How can you tell if you are going to get your money worth from a more expensive skating dress.  How do you spot quality before you buy?  Brand name is one way, but not the only way.  Sharene, Del Arbor, Mondor, etc. are always a quality buy if you don't mind having the same dress as somebody else at a competition or your rink.  There are a lot of high quality dresses out there made by private parties, but you do have to be a educated buyer.  I buy dresses from other seamstress and tailors all the time and have gained experience in buying quality and avoiding the lemons.

The first thing you should look for is lining in the dress.  Lined dresses don't stretch out of shape, are warmer, and give more support.  Seamstresses that line their dresses take the time, effort, and extra fabric to make sure the dress is made correctly.  These dresses take longer to construct and have higher material costs, so you will probably have to pay a little more.


Make sure the dress has surged seams.  Seams that are sewn on a regular machine will pull out much quicker and pull out of shape.  Don't be fooled by double sewn seams.  These still break and will pull out.   Also look for finished hems.  I don't know how many dresses out there have unfinished hem, which makes the dresses look unfinished.    Rolled hems on a surger or folded over hems give the dresses that polished look you are searching for.  Hems on cuffs or sleeves should be folded over, with the exception of bell cuffs.

If the dress is advertised as "new" I am always skeptical unless I get the manufacture (paper) hang tags attached with them.  I have received many "new" dresses that have had panty stains, wear marks, etc.  when the tags are not attached.  Many sellers will cut out the fabric label to hide the fact that the dress is used.  I would avoid any dress with the inside tags cut out.  The first thing I check if I suspect a dress I bought is not new is the inside tag.  It should be crispy, white, with no break down to it.  It should not be faded or tinted the color of the dress.  These are all signs the dress has been washed.  Every once in a while a seller has to wash a new dress because something gets on it, it gets too wrinkled, it need freshening up from a photo shoot, etc.  The seller should state in the listing that the dress has been washed.

The biggest tip is to ask questions before you buy.  If you suspect something is amiss, ask!  Going with a reputable seller does work, but if you only go with big sellers you may miss out on a real good deal.  Be wise, educated, and confident you are buying a dress well worth the price.

The following is a list of common problems and the causes of these problems:

Limp dress with no body = not lined or poor fabric quality
Seams pucker and stick out = non-surger seams or sewn crocked
Pilling in the panty crotch, backside, and seams = used dress showing signs of wear
Not enought stretch = 2-way or non-stretch fabric used instead of 4-way stretch
Crystals fall off or pull off easily = poor quality craft glue, no hotfix crystals
Crystal cloudy = poor quality, cheap crystals being used
Loose threads = improper inspection and poor quality


All information in this article is the OPINION of the author from personal experience.  No one seller is being singled out or discredited by the author.