I Got A Made-To-Order Black-Tie Dress — & No, I’m Not Famous

When I think of custom clothes, my mind immediately jumps to bespoke suiting or a couture gown fit for a celebrity attending the Met Gala — in other words, virtually unattainable for a semi-thriving, not-famous 20-something such as myself. However, as soon as I encountered Fame & Partners, it was like I’d found the perfect antidote to my formalwear-shopping struggles. It combines the convenience of online shopping (I only shop from my couch, TBQH) with the ability to tailor-make a garment to your own measurements. In other words, the fit would be perfect right out of the box — at least, in theory.

At 5’2″, shopping for petite-friendly clothes isn’t always the easiest task, not to mention the additional cost of getting garments professionally altered. (However, my experience as a slim-bodied woman is nothing in comparison to what plus-size folks have to deal with.) All that said, I was both overjoyed (and a bit nervous) when I got an invite to my first-ever black-tie wedding. I love getting dressed up, but the thought of finding a full-length gown that didn’t make me look two feet tall felt daunting. Ahead, join me as I try Fame & Partners for the first (but, spoiler alert, definitely not last) time.

Fame & Partners The Emerie Dress, $349

The Ordering Process

Armed with a tape measure and some positive thoughts, I browsed the pages of Fame & Partners formal dresses and settled on a spaghetti strap gown in pistachio matte satin. The site itself is easy to browse based on what you’re looking for, but once you choose a style, the real fun begins.

First, you select a fabric colorway (some dresses even have printed options), and standard dress size as a jumping-off point. (Sizes range from 0 to 22.) From there, you add your height as well as the heel length of the shoes you’re wearing with the dress. The last step is to choose a length of the hem: options range from calf-skimming midi to tea length to full-length formal with a train.

I should add that unlike ordering from most online stores, you need to factor in extra time for the garment to be made to your specs. The standard lead time is four to five weeks, so make sure you plan accordingly to ensure your order arrives on time.

The Try-On

After a month of anticipation, my order arrived at my doorstep. (I’ve never opened a piece of mail faster, BTW). Inside, my dress was enclosed in a plastic bag with a card on top. I unfolded it and tried it on immediately, hoping that it would fit me like a glove and stop at my toes — something that has never happened before with full-length anything. (I get my jeans hemmed, folks.) To my shock and awe, it was as if Cinderella’s own fairy godmother made this dress to my exact form. Sure enough, the length was perfect, and the empire waist sat just right on my weirdly long torso. Even the drapey neckline worked — something I normally would’ve never tried with an off-the-rack dress since the proportions sometimes overwhelm a petite frame. (I also loved the color, which was spot-on with the images online. You can order real fabric swatches for $2 a piece if you need ironclad peace of mind.)

The dress fit (phew!), but the true test would be to see how it wore throughout hours of crying, eating, drinking, and dancing. The dress itself was actually pretty comfortable and wasn’t too tight — even after a filet mignon dinner and a slice of chocolate cake. My only gripe is that the loops used for hanging the dress had the tendency to peek out from my sides and had to be back tucked in every so often. (Maybe some strategically applied tape would help here? I’m open to suggestions.)

With dresses ranging from $135 to $480 (mine was somewhere in the middle at $349, but the final cost depends on the length you choose), Fame & Partners isn’t inexpensive by any means, but it offers options at a range of price points. (If you’re on a stricter budget, it also has a limited selection of ready-to-ship, non-customizable styles that can be sent within a few business days.) I personally don’t mind spending more on a dress that I love (and will re-wear to future events), and the quality of my Fame & Partners dress was honestly better than I expected. Plus, designer pieces can easily exceed Fame & Partners’ made-to-order styles, so if you’re already planning on splurging, why not do so on a custom garment?

Final Thoughts

All in all, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with my Fame & Partners experience. After years of seeing them on Instagram (and adding many bridesmaid photos to my Saved folder), I totally get the hype. Fame & Partners is basically like paying a visit to the modiste in Bridgerton: You get to choose the fabric and style and then wait for a lady’s maid UPS driver to deliver it to your home. While on the pricier end of things, I didn’t feel like my dress wasn’t worth the investment by any means — I felt super cute and confident all night. I also jive with the brand’s goal of ultimately reducing clothing landfill waste by making made-to-order pieces more accessible for consumers like me.

While I may not have a social calendar overflowing with fancy parties, I’ll at least spare myself the stress next time I need to find a dress for a fancy wedding. Now, if only the brand had been around when I was shopping for prom . . .

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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This Eco-Conscious Brand Is Taking You To The Tropics With Its Latest Collection

The temperatures are officially peaking, but sweatshirts and sweatpants are still the rage. We know this because our data consistently shows hyped add-to-cart activity whenever we update our roundup of matching sweatsuits. (We see you, comfy-seeking readers.)

