Is Selkie Worth It? Couture Analysis of the Selkie Ritz Gowns and How it's Made

I now have two Selkie Ritz dresses in two different types of fabric so I thought it would be fun to do a review and a comparison of the two dresses! I did a dress analysis of the Lirika Matoshi Strawberry Dress a little while ago and thought I'd make a series. This video goes through the steps of construction and the seam finishing, while also showing how the different fabric choices affect both the silhouette/movement of the gowns in addition to the finishing and construction choices. If you have another style or brand of dress you'd like reviewed let me know and I'll try to do it in the future!
Skip Ahead:
0:00 Intro
0:51 Ethics + Sustainability
1:58 Selkie Ritz Dresses
2:30 Fabric Content
3:02 Cotton vs Organza
3:15 No Hanging Loops
3:37 How to Store your Selkie
4:36 Seam Finishing
4:55 Skirt Construction
6:27 Bodice Construction
9:42 Sleeves
11:05 More Bodice
12:24 Joining Skirt to Bodice
17:21 Dress Differences
18:45 Is it Worth It? Cost Breakdown
24:18 Outro
Selkie Ethics Statement: selkiecollection.com/pages/le...
🧵Other Videos in this Series:
○ • Is the Strawberry Dres...
📷 Filming Gear:
○ My camera - amzn.to/3sQBLrb
○ Microphone - amzn.to/3sQC3hL
○ Lighting - amzn.to/3kvMVxF
○ Softbox - amzn.to/3BfEj52
#costube #selkiedress #selkieritz
Insta: / moth.faerie
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[@CandycaneLane999]

The average person has no idea how much time goes into making a gown, I used to do bridal and prom dresses and people would always be shocked with the labor cost. When I see bridal gowns on a clear out sale I always wonder how they could even buy the fabric for the price they are charging and people still complain.....

[@katherinemorelle7115]

I think this is a relatively new phenomenon, since people started buying fully premade clothing. Before this, they'd buy the fabric themselves separately, then take it to a dressmaker or tailor to have it made up for them in a style they chose, to their measurements. it made it much clearer how much things like fabric and labour cost, because they were paid for separately. In some ways I wish we could go back to that sort of system, because people valued their clothing more, as it cost more and they knew its value. Of course, it was more expensive, so people got along with fewer items of clothing, relying much more heavily on undergarments that protected their outer clothes, and that would be changed out frequently. Today though, we are so used to wearing much less in undergarments, and having more outfits to choose from. But at what cost? Sure, the clothing itself is cheaper, but that's due to fabric and garment workers being mistreated and underpaid (sadly, not a new phenomenon), and pushing the true cost of the clothing off onto the environment, rather than the consumer. Either way, we'll pay for it in the end. I don't think people of the past knew the full cost of the fabric they were buying (it still damaged the environment, though far less than now, when we have industrialised the industry as much as is possible under the current technological limitations), but they at least knew how much they paid for the fabric, and were far less clueless about the whole process than the majority of people are today. Sorry, that was a ramble/rant that got a bit away from me. But I agree- most people have no idea of the true cost of garments, either in terms of the monetary value, or in how much damage it does to both people and the environment. Though we will all eventually have to pay those hidden costs. Those $1 t shirts will cost the whole of humanity far more than that in the long run...

[@moth.faerie]

I completely agree! Even if people didn't have a complete grasp at what the true cost (environmental, etc) of their clothing was, the simple fact that it wasn't being mass produced made the environmental impact SO much less. Also agree with everything else, haha I appreciate the rant!

[@furbyacolyte5604]

@@katherinemorelle7115 agreed! regarding the cost of fabric in the past, imo it's also worth looking at how much of that cost was offset by colonised land and slave labour, and how those practices really laid the groundwork for modern day exploitation.

[@wwilmoth2001]

I do custom bespoke bridal, formal gowns and cocktail dresses, and whenever I do a commission I have at least one prototype from the actual fashion fabric (not muslin) before the final piece is made, so this cost must be factored in to the price. I do this because my clients are extremely picky about what they want, and we are inevitably making design or fabric selection changes to the initial mockup. For example, my first mockup materials cost can range anywhere from $80-$300, which of course, does not include labor. Also because I only do one of a kind pieces, each project requires its own pattern development. Aside from all the general labor (your estimates for the sewing of a completed garment of this type is very accurate), the time I spend just simply sourcing fabrics is as much, if not more than the time I spend in constructing the garments! I do wish more people would at least try their hand at sewing so they can understand what goes into the process (kind of like the idea that everyone should have a job waiting table at least once in their lives). By the way, I am so impressed you were able to get your hands on such cheap fabric! I live in NYC, and high quality fabrics here (I shop mainly at B&J) are well above $50/yrd. Looking forward to seeing your version.

[@deborahduthie4519]

I wouldn’t worry longer about this. The gowns may have been on Lay-by, with hopes to receive a few more payments before dress paid in full...so the funds they are hoping to reclaim, amounts to the balance of the lay -by

[@kirino2-084]

fun fact, "french seams" are called "english seams" in France, go figure

[@moth.faerie]

that's the best thing i've heard today

[@phoenixfritzinger9185]

Just like how the bulldogs are

[@theekatspajamas]

@@phoenixfritzinger9185 there are French and English bulldogs. They're different breeds.

