Occasions and ordering · 8 October 2026 · 4 min read
Can I change my design after I have paid?
Need to change a custom order after payment? Before cutting it is usually simple; after it, some changes are no longer possible. Four real changes worked through.
InspirationIt depends on the scissors, not the payment
Yes, if you tell us before the fabric is cut. Changes before cutting are usually straightforward. Once cutting has started, some changes are no longer possible and others may affect the total and the making time. Payment is not the point of no return; cutting is.
The payment and cancellations page states the rule. Here it is applied to four changes people really ask for.
A different neckline
Before cutting: this is a line in the written agreement and nothing more. Say which neckline you want instead, with a photo or a link to one of the neckline styles, and it is confirmed back to you in writing.
After cutting: cloth that has been cut away cannot be put back. As a matter of plain dressmaking, a neckline can sometimes be made deeper or wider, but not higher or narrower, and a collar cannot appear where its seam allowance has gone. Whether anything can be done depends on what has already been sewn, so ask at once.
Longer or shorter sleeves
Before cutting: simple, as long as there is enough fabric. On Stitching Only, a longer sleeve may need more cloth than your suit piece has, which is one reason quantities are checked before you post anything.
After cutting: shorter is the easy direction. Longer usually is not, because the sleeve piece is already its final length. The general workarounds are a contrast cuff or an added band, and both change the look. A rescue of that kind is a design change in itself and may alter the total and the time.
A different fabric
Before cutting, with Fabric + Stitching: you can ask to swap. If the first fabric has already been bought for your order, the change may affect the total, and we set that out in writing before going ahead.
Before cutting, with Stitching Only: the swap means posting a different fabric, once we have confirmed it is suitable. The 5 to 7 working days of making start when the fabric reaches us, so the start moves with the parcel.
After cutting: a new fabric is a new garment. Treat it as a fresh order and ask us what is possible.
An extra piece
Adding a dupatta, trousers or a waistcoat is the gentlest change, because nothing already made has to be undone. It is still an addition: it needs fabric, it adds a line to the quote, and it may lengthen the making time. Ask early if the new piece must match, because cloth bought later can come from a different dye batch and differ slightly in shade.
How to ask for a change
Before you pay, anything can change and nothing is owed, so the calmest moment to rethink is while the quote is still open. Design approval lists what to check, and our guide to how a design is agreed in writing shows what the record looks like. Whether you send your own design or adapt one of ours, the same rule applies, and every order starts with a quote. After payment:
- Message at once. The earlier we hear, the more likely it is that cutting has not begun.
- Be exact: one line for each change, with the old detail and the new one.
- Wait for it in writing. A change counts when it has been confirmed back to you, with any effect on the total and the timing.
- Check the rest still works. A new neckline can change which lining or embroidery placement makes sense.
Common questions
How do I know whether cutting has started?
Ask. Send the change you want as soon as you think of it, and we tell you where your order is and whether the change can still be made.
Is changing my design the same as cancelling?
No. A change keeps the order going with different details. Cancelling stops it: before cutting you are refunded minus the cost of any fabric already bought for your order, and once cutting has started there is no refund.
Will a change make my outfit take longer?
Before cutting, changes are usually straightforward. After cutting, a change may affect the making time as well as the total, and we confirm both in writing before the work continues.
