Occasions and ordering · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read

Can a tailor copy a garment you own from photos?

Can a tailor copy a dress you already own from photos? Yes, the style. Which photos to take (flat, inside seams, close-ups, a tape for scale) and what to measure.

Inspiration

The style, yes; the size, not from photos alone

Yes, a tailor can copy the style of a garment you own from good photographs: the cut, the neckline, the sleeves, the way the panels are joined. What photos cannot give is the exact size. For that you need numbers, either your own body measurements or measurements taken from the garment laid flat.

Think of it as two separate jobs. The pictures answer “what does it look like and how is it built?” The tape measure answers “how big is it?” A copy goes wrong when one is asked to do the other’s work.

The photos that make a copy possible

Use daylight from a window, lay the garment on a plain surface that contrasts with it, and smooth it without stretching. Take the camera straight above, not at an angle, so the proportions stay true.

Flat front and flat back, the whole garment in frame, with a tape measure lying along one edge for scale.
Worn front, side and back, if you can, so the tailor sees how it hangs on a body.
Inside seams. Turn it inside out and photograph the side seams, the shoulder and the armhole. This shows how the pieces are joined and whether there are darts, panels or gathers.
Close-ups of every detail: the neckline with its facing or piping, cuffs, the hem finish, pockets, buttons and loops.
The opening: where the zip, buttons or placket sit, and how long the opening is.
Any lining, shown from inside, with a note of which parts it covers.
The label, if it gives the fabric content. It helps when choosing a similar cloth.

What still has to be measured

Photos with a tape in them help the tailor judge proportions, but a reading taken from a picture is never exact enough to cut from. If the garment fits you well, measure it flat: chest from armpit to armpit, length from the shoulder, sleeve, hem width and the depth of the neckline. Our guide to using a kameez that fits as your template walks through those numbers, and body and garment measurements explains why the two are not the same thing.

If you want the look but a different fit, send your own body measurements instead and say which way you want it to change. Where a garment fits perfectly and you would rather not measure it yourself, there is also the option of sending a kameez that fits so the measurements can be taken from it.

Copy exactly, or copy with changes?

Most people who say “copy this” mean “copy this, but”. Write the changes as a short list beside the photos so they are not lost: a little longer, sleeves to the wrist, a higher neck, no lining. Each change is a design decision, and it should appear in the written agreement before any cutting.

One thing to be clear about: copying makes a new garment. The original is only a reference, and we do not alter or repair clothes you already own.

Ordering a copy from us

A copy is one of the ways to use Send Your Design. Upload the photos with your notes and measurements, and say whether you want us to supply the fabric or you will send your own. The written quote sets out what we will make, including any detail from the original that cannot be repeated on the new fabric. Start a design quote when your photos are ready.

Common questions

Can a copy be made in a different fabric?

Usually, but the fabric changes the result. A shape that worked in soft cotton may sit differently in a stiffer or heavier cloth, so say which fabric you have in mind and the quote will note anything that needs adjusting.

My favourite dress is worn out. Can it still be copied?

Often, yes, as long as its shape is still clear. Measure it gently and mention anywhere it has stretched or shrunk, so the copy follows the original size and not the wear.

How many photos are too many?

There is rarely such a thing, as long as each one shows something different. Label them, for example front, back, inside seam, cuff, so they are easy to match to your notes.

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