[@YourBuddyDidi]

I learned how to sew in French and to this day I hadn’t realised this!!!

[@wwirelesswwizard]

A lot of “French” things in English are apparently “English” in France. It’s because of their rivalry… I think?

[@liav4102]

I have so much more respect for ruffles after doing one myself around a 3/4 circle skirt. Even if you have a ruffle foot that’s just a massive amount of fabric

[@moth.faerie]

UGH so at this point I've finished the dress for the last part of this series and LET ME TELL YOU that ruffle took me like four hours so double what I anticipated and it was not a four pleasant hours it was four hours of pure struggle, the ruffle was so heavy and kept sliding around under its own weight 😭

[@atuvera9021]

Ikr... I miscalculated the amount of fabric i would need for a dress and omg it was so much more that i thought i needed xD

[@k80_]

Made a tiered skirt recently. The bottom tier was 110 inches which is like 9 feet. Ridiculous. But it turned out so cute that I think it was worth it!

[@caarline654]

her: "Hang your dresses from the hanging loops so you don't wear out the elastic ☺️" me, who always cut off the hanging loops because they annoyed me: 😳

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

Since I live in a hot and humid climate, I’m always willing to pay more for real silk organza as opposed to a synthetic diner. Often the natural fibre garment is the deciding factor as to whether I will actually purchase or sew a garment. Cotton, silk, linen and wool are the only fabrics that don’t make me feel(and smell) like I’ve been in a sauna.

[@moth.faerie]

that's totally fair, i'm betting my organza dresses won't get much wear in the summer 😅

[@irenedemianchuk9686]

@@moth.faerie that's honestly my concern with these polyester organza dresses, I feel like you can only comfortably wear them like a few days a year with some very specific weather (like around 20'C maybe), and polyester is dirt cheap compared to silk. I would not pay 400$ for a polyester dress for that reason

[@elizabethclaiborne6461]

Silk is as hot as polyester. This myth that silk is a summer fabric is absurd. You can at least wash the polyester when it gets sweaty. I don’t really approve of plastic fabric either, but a silk dress in s humid summer isn’t really a great choice.

[@biazacha]

@@elizabethclaiborne6461 on a structural level synthetic fabrics aren’t the ideal for hot days. So even if you feel hotter or fresher, a silk dress will be better against your skin over organza made of polyester.

[@thedrinkinggames9573]

This is good propaganda! We need more education on how much time and effort goes into the outfits we wear everyday. And your analysis of the construction was really informative and interesting. Thank you for taking the time to do this!

[@moth.faerie]

yes! i really think people would be a lot more averse to fast fashion haul videos and those horrible fast fashion if they understood how much effort goes into making clothes! thank you for watching!

[@allana1997]

People never realize how hard it is to make things if they’ve never made something before

[@samaraisnt]

The thing I don't like about it is I know for a fact they aren't paying their dressmakers $20/hr because if you ever talk to the people who run factories (in verrrrry low labor countries, which is exactly why they picked it) they argue that they pay "above market prices" and that paying a Western wage would "destabilize" the economy and be oh so unheard of. But then pat themselves on the back for paying 5-10% above slave (average) wages. Funny, how can every single factory pay their workers more than the market average, yet the average stays paltry? Idk I just know they aren't being paid $20/hour.

[@moth.faerie]

@@samaraisnt yeah i dont think they are being paid $20 an hour, if for no other reason than $20/hour would only cover labor cost and nothing over the materials, overhead, marketing, everything else that is necessary to run a company, etc. at the end of the day, i do think it's better to be on the more ethical side of the scale than to have made no progress at all bc even small amounts of progress will get us to a better place in the future! i think normalizing higher prices and (pseudo)-transparency of labor practices are just small steps towards a better future of actual ethical labor, since right now places like shein are dominating the market.

[@elenaj6283]

As an extremely novice sewist, I loved the practical demonstration of how the bodice and skirt were attached. Sometimes just verbal explanations do not click for something as hands on as garment creation

[@moth.faerie]

I'm glad it was helpful!

[@sparkybish]

It’s really interesting how trends come around. These remind me of my older cousins’ prom dresses in the late 70s/early80s. I always thought they were so beautiful, but it would have been so outdated by the time I was going to prom in the 90s.

[@moth.faerie]

All the gunne sax dresses are so popular rn too! I love it haha it means I can raid my moms closet every few years

[@rockencheesepuffs]

I absolutely love how thorough this is. Pay! Your! Makers! There's so much time and effort put into creating these and it was really interesting to see you break that work down. An excellent video, as always. (Baby bat's eyes matching your dress is the best thing ever lol)

[@moth.faerie]

thank you! haha watching it back there's actually some stuff I wish I had done more thoroughly 😅 but now I know for next time! the whole youtube thing is such a learning experience lol. Baby Bat is the perfect accessory haha now if only she'd let me hold her for more than 30 seconds...

