Welcome to
Uptight Clothing
Uptight Clothing is a small independent Alternative, Corset Wedding dress Designer/ maker based in Bedfordshire, UK.
About Uptight Clothing...
About Uptight....
Uptight Clothing is a small independent business, based in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. Run by Janice Whitehorn for over 20 years, working from her beautiful Turquoise purpose built gothic workroom and showroom, newly settled at the bottom of her magical garden...
Uptight specializes in Alternative, couture, corseted wedding/bridal gowns, made to measure underwear corsets and bespoke fantasy jewellery. All inspired by nature, period, theatrical and fantasy, Pagan/witchy elements, but mainly by the wearer themselves.
All corsets and gowns are completely designed and made to order individually for each client, all clients deal exclusively with the designer, Janice, from the initial consultation, fittings and finishes, dealing with you personally, all the way, including dressing on the day and photographing you in your magical dress too!
Visit The showroom, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire.
What happens in a consultation?
A consultation is an appointment where you come to the showroom...
What happens in this meeting?
If you think you would like to have a gown made for you, we start by having a consultation.
This is where we make an appointment for you, you can bring up to 2 people with you, where you can come to the showroom, in Houghton Regis, Beds. Where we meet, you can view all the sample gowns, and try them on too. Look at all the different fabric and embellishment options, like embroidery, beading, crystals etc...Look at the many past brides portfolios etc.
You can try on the samples and I will take photos to send to you as a record. If you wish to take photos, please just ask.
In this meeting, we will discuss your ideas, needs etc, and I will draw up your design especially for you. Take your details, and then send you a written quote, breakdown and a copy of your design.
The show room will be exclusively yours, I only have one client in at a time, and allow 2-4 hours just for you to try things on, chat, have a cup of tea, no stress, no pressure, no pushy sales, this is a big decision, don't take it lightly, I want you to be sure!
I never ask you to commit or take payments on the day. I much prefer you to take you time, go away and think about things. If you are happy with the quote and the design, we both sign a contract committing to it, a 50% deposit is required to hold the space, and I buy all the needed fabrics in etc.
This can be done via bank transfer or paypal.
You can come back as many times as you wish to see me again to discuss things and try on the samples.
I do not charge for this consultation, so please respect this by attending a booking or cancelling if it is no longer needed. x
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All about you...The gowns collection and Real brides...
The best Part of my job at Uptight, is making real brides gowns!
I love to make things which are very personal to you, so I am very happy to incorporate any personal touches, into the embroidery, or actual pieces like fabric, jewellery, etc in to your design. During this meeting, the consultation, which is free, I allocate 2-4 hours to you, in the private showroom, where you can relax, and not feel under any pressure, its an informal chat.
You get to come meet me in person, Janice-Uptight, where I will guide you through the showroom, try on the samples, look at all the fabrics etc, you can share all your ideas and needs, I will then do a hand drawn design based on this, followed by a written quote. This meeting and quote are non obligatory, there is no hard sell.
If you are happy with the design and the price, we both sign a contract, a 50% deposit secures your making space, and off we go. If you wish to come back again before this commitment, that’s fine too, I want to get it right, and I want you to be happy.
All gowns are made to measure, by me, there is no sizing or numbers, just a beautiful gown, made to fit you, just as you are, allowing you to feel your very best self!
A wedding should be a reflection of you, not a projection of others. xx
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The Gowns Collection...
The Showroom in Bedfordshire holds the collection of Uptight Designs, these are all made as Sample gowns. Held in the Uptight Showroom in Bedfordshire, as an example of what can be made in Uptights style, a starting point as it were, all ready for viewing and trying on in person during consultations, where you can come and view the sample gowns, try them on, view the wide range of fabric options, and look through the past real bride portfolios too. These designs can be made exactly as they are, or as a starting point of your own personal design.
Gowns start from £3000-£5000+, price on application.
Gowns Price Guide...
As a celebration to Uptights new re opening and new showroom , I have decided to hold the price lift, fabrics and energy prices have rocket in the past few years, and like every other business, I have had to increase my prices to survive, but I appreciate this makes this bespoke product very expensive, so for this year I am holding my prices if I have stock of the silks to the price I was charging over 10 years ago, this is a massive reduction, for the same great personal service Uptight have always provided!
All Uptights corset and gowns are made to order, so an accurate written quote will be given after a consultation in person, but here's a guide to pricing based on Uptights most popular designs...
Full skirted silk gown with adorned corset, sleeve/jacket...
from £4000+.
The most popular of Uptight designs are the full skirted options, either in silk or a tulle with laser cut work, or Swarovski crystals...with a silk/velvet corset with some kind of personal embroidery on the front or back or both, with a sleeve option /bolero jacket.
Full skirted design as above, but no adornments...
From £3600+.
A full skirted option in silk or tulle, with a classic silk/velvet corset with sleeve/jacket option.
A slimmer skirted option with corset and sleeve/jacket options...
From £2800+.
The same classic Uptight corset, but with a slimmer skirt, as simple as a fitted a line, fishtail, or more flowing a line, but with no need for petticoats and nets.
All designs are made to order and to measure unless in the sample sale. Prices are made on application, based on design, and fabrics/details chosen.
Fitting your unique dress in person!
What happens in the fittings?
Fittings, in the contract, I allow for 3 -5 in person fittings, we generally only need 3, but its best to allow for more, just in case of weight change, or style change!
