in the U.S.A. by Studio 28’s seamstresses from 100% cotton fabric, and each dress’s USD 200 price includes one free alteration. Those unsure of what they want can send Studio 28 a full-length photo of themselves, and the company’s advisors will offer suggestions on the most flattering styles and colours. Studio 28 also sells a selection of its dresses through retailers near its Pittsford, N.Y., offices. As we noted in last year’s post, it will be nice to see this type of DIY approach brought to other types of clothing, including shirts, pants and swimsuits, as well as ways to enable consumers to monetize what they create. Either way, though, it’s further evidence that consumers really do like making—or at least designing—it themselves! Spotted by: Dan Nice