[@ushere5791]

nerd alert: would you believe i've added hanging loops to my dresses to save the elastic? :} thank you so much for reviewing these gorgeous dresses--i love that you compared the cotton to the organza!!

[@moth.faerie]

omg no I totally feel you, if I didn't have 800 projects going all the time I would absolutely do that too. maybe once I finally have time to take a vacation I'll spend my time adding hanging loops to all my clothes 😅

[@gloomparty208]

Super interesting! Loved watching this breakdown! Wore the Selkie romance novel dress as my wedding dress and absolutely I loved it! Paid about $300 - way cheaper than any wedding dresses I had been looking at and I'll definitely wear it again.

[@moth.faerie]

aaah that one is so beautiful! congrats on getting married!

[@jamiemiller1680]

I really enjoy seeing how you break down the construction process on items, and I think it was really interesting to see the differences in the same style dress. Your little demonstration of how to make the "sausage roll" was a great touch, I think it is a technique that is hard to describe with words, but the demonstration helps. I still think this is one of those things that makes so much more sense after you've done it, even if it went poorly. lol You're comments about fair pay, and muscle memory, are all excellent. I used to help sew things for my daughters' theatre group. Items that I had to make in quantity got so much faster by the last one done. Even so, it is important to compensate for the whole process of making, not just the fastest time. It all takes the same amount of effort. I'm excited to see how you adapt your own pattern from this dress! Nose boops to the kitties.

[@moth.faerie]

Thank you for watching and for the thoughtful comment! Yes definitely the sausage roll thing is so much easier to understand once you've experienced it first hand, it's kind of hard to follow even with the visual aid 😅 And I love what you said about compensating for the whole process, not just the fastest time! I frequently forget to do that for my own work so it's a good reminder!

[@RockinTheBassGuitar]

These reviews are so helpful for choosing how to put together my own projects. Also, I always appreciate the cat tax in every video 😻

[@moth.faerie]

i'm glad it was helpful! cat tax is best tax

[@madzikdek]

So interesting, I love finding out tricks and techniques from others. I also find fascinating your commission pricing formula cos I was taught exactly that in baking. Can't wait to see you actually make the dress yourself and what more can be learned from them through that process.

[@moth.faerie]

oh thats so funny that the pricing formula is the same! i guess it makes sense that it would be pretty universally applied 😊

[@itistobewar]

I just started as a Swatcher in the NYC garment district and MY LORD I have never had a better understanding of fabric costs vs. finished garment costs. Glad to see you share this info about how to be a more informed consumer of clothing

[@moth.faerie]

aaah i've heard that's a fun but STRESSFUL job so good luck!! I definitely didn't understand anything about ethics/cost of production until I started sewing in a theatre setting and seeing first hand how many people are involved!

[@Krusher115]

As someone who used to think that I could hammer a full dress like this in an evening, this really put it all into perspective for me! Thank you!

[@moth.faerie]

hahahaaha i still sometime trick myself into thinking i can do that and i ALWAYS REGRET IT 😭

[@rainfire632]

I love the Sherlocking to discover a garments construction! These videos are so interesting. It's fascinating to see garment construction being broken down after it's been made, and then your process to recreate them, as closely as you can, so we get to really absorb all the details together. Like others commented before its so great to have someone who really understands the work put into clothing making be able to explain the process and how complex it can be depending on different fabrics, time, cost, or other restrictions. I think these types of videos are so valuable! [both for other makers, and also for an average consumer] I hope that you get to make as many of them as you would like to! Thank you for doing them :] Also I highly agree with the "pay your makers propaganda" :] Love it 👍🏻

[@moth.faerie]

Thank you for watching, I'm glad you're enjoying this type of video! I definitely want to make more, hopefully I can make them more frequently as my channel grows and becomes uhh a little more financially stable haha. Making clothing definitely costs me less per video than the dress analysis ones, but I do love being able to share this information!

[@bluecookiecloud]

"All fabrics we use come from Guangzhou, Shaoxing. No fabrics come from Xinjiang." i found this on the website and thought it was extra nice. For those that don't know there's an ongoing genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, so it's nice to see the company actively turn away from that.

[@moth.faerie]

yes i agree! I guess I only implied that in the video 😅 it always surprises me when people aren't aware of what's going on in xinjiang

[@usl4689]

Frankly, I've always found the fact that the situation in Xinjiang is called "genocide" quite disrespectful when literally nobody has died - at the same time we have the Tigray genocide happening in Ethiopia, the genocide in Myanmar, the Kashmiris etc that nobody speaks about and literally Millions have died.

[@moth.faerie]

@@usl4689 i'm just gonna direct you straight to the uyghur genocide wikipedia page and be done with this.

