Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sarah Haimes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sarah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.
The difference between my designs versus the industry standard is that my dresses are adjustable in size. I create dresses that adjust at the waist and upper back to fit many sizes in one single dress. Whether for purchase or rental, the majority of my dresses, spanning from size small to 2X, embrace inclusivity.
Also, another huge things that I feel is important is that I do NOT upcharge for plus size as well. mass-market retailers tend to upcharge for plus size. I have had so many plus size individuals on social media tell me how much they appreciate the inclusivity and how fair I was to price every size dress at the same amount.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I got started with making these dresses when as a photographer I got tired of buying cheap generic clothing from mass-market retailers. I also could not afford to buy from small businesses at the time due to financial hardship. So I decided to make my own. I knew the very basics about sewing at the time, because of my mother who I have learned so many creative things from as she was the one who got me my first sewing machine as a kid. Mind you I have not used a sewing machine at this point for at least 10 years now, because I was so busy with my photographer business and whatnot.
So one day I bought a fairly decent sewing machine & got to work. I was determined to create something I could photograph and have for my photography clients to wear and enjoy. I also wanted to make sure it was inclusive, because people like myself who are larger in size don’t get the opportunity to wear beautiful dresses as often as straight sizes do. I hand create each dress. A majority in which I don’t use any sort of pattern! I Actually eyeball the design of it on a dress form and cut the pieces I need. Anything with a corset I use a pattern of course.
So then my journey flourished from there. Sadly, at the beginning of this journey I had some obstacles in my way with some fellow small businesses who sought to bring me down when they saw me make my first dress, but I just kept moving forward. I was determined to prove people wrong & to show I could be successful. I am a huge supporter of fellow small businesses so I wanted to show them they couldn’t bring me down. I kept experimenting on fabrics whether it was thrifted, new, vintage, etc. I loved getting creative and making things for others to enjoy and for myself to enjoy.
Fast forward to about 2 years later I created my infamous Gold Gatsby dress and it blew up and became very popular! I was the first to create that specific style of dress with that specific fabric. Everyone was in love with it & I was blown away by how many stunning plus size humans were buying it. A majority of my Gatsby dresses were purchased by mid & plus size and that made me so overwhelmingly happy. That was my exact intention in the first place once I decided to start selling my dresses. Don’t get me wrong I cater to all sizes, but to get reviews from fellow plus size humans about how beautiful they felt made me tear up every time.
Now, I make all kinds of dresses, and I’m thankful for every person who orders from me or shares their ideas. Each dress is special, and I’m grateful for the chance to make people feel good about themselves.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In the beginning of my journey making dresses, I experienced a hardship by a fairly known small business who caters to the photography industry as I do now. I initially made my first dress for myself and myself alone due to how much their dresses cost & my inability to afford it at the time so I decided to make my own. I had no intentions of selling dresses at first. I was so proud of what I had made that I made a post with my friend modeling in it & I got so much praise from fellow friends and photographers.
Once that got put out publicly someone decided to screenshot my dress and send it to this other small well known business and I immediately got blocked as well as publicly humiliated stating I stole their design/concept. Which in fact I did not. I made my own version in my own way with my own fabric. I have never seen their dresses in person before and only in photographs. I completely winged it making this dress that I was so proud of and I immediately had such a sinking feeling in my gut. I was mortified that a fellow small business would do this so publicly.
Luckily, the post was soon removed by them as the comments were not in their favor with how poorly the situation was handled. I had a flood of people come to my aid and tell me how sorry they were to see what happened and they even friended me on social media in support. From there I said, “You know what, I am going to do this. I don’t care what anyone says.” And that is when I created Sew Romantic Designs.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Creating inclusive dresses with beautiful vintage lace and fabrics 100% helped my reputation in the market. I not only sell them, but I rent them as well. Most dress rental companies don’t cater to plus size individuals so I feel my business made that change.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sewromanticdesigns.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/sewromanticdesigns
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sewromanticdesigns
- Other: www.tiktok.com/@sewromanticdesigns
Image Credits
Shuttergram Portraits Shuttergram Photography Models: Samantha Powell Ivanna Tucker Hannah Bennett Nela