Reimagined, Transformed, and Repurposed
“Stitch is just a place where you can do whatever you want,” Rose Dios, who owns the Southampton custom clothing and alterations shop, said during a fashion event she held there two weeks ago.
“This dress makes me feel happy,” Nina Beaty, an art therapist with a studio up the street, said as Sara Vicquez, the shop’s manager, helped her to take it in for a perfect fit.
Feeling good is the point. The shop’s goal, Ms. Dios said, is to help women achieve the look they’re after, whether through an alteration, a complete transformation of an old closet treasure, replicating of a favorite piece, or purchasing something new.
Alterations are a big part of the business, and how it originated. Women who have trouble fitting into “regular sizes” find comfort there, and Stitch also offers alterations for men, designer shoe and handbag repair, custom bridesmaid and mother of the bride dresses, and fur restyling.
Simpler designs are custom made inhouse — blouses in a bouquet of colors, skirts in varying lengths, colors, and fabrics. Ready-to-wear, dress-up-or-down cocktail dresses in an array of prints hang near the front of the store, and black-tie gowns are options too. The shop also carries designer fabrics.
“Lace is in right now,” Ms. Dios said, showing lace skirts with different-colored slips beneath them.
Clients sometimes want copies of dresses they’ve seen in magazines or on TV, or they might ask for Ms. Dios to replicate a style from long ago. Women might like a sleeve from one dress and the skirt from another. Stitch can put it together in the same dress. Measurements and details are taken in the shop, and then the dress is fabricated, either in-house or elsewhere, depending on the degree of complexity.
A custom-designed dress starts at $200, depending on the fabric. The boutique carries designer imports such as Etro, Pucci, Missoni, Chanel, Fendi, Armani, Oscar de la Renta, and Besanim, but has a some lower-priced options, too.
For the winter, Stitch has Italian and French faux fur, cashmere, and velvet. There are custom-designed and ready-to-wear hats, as well as belts, bags, gloves, jewelry, and other accessories. No piece of leftover material goes to waste. Cashmere cuttings, for example, are repurposed into headbands and scarves.
The Nugent Street shop also does monogramming, pillow and cushion covers, and other home goods. And for those who prefer their fittings in their own house, home consultations are offered. Stitch is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.