[@usl4689]

@@moth.faerie I’ve lived in Xinjiang for 9 years and am married to a man from Xinjiang - I’d say I trust him, his family and what I see for myself more than a Wikipedia page I could go to right now and edit as I see fit. There is an issue yes, but it is not genocide. People are not slaughtered on the streets (unless you’re thinking of the 2009 terror attack) and they’re not driven out of their homes. The west, Americans specifically, imagine this wonderful province to be some battleground paved with blood. It’s a developed area rich in culture and history. I realise it’s pointless of me to say it, you’d really have to go yourself to see it.

[@kirstydepaor547]

@@usl4689 Your perspective is about as reliable as the villagers around Auschwitz who didn’t see anything going on either.

[@isabellamahon6908]

I can’t wait to see more of the series!

[@GaliadelaRosa]

This dress analysis videos are so valuable! Thanks for making them. Really excited to see the other videos about the Selkie dress. Keep your fair pay propagnada coming lol

[@kellynoonan6126]

I love this technical breakdown of clothes I can't wait for the next one

[@Rainiepie]

Oh this is so interesting but I keep having to try to watch this multiple times because I find you inspecting the dresses soooo Asmr inducing! I literally went to sleep once!

[@ulaladiva]

I have been waiting so long for someone to do an in depth look at these dresses! Thank you so much for this!🧡🐰🎉

[@moth.faerie]

ah thank you for watching!

[@loganguttschow1136]

Gosh. This was the best recommendation video I have ever been shown. So interesting. Thank you!

[@mariakotter1451]

This is so educational and insightful. You are an incredibly knowledgeable and skilled seamstress. I can't wait to see your channel grow!

[@studioespxr]

This was so interesting and informative. I’m just starting to get back into sewing but the in depth analysis of a garment is so fascinating.

[@chairisma6055]

this is fascinating! I'm still a beginner at sewing my own clothes but after watching this I felt 10 times smarter and motivated to try some of the techniques myself 💗 thank you for such a detailed analysis!

[@Magicandmoody]

Your explanations are so helpful!!! This is what I need as a visual learner!

[@isthatachicken]

This is such a lovely and detailed analysis. I'm glad their pieces are cute and have actual effort put into the sewing part. I watched halfsoybean's video when she made a dress inspired by this brand so this just adds to my understanding of the brand.

[@shooshiberumen9116]

Love this for a series 👏 always love advice on what brand makes the best quality clothes but from a professional

[@coralinestreet]

This video was so insightful and interesting to watch. Thank you!

[@penny7b]

I really love this kind of breakdown of what exactly goes into making a garment and how much it should cost based on reasonable costs for labour and materials. What a brilliant antidote to fast fashion. *subscribes* :)

[@hemaalam5977]

So glad I came across this video/channel. Can't wait for the rest of the Selkie series, but I've got lots more videos to enjoy in the meantime :)

[@moth.faerie]

aw well thank you for watching!

[@kida4star]

I really appreciate your breakdown of the construction and labor! This was a great analysis.

[@moth.faerie]

thank you!

[@rhiannanh5009]

This was a fascinating video, thank you! It’s so interesting to see how different fabric can lead to different construction of the same dress.

[@moth.faerie]

yess it's super cool! fabric choice can make the same pattern look so drastically different

[@charlotte.4929]

I love this, thank you so much for giving in depth analysis even at the end with cost and thinking about labor

[@moth.faerie]

thank you for watching!

[@TheMarcusYukoFireHydrant]

Brilliant episode and narrative.

[@mearainbow]

This analysis is so helpful! I'm planning on making a similar dress so it's great to see inside these.

[@moth.faerie]

thank you for watching! I'm so glad you found it helpful! I'd love to see your dress when it's done, feel free to dm or tag me on instagram if you post there!

[@leatherbracelt]

very interesting! I’m excited for this series

[@moth.faerie]

thank you! yess i'm extra excited bc i get a new dress out of it haha

[@caylarivera2804]

This series is going to be so helpful for me, as I am going to attempt to make a similar style of dress for my wedding. This will be a great resource for doing all the finishing techniques I haven't tried yet! Thanks for the analysis and info!

[@moth.faerie]

ah congratulations on the wedding! i'm glad this can be helpful!

[@Kayla_P99]

I really appreciate the side by side comparison it made me understand the fabric so much better

[@moth.faerie]

i'm glad it was helpful! when I first got the organza dress (i bought the cotton one first) it was honestly shocking how different they were bc of the types of fabric

[@chibiteapot]

I love these types of videos!! Thank you for spending the time explaining and recreating! It is definitely helpful to me as a self taught home sewer. I spend so long guessing how I should stray from pattern instructions and do better finishes and it doesn't always end right since I do not have the experience. These videos are teaching me a lot. And I appreciate your analysis on the time spent on the garment. It validates all the time I spend creating a garment.

[@moth.faerie]

Ah thank you for watching, I'm glad you're enjoying them! ooh yes it's definitely worth spending time on each garment! if for no other reason that the more you practice and spend time really doing things 'correctly' the less 'thinking' you'll have to do and you can do it faster, with more confidence! plus it doesn't hurt that you'll get prettier things out of it in the end 😊 if you're looking for books with tons of info on seam finishing "couture sewing techniques" by claire schaeffer and the readers digest complete guide to sewing are very comprehensive! if you've already seen those are don't feel like books, my professors advice when I started grad school was to go to the nice department stores and just start looking through dresses for seam finishes haha

[@coreygilles847]

I find this so fascinating. Thank you for showing us this

[@moth.faerie]

thank you for watching!

