Is there a fee for the assessment?

An initial consultation begins with a visual and hands-on review. If a seam must be opened to check the inner structure before feasibility can be judged, we explain the pre-inspection arrangement and its fee first, and proceed only with your agreement.

Do I have to proceed with you after the assessment?

No. The purpose of the assessment is to make the garment's condition and options clear to you; whether to go further is your decision.

Private Garment Assessment: In-Person Review of Detail and Options

What happens at an assessment

We examine the weave, the state of the fibres, any colour change and the tightness of the stitching in daylight and under magnification. Where necessary we open a seam or look inside the lining to see which parts carry the original design's load and which are wear from use or care.

What we will ask you

Do you want to keep the present look or improve durability? Change its purpose, or take it in? Are there details that must not be touched? The answers decide whether the proposal leans toward reinforcement and invisible repair, or toward reproportioning and redesign.

What you take away

A written brief and suggested path: the garment's condition, the elements to be kept, the risk of each route, and how alternative materials compare in look and hand. It is the shared basis for the work and for every conversation that follows.

The limits of an assessment

Cloth may carry hidden damage; some changes after opening cannot be reversed. An assessment therefore offers professional judgement and several options, not a guarantee of outcome. If a garment is not suited to further work, we say so; keeping it as it is can also be a choice.

What to bring

The garment itself. For a gown or qipao, the shoes and undergarments you will wear with it. Any spare original fabric, buttons or old photographs: they are often more useful than you expect.