Besides, what’s not to love about swathing your body in ultimate softness as we barrel forward into the hazy, lazy days of summer . . . right? Okay, so maybe it’s time to rethink the fleece-lined long-sleeve and ankle-length versions, but nixing the fuzzy stuff doesn’t mean you have to put this nonchalant ensemble on hold. Here to set a new standard is “material science” fashion brand Pangaia with the salient solution of the season: a lightweight and breathable shorts-and-tee sweatsuit featuring colors inspired by tropical flowers and fruits. (Don’t worry, full-limbed styles are also available.)

The brand, known for its lineup of high-quality hoodies and sweatpants made from earth-friendly fabrics, has recently launched its Tropics Capsule, which features a tight edit of four lush hues that nod to the largest tropical rainforest in the world: the Amazon. The colorways — Passion Flower Purple, Papaya, Jade Vine, and Dragon Fruit Red — celebrate the region’s vibrant wildlife and its indigenous tribes. Plus, proceeds are donated to Togetherband, an org dedicated to supporting and preserving the Amazon communities.

And, don’t let the “sweat” in sweatsuit deter you. These Pangaia pieces are made from 100% organic cotton that’s breezy enough to wear year-round. In keeping with the brand’s eco-minded ethos, all the plant fibers used are natural and biodegradable, and 95% of the water used in the production of these pieces comes from rainfall, protecting the nonrenewable water resources that would otherwise be uprooted from the ground.

Below, shop the collection in all four colorways. Whether you opt for a matchy-matchy or a color-blocked moment is up to you.

Passion Flower Purple

Shop all Pangaia

Papaya

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Jade Vine

Shop all Pangaia

Dragon Fruit Red

Shop all Pangaia

At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.

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Why The Panama Hat Needs A Rebranding

The “Panama hat” — characterized by a circular shape, thick band, and straw material — has long been a summer fashion staple. But while the headgear is beloved for its functional design that protects wearers from the sun, what many of its fans don’t know is that the hat was not created in Panama. According to fashion historian Laura Beltrán, the style was actually born in the region we know today as Ecuador, as well as Colombia, where it is called a “toquilla straw hat.”

The term “Panama hat” was coined in 1906 after President Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing the style during his visit to the construction site of the Panama Canal. (Workers tasked with the project also wore the headwear to protect themselves from the heat and sun.) Beltrán, who is also the co-founder of Latin American fashion history platform Culturas de Moda, says “that’s where the association came from.”

The style’s roots go all the way back to pre-Hispanic times when Indigenous people in the region developed weaving techniques with toquilla straw, made from palm fronds that grow in the Andes Mountains, to make baskets, textiles, and ropes. During the colonial period in the 1600s, according to Beltrán, “the hats were introduced by European colonizers… what came after was a hybrid of the weaving techniques of pre-Hispanic cultures and the headgear worn by Europeans.”

During the 19th century, when many Latin American countries won their independence, this hat became widely worn and created in Colombia and Ecuador. “Even in paintings and maps from the era, you can see how they’d illustrate people wearing the hats and merchants selling them,” says Beltrán. By the 20th century, when Roosevelt wore it, the North American market became the largest consumer of “Panama hats” outside of Latin America. The hat was then popularized on a mass scale and became a vacation- and summer-style go-to, according to Beltrán. In 2012, UNESCO declared toquilla straw hats “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Designer and Cuyana co-founder Karla Gallardo grew up in Ecuador, where the hat was a staple of everyday life. It wasn’t until she left for the United States that she learned of the misconception that the style came from Panama. “I was shocked at how a product could be sold in a way that didn’t honor its origin and its story,” says Gallardo. “There’s just a huge difference between where the product is made and where it comes from and what the customers know about it.” To correct this, earlier this year, Gallardo and her co-founder, Shilpa Shah, debuted the “This Is Not A Panama Hat” campaign highlighting the style’s origins. “We are actually moving forward with that campaign with the goal of a name change,” says Gallardo. 

Beyond this campaign, Gallardo and Shah have worked closely with Indigenous artisans in Ecuador, who have fought to maintain the craftsmanship of toquilla straw hats, despite economic and social crises that have forced many to shut down their businesses. Since 2011, Gallardo has visited the town of Sisig, one of the oldest toquilla-weaving communities in the region, with whom the brand has now partnered to create its hats. “This hat’s origins are in Ecuador, and this makes Ecuadorians proud, and that needs to be preserved,” says Gallardo, noting the labor-intensive eight-hour weaving process behind the hat. 

Beltrán agrees that the term “Panama hat” erases the heritage of this item, which is especially harmful at a time when globalization and fast fashion have extracted the production of these hats outside of the region. “Artisans are losing their earnings, and even the artisanal tradition of weaving is being lost,” she says. “Millions may be after this hat, but few buy it from the original artisans.”

For Gallardo, reminding customers of the true history of this hat starts with brands. “Transparency on origin and heritage is just such an important part of the shopping experience so that consumers can be more intentional in what they buy and give more value to.” As an Ecuadorian, she hopes that highlighting the history of the toquilla straw hat will ensure her country’s heritage remains intact: “There will be just much more history linked to the hat that will actually make this a bigger celebration and something to be proud of.” 

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