[@GrowYourGroceries]

Love these review series

[@aspen1713]

This is my first time seeing your channel pop up in my recommended, but I'll definitely be watching more / checking out that Strawberry Dress video now! C: This was super interesting and informative. Amazing hearing the careful thought, technique, and work that's gone into making these dresses - totally giving me a whole new appreciation for the construction of clothes!

[@moth.faerie]

Thank you, im glad you liked it!

[@four1629]

this is so cool! i love figuring out the process of construction for my own clothes, but other than thrift or vintage store finds i've never had a garment that wasn't cheaply mass- produced. the dresses are gorgeous and i've actually been looking for a similar ~vibe~ skirt. you explain things so well, it's rlly just nice to watch

[@moth.faerie]

I'll be going through the pattern in the next video so hopefully that will help you make your own version of this skirt! It's been very recent that I've started buying more 'high end' garments, so I totally feel you on that. I used to unfortunately buy a lot of fast fashion and would be spending ~$50 every other week on F21 and completely stopped during the pandemic, so I figure I'm spending less now than I was then overall 😅 but besides all that, when I started grad school (and definitely could not afford this kind of dress) my professor recommended going to nice department stores and just looking at the insides of dresses to see how they're made!

[@Densongful]

I really appreciate this analysis and that breakdown of technique, labour and probable costing because it's really hard to envision and understand if you don't sew your own clothes.

[@whimsicalmusedesign]

I agree pay the makers fairly! I love these dresses and can't wait to see more!

[@roseburrell6011]

Thank you for sharing your insights! It was really interesting to see how the designers adjusted the pattern to fit the fabric, though I'm really curious about why they chose to change the orientation of the bust seams... I love watching your videos because you have so much knowledge from your own career and education, and this really shone through when you were breaking down the cost. The visual aid you gave to show how the skirt and bodice were attached was really helpful! 😊 I'm looking forward to the next video in this series!

[@moth.faerie]

my only theory for the bust seams is that an edge stitch on a horizontal seam looks better than an edge stitch on a vertical seam? because then it's more symmetrical? idk that's all i got 😅 thank you for watching and commenting!

[@KittieRoses]

Thank you for that in depth analysis. I really appreciated the demo for connecting the bodice to the skirt, as admittedly I had no clue until you showed it with the fabric. That must have been such a pain to do with all that skirt. Can't wait to see you make your own!

[@moth.faerie]

thank you for watching! haha the sausage method definitely takes some concentration to understand, I only really grasped it when I had to do like 10 shirt yokes for a show and it finally became a mechanical process rather than, 'wow look magic happened and it worked!'

[@jennamoy7833]

I really enjoyed your thorough analysis ~ Selkie dresses are gorgeous and it is fascinating to hear the breakdown of what goes into them! I'm really looking forward to watching your DIY re-creation! 💕 I would also absolutely LOVE to see you review Fairy Tong London dresses! They're so whimsical, colorful, intricate, and look exquisite! They definitely have a higher price tag and I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you and can't wait to watch more of your videos!

[@moth.faerie]

thank you! i've definitely been interested in fairy tong! i haven't been able to find much info on their ethics/sustainability tho so I'd want to learn more about that before I commit to purchasing

[@katwrites1062]

I came to watch so fast when I saw the notification! Cannot wait to see this mini series. As always your videos are so comforting and inspiring 💜

[@spacec0w733]

Me too!!

[@moth.faerie]

ah thank you guys you're so sweet!

[@vfai6961]

This is the first video I’ve seen of yours and I appreciate it so much! Definitely subscribing :) Oh also the septum piercing looks so cute on you!

[@moth.faerie]

thank you! haha remnants from my edgy days

[@StarWarsThrowbacks]

I have no experience in sewing let alone costume production but thank you algorithm for showing me this video!

[@glowingforthe1654]

Oh yes, just the video i want rn!! Shocked it took so long to show up in my feed

[@duchessofstrawberry4579]

Omg! What a unique channel! Love it! Just subscribed ^-^

[@65pinkrosesYT]

In my experience Selkie really struggled with fit. They especially are bad at handling busts bigger than an A or B cape bc they recommend sizing for your waist so their “underwire” does nothing for a lot of people. (Edited bc I forgot to say: great video! Really helpful breakdown)

[@moth.faerie]

ah yeah i've definitely seen some reviews about that in the selkie fb groups! I think any garment that has a fixed cup size is really going to have issues fitting a large range of people since they're trying to make it fit more like a bra than a standard bodice. not sure how they can fix that without a big increase in price though. I know a lot of high end lingerie have bras adjustable through a few different band sizes but that would be more complex with a full bodice rather than adjustable straps

[@nickloveskangin]

i have no interest in dresses or sewing, but i finally watched this video after youtube constantly recommending it to me for the past two weeks. it was really entertaining.

