Evening gowns can have higher mark-up prices in comparison with other pieces of clothing because women are willing to spend more for something they consider a luxury, even within their budget range. They also want to look their best for whatever event they are attending. Selling evening gowns is one part business, one part creativity and one part emotion---anticipating consumer desires and needs. If you carefully research and plan out your strategy, you can avoid costly pitfalls later on.
Create a plan to meet the needs of your consumer. Will your gowns be made with the highest quality of fabrics and hand-stitched? Will they be inexpensive look-a-likes of what you see on the red carpet? Next think about what occasions you see your dresses being worn for. Maybe you'd like them for a younger demographic as promwear. Perhaps you're doing something long and elegant that one would wear to an evening wedding. Or maybe you're envisioning sexy cocktail-length dresses that a woman could wear for less formal occasions. Zero in on what is most important to your consumer: fabric quality, cost or durability, and plan with those parameters in mind.
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Conduct your own market research by paying attention to stores and e-commerce sites that have discount uk formal dresses and seeing what styles and colors sell out the fastest.
Research production costs. This includes construction materials such as fabric, buttons and zippers; sewing equipment; labor; and production space. Also add in the potential costs for transportation, packaging and marketing. Keep it simple to start with and find out what it would cost to make 10 dresses, by yourself if possible, using any equipment you already have, in a space you already own. Use this information to determine a wholesale price that can still turn a profit.
Getting Started
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Purchase the materials to produce a single dress of each style you plan to make.
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Construct the gown either on your own or hire a seamstress. This doesn't have to be the way you plan to create your entire line once you're ready to sell en masse; this is just to create a sample to show buyers.
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Bring your dress or modern 2013 prom dresses to local boutiques to see if they would consider buying them to sell for retail price in their store for the following season. If they don't decide to buy them, ask if they would be willing to give you feedback, which you can then use to modify your design. If they do decide to buy an order, congratulations, you have officially started your line. It is now time to follow through on production to create the number of gowns needed for the order.