The first fitting is a calico mock-up of your dress. This is a canvas version of your corset pattern, the skirt may be in real silk to fitting point or calico, depending on the design. This I use to get the right fit on your body, this can be changed and altered, drawn on pinned in etc....without spoiling the silk, as it's just a mock up.
I then use this to make the fitted pattern, which is the second fitting. this is in the real silk, but not finished, so we can see how the fit is, and try on any embroidery or embellishment's etc... any embroidery will be sampled for this point for viewing.
Your shoes/boots will be needed for all the fittings to allow the hem line to be made to the right length.
At this meeting a further 30% of the payment is made.
If there are many alterations after this, we will fit again, but generally, if there are no changes at this fitting, I will make it to finish, and your next appointment will be collection.
At collection, you will come, try on the dress, with full footwear, jewellery etc...it is now ready to be taken home!
I will pack it in the dress bag, and carry it out to your car, and see you on the big day!
The final payment is due at this meeting and will need to be paid before removal of the dress from the showroom.
Hand painted and hand dyed silk gowns.......
Uptight has always made very special, unique, bespoke gowns, but we are now thrilled, due to the new dye shed, can offer completely hand made gowns, that are also hand dyed and painted in your own personal unique colour pallet in silk!
This dye service for just fabric to purchase will be available soon, please email or call to enquire if you are interested.
Prices for dyed fabric will be from £100 per metre.
Hand painted pure liquid silk.......night skies, galaxies, autumnal flows, rainbows, auroras....this new style of fabric completely unique to Uptight Clothing. All hand dyed and painted here in our new dye shed, allows all your colourful dreams to come true!
Hand painted wedding dresses are from £3000-£5000+
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The New Printed collection....
Uptight has been lucky enough to have sourced the most amazing hand designed fabric, all designed by the most brilliant silk painting artist, Milike, were very excited about this, more new designs like this to come!
Printed corset wedding dresses from £4000+.
Be an Uptight Model for the day!!!
For those who would love to wear an Uptight frock but don't have a reason to get one made......
Uptight is now offering photo shoot days :)
This can be in the Uptight Showroom and new photography studio, and surrounding locations, our beautiful woods and Dunstable downs. Or at the new Charmouth, Dorset Location, with its rolling beach sunsets :)
You will be able to pic from the gowns collection in the showroom, and we can have a ball taking pictures of you dressed up in all your glory!
Prices from £300 per person, and will include a full set of digital images taken on the day, with edits, to use as you wish.
Hair and make up can be sourced for you, or you can organise your own if required.
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The Uptight Models...
All Uptight models are my friends, amazing, strong women who I've been blessed enough to meet along the way. The re launch of Uptight has been supported very much by all of these strong women. We have the much-known original models Bex and Victoria, who always rock the dresses and have been for over a decade, are joined by the most recent Clare, Jude and Karen, a bunch of amazing ladies who I've met at the gym over the past few years on my own journey. Everyone's I've met, have their own painful yet beautiful story to tell, their realness to me is is their strength and their beauty that exudes beyond dresses and photographs. I have been lucky enough to have had the chance to photograph so many women, as Uptight, in a way I hope captures their light, their happiness, their joy, their strength, brought to the surface by a Uptight frock. None are ' real' models, by way of age, size, height, this is a stance I have always taken, which saw me rejected from fashion collage and into theatre costume at Liverpool city college, 25 years ago. As I refused to draw and design for the standard model type, it never felt real or what people wanted to see, or identify with. The worlds constant obsession with youth and thinness feels like the biggest source of unhappiness for women, when strength of spirit, strength of character, resilience, and love in a world give so much more joy and fullness to life. The Uptight models, my dear, beautiful in every way friends, each bride, customer I've worked with. Thank you. Thank you for your patience, your faith, your encouragement, for your belief and your trust. I hope you enjoy the new collections. Janice-Uptight Clothing xx
Now offering.....Uptight Teaching/lessons!!!!
Uptight can now offer the opportunity for one to one and class teaching of corset making, gown making, embroidery, or anything else I may know that you wish to know!
Years ago, I was too scared to teach, but I'm getting old now, going a bit blind, my back hurts...its time to pass on the knowledge before I forget, and a girl still had bills to pay ....I know a fair bit and discovered I love teaching now!
So can now offer teaching, which can be here in my studio, one to one. All lessons will be bespoken to your learning requirements, and I am also happy to come to an organised lesson with a limited group number.
Prices from £30-£60p/h
£200-£300 + per day.
Media...the Giganta dress, Miss international 2022, the making off....
Back in January 2022 Uptight was approached to do a last-minute job, a big job....a very big , last-minute job...
It was for a charity who were supporting Miss Eco international, this was a time that I was completely floored after the year form hell and had nothing left to give and wanted to quit making...then this beast of a dress, as I do love a challenge ... brought me back to life with a bang! well more lots of tears, screaming, late nights and a few altercations with unruly crinoline bones and ...people... It was a big learning curve, in making and my ability to say no, a new concept for me!
But what came after was all good...I got my fire back!!!
IM will be adding a page to the making of this epic dress soon xx
Media...Miss England 2022....
Uptight was chosen by Miss England finalist, Leigh Jane Cooper, I say chosen.... I box with her gran Anita, so it would be rude not to lol...
Uptight made her bespoke hand dyed teal fitted skirt and corset adorned with Swarovski crystals for the Semi-finals, and she will be wearing a fuller Uptight gown next week for the finals, good luck leigh!
https://www.missengland.info/qualifiers/miss-england-2022-final/
click here to vote!