[@luxmuse5973]

I love their stuff! I have the cotton dresses, sheets and some poly dresses! Love them

[@beefcaked]

so happy to see this!! I've been considering buying the day dress for my graduation but I wanted to make sure the price point wasnt inflated!! with such detail, i absolutely have to get it

[@moth.faerie]

The day dresses are so cute! I haven't gotten one yet but I love the silhouette 💕 congrats on graduating!

[@lndcruz721]

i really love these sorts of videos, especially the part in the end where you talk about pricing. Clothes take a lot longer and takes more labor to make and do than people think and everyone involved in the making of that needs to be paid fairly

[@moth.faerie]

i'm glad you liked it! thank you for watching!

[@FlickiChicki]

Thank you for this! I love the dresses, but with my bust size, I knew I’d have to make my own. Now I know how.

[@moth.faerie]

ah yeah that is one of the complaints i see for them quite a bit is that sizing is so dependent on the bust.

[@theredrover3217]

Like what I hear, someone who thinks as I do.😁 Well done. Didn't know where you were going and voila, you were there. Clever, entertaining and educational. Well done.

[@MartineAppel]

Thank you for this video!! It’s so interesting to see how a dress like this is constructed! Very educational. You did mention that the zipper is a standard blind zipper method, but because it looks sandwiched, I am confused. Can you maybe in the making video elaborate on how you insert the zipper? Or point me to a video where that type of method is shown? I’d highly appreciate it!

[@moth.faerie]

thank you for watching! if you look up 'installing an invisible zipper in a lined garment' you should be able to find some good results with picture tutorials! I meant that it's standard because you apply it first to the outer fabric like you would normally an invisible zipper, then do the second side, but because you're still sewing everything from the inside none of the stitches show. Honestly, I don't actually like invisible zippers all that much, they're much flimsier than a normal zipper and you can get a pretty invisible look with a normal zipper!

[@ShadowRayne16]

I have thr caviar ritz gown and I love it sp this was and awesome watch. Thanks For deep diving onto it.

[@moth.faerie]

aah i love that one too! i love all the ritz gowns, they're such a good shape 😊

[@KellyAK]

This was really interesting, thank you!

[@moth.faerie]

I'm glad you liked it, thank you for watching!

[@CS-lk2ys]

Thank you so much for making this video! Not only do people need to better understand what goes into making clothes, and the severely poor state of the fashion industry as a whole (pay your dress makers more money people!) but it’s of huge benefit to beginner sewists like myself to understand what techniques are used, and how to identify those. Would love to see more of these types of videos!

[@moth.faerie]

Thank you for watching! I definitely want to make more of these! Just have to save up money to buy the dresses first haha

[@kamih920]

Trying to help with Content: edit -this is the first video I’ve watched of yours. If you are working on an outfit please let us know how long you have work on your design and why you were inspired to make the outfit(certain techniques you used/ what your style you were going for/ the history of that style you were going for(any reference, pics what you like ects that inspired you ). I like the info girl and why you dis/like certain things. I’d like to see your make/take on stuff. Very excited!! Liked and subscribed.

[@altaroberts5105]

You can add your own loops to hang up a dress like that. I keep pieces of ribbon or just take them from a garment that does not need them.

[@kekeligohoho1553]

the algorithm has been working hard to promote this vid to me, so I decided to give it a click. glad I did!

[@tommycatgirl]

I enjoyed listening to you, I'm currently dyeing fabric which is surprisingly tedious lol and this is so nice to listen to. I own 4 Selkies and I definitely agree I prefer the cotton dresses going forward with the brand but Idk if I'd buy from selkie directly I'd prefer second hand. I also feel the price it seems a bit steep at least for the cotton dresses considering I've purchased nicer linen dresses from places like linennaive or sondeflor or little women atelier. I do hope selkie dresses will even out in future.

[@samaraisnt]

@@lydiahilovska9474 I don't know what you mean? by your point Selkie should actually be selling cheaper dresses than the ones she listed because China has a lower going wage/COL than Eastern Europe. Turkey actually has an even lower wage/production cost than China now, not-so-fun fact. There's a very good write-up about it in The Lingerie Addict. This is how unethical companies get away with saying things like "Luxury made in Europe" but still use child labor, which is increasingly common in Turkey w/ little regulation.

[@cricketiiella]

you have such an engaging voice. such a cool video to see as a long time luster after selkie

[@moth.faerie]

aw thank you so much 💕

[@nikkipackham2234]

Wow amazing to see the breakdown on how these dresses were made…. That ruffle waistband that style looked so hard to do. I look forward to seeing how you manage it.

[@moth.faerie]

thank you! it's not that difficult once you've done a few, but definitely took a couple times to wrap my brain around

[@gabycaubalejo08]

Thank you for this informative video! Just wondering how tall you are and were you wearing heels in the try-on clip?

