Occasions and ordering · 8 October 2026 · 3 min read
What if your outfit does not arrive in time?
Custom dress not arrived in time for your event? Why arrival dates are estimates, what to do when the day is close and the parcel is not, and how to plan a backup.
InspirationThe honest answer
If a custom outfit has not arrived in time for your event, the practical answer is to track it, tell the maker and wear your backup. Arrival dates for anything made to order and sent abroad are estimates: making time can shift, courier times vary and customs can hold a parcel. Telling us a fixed date helps us advise you, but it cannot speed up a courier.
This is the worst case. Most of the work of avoiding it happens much earlier, which is covered in planning ahead for made to measure.
Why arrival dates are estimates
Our making time is 5 to 7 working days, counted from approval and full payment, or from when your fabric reaches us on Stitching Only. That is an estimate, not a promise, and if anything changes on our side we tell you promptly. Shipping time then comes on top and varies by destination, and it is outside the maker’s hands in several ways.
- Customs: every international parcel is cleared at the border, and some are held for checks.
- Public holidays: holidays in either country close offices and slow sorting.
- Busy seasons: the weeks before Eid and the end of the year are heavy for couriers everywhere.
- The last step: a missed delivery attempt can add a day or more if nobody is in.
- Your own parcel: on Stitching Only, your fabric has to reach us first, and that journey has its own timing.
When the day is close and the parcel is not
Act early rather than on the morning itself. A few calm steps cover most situations:
- Check the tracking through the courier’s official app or website, not through a link in a text message.
- Contact us with your order details, so we can tell you what we know about where the parcel is.
- Check the obvious places: a neighbour, a safe place you nominated, or a card telling you where the parcel has gone.
- Make sure someone can receive it, or arrange a convenient delivery option with the courier if one is offered.
- Decide on your backup a few days out, so the choice is made without pressure.
Keeping a fallback outfit
A backup does not have to be a second new outfit. It only needs to be ready, pressed and suitable for the occasion.
When the new outfit does arrive, it is not wasted. Wear it at the next gathering, or keep it for the next Eid. Our occasions guides are full of events that come round every year.
- Something you already own that works for the event, with fresh accessories.
- A familiar suit restyled with a different dupatta, a contrast trouser or a new layer.
- A piece borrowed from a sister or friend of a similar size.
- A ready-to-wear outfit bought nearby, as a last resort.
Making the next date easier
Tell us the date when you ask for a quote, and say whether it is fixed. Our article on telling your tailor your event date explains what that changes and what it cannot. Allow the making time, the shipping time and a margin for customs and trying the outfit on, and count backwards from the day.
The making time page explains how the working days are counted. When you are ready to start early, read about custom stitching and ask for a quote.
Common questions
Can you send my outfit faster if my event is close?
We do not take rush orders, so the making time stays 5 to 7 working days. Tell us your date before you approve the quote, and we say honestly whether it looks realistic.
Why can’t you give me an exact delivery date?
Shipping time depends on the destination, the courier, customs and holidays, none of which a maker controls. That is why we give the making time and treat delivery as an estimate.
What if my outfit arrives after the event?
Check it as soon as it arrives, as you would at any time, and tell us promptly if anything does not match the agreed measurements or design. If you have questions about a delayed parcel, contact us with your order details.