[@peter_panarchy]

The lack of hanging loops kills me!!! I'm a 2/3x so the access alone to dresses of this style/quality feels pretty miraculous, and the legit quality makes the price sooo worth it to support a brand that is so intentional about being inclusive. But yeah i have one (the rosebud style) that's got tiny straps and no hanging loops and I still haven't figured out the best way to hang/store it :(

[@moth.faerie]

if you're not able to hang it over a rod, a pants/skirt hanger with padded clips would probably work if you can find one! and yes! the range of their sizing is another really good thing about their brand, plus they use models in such a wide variety of sizes on their website, I really hope their popularity will push other brands more in their direction 😊

[@elenaziccarelli1295]

Any seamstress can add straps in quick and cheap

[@lillietheoneandonly]

I love love love this analysis. I’m a seamstress but hate sewing LOL only cause my ADHD. It makes it way easier to see this to make me more inspired to sew with passion

[@thegretnaexperiment2.021]

Thanks for the in depth breakdown ❤ I tried on a Selkie dress and was surprised there’s no hook and eye on top of the zipper. Especially on a strapless dress 😳 I wonder why when it seems standard.

[@amyk6710]

me getting up immediately to see how I hung my dress after you mentioned the elastic

[@brinagotsued]

I love your style 💕

[@moth.faerie]

thank you!

[@carolinemercer9779]

French seams 😍😍 I wish I could French seam everything, they’re so gorgeous

[@moth.faerie]

they're such a nice touch to clothing, and I love that they're pretty simple for beginners! if not a little tedious 😅

[@fionashaw9097]

I'd love to see you do a video comparing the construction of the original dress with a knock off (I know SHEIN has a knock off of the Selkie Puff dress) so people can really see the differences.

[@moth.faerie]

yes I would love to do that! I'll look into which ones shein has knocked off and see if there's an original I want that matches 😊

[@megs7019]

U should use a pant style hanger for those dress. Love the coloring of the purple dress

[@moth.faerie]

ah i actually really dislkie pant hangers bc i have such bad luck with things sliding off constantly 😅 but thank you for the suggestion regardless!

[@spacec0w733]

It’s so crazy how you can deconstruct the dress so we’ll!!

[@moth.faerie]

aw thanks! that was a big part of what we learned in grad school, it's super useful for applying to my own builds!

[@meritalundstrom]

Can you do one of these analysis videos for Fashion Brand Company, any version of the virgin gown? Would super love to see that, I have that dress in 3 variations

[@moth.faerie]

i'll add it to my list!

[@TealCheetah]

Gosh I want that Venus fabric!

[@moth.faerie]

it's so beautiful, probably my favorite dress I own!

[@Shomig99]

I just ordered my fabrics so I can do a sew-along!

[@moth.faerie]

ah fun! i didn't do my 'making' video as a step by step tutorial, so if I skip along things too quickly please feel free to ask for any clarification!

[@Shomig99]

@@moth.faerie I think your instructions are quite clear, it shouldn't be a problem 😄

[@jessjohnson426]

I feel like i see a few comments about how the prices seem hiked in comparison to the quality of fabric/stitching etc being done. I am all for paying more for clothes (*especially* where paying garment workers fair wages/providing health care/enviromentally friendly processes etc are concerned) but i would tend to agree. Personally i love the brand loud bodies, they exclusively work with environmentally friendly processes/fabrics and most importantly provide living wages for their workers!! Somewhat similar in style to selkie and also they are cheaper, i feel like i remember reading that the atelier doesn't import their fabrics so that cuts costs or smthn? Either way they're great. And they also have great extended sizing!

[@moth.faerie]

i've been wanting to buy from loud bodies for a while! i just haven't found anything that I've fallen in love with yet so still keeping an eye on their site 😊

[@slothbearsrule1564]

Have you heard of the brand Fairy Tong London? I feel the style would suit you and ot would be interesting to see a similar video for the brand. They seem really sustainable and absolutely dreamy dresses.

[@moth.faerie]

i have heard of them, just havne't gotten around to them yet!

[@spacec0w733]

If you ever have time or need a video in between series would you please make a video about your sewing journal

[@moth.faerie]

Yes I definitely want to do that! I have a couple sewing deadlines coming up in may so maybe late may early June?

[@DoodleRadish]

Can you do house of cb as well? Specifically the Tallulah dress?

[@moth.faerie]

I'll add it to my list!

[@PatchworkNovelties]

The one thing I somewhat missed is longevity. You did mention the elastic of course. And without testing it's hard to estimate, so I realize it's difficult to comment on. That said, assuming proper care do you expect a good few years of semi-regular wear out of them?

[@moth.faerie]

yes definitely! especially for the cotton one, i literally wore it to a farm to go pumpkin picking and did an obstacle course, went down slides, fed goats etc, and threw it in the wash afterwards and it's still 100% fine. I don't wear the organza one as often just bc of the print being less 'daily wear' like but I imagine it will also hold up well. If anything does go out it'll be the elastic or the zipper first. elastic is easy to replace, the zipper a little more annoying but still doable, but honestly those should both be fine as long as the weight isn't sitting on the elastic and as long as the dress is the correct size. The only issue for the zipper should be if its under a lot of strain and thats true of any invisible zipper.

[@JadeSummers218]

Edit: I hit enter too soon ^^'. I'm not expert by far on the ethical or sustainable practices that factories use, but I have a sort of tier system for ranking them based on the transparency on their website. It's nice that Selkie shows their factory, but it'd be nicer if they just named the factory and linked to its fair practices instead of assuring us that they were, in fact, treated fairly. WRAP certification is fine and all, but basically only means they're not overtly using slave labor. Pretty much the same with BSCI cert--they're better than any internally created system of standards, but they're nothing to write home about. They even say they're only helping employees get, 'all rights they are entitled to by law,' which isn't much. One would hope for something like an OEKO-TEX® label at least, considering. All of that to say, they're way better than any fast fashion, and they're doing a LOT more than a lot of companies that claim 'ethics' and 'sustainability', and their clothing looks nicely made, so I'm not taking them off my sale price list! Thanks for the deep dive, it was really really interesting to see the insides of the clothes and to hear from someone who knows what the quality appears to be.

[@moth.faerie]

i feel the same way!!! one of the reasons I am super on board with Lirika Matoshi (besides the cute designs!) is that she frequently posts on social media about the studio she uses and the individual women working in that studio. It's clear that she's spent a lot of time with them and knows them very well, and values them not only as workers but as people! I wish all companies were that involved and transparent about their working conditions. I definitely agree that Selkie could be a lot more transparent about the factory they're using - my only thought in opposition to that is that they might be hiding the name so other companies don't use them? which is also kind of shitty but I can see protecting your sources so the factory doesn't get too overloaded? idk that might be too generous an assumption 😅 but yeah I 100% agree, what selkie is doing should be the bare minimum regarding ethics and sustainability and it's disappointing that in reality they're hitting a much higher bar than 99.9% of fashion companies. hopefully discussing this kind of thing becomes more prevalent and normalized and their practices can become the bare minimum!

[@miaomiaou_]

Brands usually will not reveal their factories because they don’t want their competition finding out. It would be a pretty big deal, as brands will sometimes have factories source fabrics/trims for them. Plus then it would be super easy to rip off a brand (not that it’s hard now, but it would be even more so). I agree though that the industry in general has a long, long way to come in terms of sustainability and fair wages.

[@JadeSummers218]

@@miaomiaou_ all of that's true, but that's a capitalism problem, not a consumer problem. I as a consumer can still expect it, whether I receive it or not. Everlane has an excel spreadsheet available on their website with the name and contact info of all of their factories. It can be done.

[@alexisarrizon6083]

I can't say they are worth it. I am a professional pattern maker/ technical designer with a specialized dedication to couture techniques and draping/ bespoke tailoring and I find the construction very elementary and the textiles are decent. I have purchased several selkie dresses for research sake and deconstructed them. Nothing I couldn't construct myself.🤫Good video. I have a friend who looms and weaves custom textiles for me. I love it.

[@moth.faerie]

Ok how much would you expect to be paid if you were making them for other people tho?

[@renaissancegoyle]

any good alternatives?

[@TheSherri27]

It would be interesting to see this with fast fashion so we can understand the issues with buying.

[@moth.faerie]

i mean the main issue is that fast fashion uses exploitative labor and i don't need to purchase or see the garment to know that, but that said i do want to do a comparison video of selkie and its knockoffs in the future

[@boots1622fan]

lend me your amazing clothing analysis skills lol

[@moth.faerie]

ah haha honestly it's all just practice! when I first started grad school my professor suggested I go to nice department stores and look at the insides of dresses, and as class assignments we had to look at a piece of clothing and guess at how it was put together and write a step by step as though we were going to put our own together.

[@boots1622fan]

@@moth.faerie ooooh... i should try that. it's like being a dress detective!

[@TotallyxKatiee]

Looking at the thumbnail prior to finishing the video I could make a dress like that in under $100 depending on the fabric chosen

[@cartoondeathnoises8756]

I don't have the budget for Selkie products and the way they make torsos(for most of the dresses I've seen, i haven't seen every item of theirs) isn't my style anyways but i was bored one day and decided to look into the business to see why it's so expensive and whether it's worth the price(sorry I'm a skeptic, i wouldn't have said anything if i did decide that it was super overpriced, it's just something i often get curious about, especially since some businesses overprice to feign ethical or sustainable practices and i wanna know that my potential business will be going to what they act like it is, and then won't be able to focus on smth else until i satiate it haha) and yeah, with their business practices and material sourcing, i have no issue with the price of their clothing.

[@NoDecaf7]

Pay Your Dressmakers More propoganda ❤️ It was really fun to see these compared. I'm looking forward to checking out more of your content!

[@moth.faerie]

thank you for watching!!

[@dariaorme1282]

Thanks for doing a mini-tutorial of "turning your dress into a sausage." It seemed very mystical and confusing in your last video.

[@moth.faerie]

ah haha yeah I realized when I was editing the last video that it just sounds silly without a visual aid 😅 i mean it also sounds silly with a visual aid but at least it can make sense and sound silly