T&C's

terMS & CONDITIONS

Your satisfaction is my true goal, so please take a moment to read through the information below. This information will let you know what to expect on your journey with Michelle Belle Dean Designs. I strongly believe in being honest and upfront about every aspect of my business. By providing this information I am ensuring that there are no surprises. 

The following terms and conditions apply to all orders placed by the customer (hereinafter referred to as ”you”) with Michelle Belle Dean Designs, hereinafter referred to as “Michelle Belle Dean Designs”, “I”, "me" or ”my”. By using my website, social media platforms, and/or placing an order, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set out herein. Please make sure you have read and understood the terms before placing your order or using any of my platforms. I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time.

BESPOKE DESIGN SERVICES

The initial consultation (held at my studio, at your chosen location or online) is by appointment only. Consultation prices vary depending on location, type of consultation and time required. Please contact me to confirm how much your unique consultation would be. All quotations provided by Michelle Belle Dean Designs are valid for 20 days after the quotation date. Any quotes given are based on the information you provide (for example fabric preferences, design, embellishments etc.) via initial contact or at the initial consultation. The quote will change should any changes to the design develop.

Your commission will only be secured once your deposit has been paid. I serve my customers on a ‘first-come, first-deposit-paid’ basis. Your place in my schedule cannot be secured without payment of the deposit. The deposit is 50% of the value of your commission. Payment of the deposit will confirm your acceptance of these terms and conditions. Michelle Belle Dean Designs will have no obligation to commence work on any item until I have received the 50% deposit payment.

I am ready to ensure that your garment is made to your satisfaction. If your vision of your garment has changed once work has started, expect to renegotiate the time schedule and price for these changes. I want to hear your thoughts and I will work with you to get the best possible results! So, if you have any concerns about fit, garment design, or anything else during the process, please raise them as soon as possible. Once the garment is finished and you have paid for it, it is deemed that it fulfils the contract and you have accepted it as it is. I encourage your feedback and I want to make you happy.

I will do my utmost to meet the deadlines for your commission. But completing your order on time may require you to provide me with certain necessary information (such as measurements), approve mock-ups or photographs, attend fitting sessions, or complete scheduled payments on time. Unfortunately, if you unreasonably delay in meeting any necessary requirements, I may change the completion date at my discretion so as not to inconvenience my other waiting clients.

Acceptance of urgent work is at my discretion, and it will attract a premium charge. I understand the importance of punctuality and refuse to disappoint once I have accepted a commission.

Therefore, I will not accept urgent work if I do not feel comfortable that I can meet your deadline.

I will take a complete set of measurements during the initial consultation, and I will make the garment according to these measurements.

For ‘long distance’ fittings, measurements will be supplied by you, the client. Your pattern will be made to the measurements you provide, and I cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of the measurements taken. I will provide you with a document to help you measure yourself comfortably and correctly in the comfort of your own home. Please take measurements over the underwear and/or clothes you intend to wear with your garment.

Where a weight loss plan, pregnancy, or illness/recovery is a factor, please let me know so that I may plan your garment accordingly. If a dramatic weight loss or gain occurs in between fittings, you will be charged for any extra time spent creating additional mock-ups/patterns or making changes to your garment.

All patterns drafted for your garment will remain the property of Michelle Belle Dean Designs. These patterns can be purchased from me at an additional cost. Patterns are kept on file for 12 months and should you wish to order another garment made with the exact same pattern a discount will apply to your future order.

Fittings and consultations are held in my studio (located in Welgemoed, Cape Town, South Africa). Fittings may be held at a location more convenient to you, but this will incur a travel fee, depending on where it is. The fitting itself incurs no additional charge as it is already included in your bespoke service.

You must bring to any fitting appointments the underwear and shoes that you intend to wear with the completed garment. Appointment times will vary but they can last up to an hour. Longer appointments may apply for the fitting of multiple or complex garments such as bridal gowns or corsets. Expect several fittings; garments take time, skill, and patience. Please contact me at least 48 hours in advance to cancel or reschedule appointments. Missed appointments will incur an additional charge.

For clients who don’t reside in the Cape Town area, I will post a mock-up of your garment to you so you can do the fitting yourself. Postage is at your expense. We can schedule an online consultation, or I can give you instructions on how to make adjustments to the fit of the garment. You are encouraged to draw on the mock-up with any changes you would like (to the

neckline, for example). If any adjustments or changes are necessary, you will need to post the mock-up back to me so I may make any necessary changes to the pattern before starting work on your final garment. Please take photos once you have pinned any adjustments (front, back, side) of yourself in the mock-up and send them to me. This will be of great assistance to help with the fit of your garment. I would recommend getting a friend or family member to assist you. Please wear the underwear and shoes you intend to wear with your garment when you are fitting your mock-up. Every care will be taken to ensure that your garment is made to your specifications. But please be aware that because I cannot personally measure or fit you, the fit of your garment is largely your responsibility. I am counting on you to communicate how it feels, and what you like and dislike. I cannot read your mind, no matter how obvious you may feel something is. Communication is key! 

At the initial consultation, fabrics and embellishments will be discussed. All materials are usually sourced by me on your behalf as part of the service. If you would like to take a more ‘hands-on’ approach to picking out the perfect fabric and you live in the Cape Town area, I can accompany you to some of the fabulous local fabric stores. We can plan a ‘shopping trip’ and visit as many stores as necessary until we find what you want.

For our ‘long distance’ clients, I will be able to send you photos of fabric options for you to choose from. If you wish for a selection of fabric swatches to be sent to you, you will need to cover

additional fabric costs and postage expenses.

If you intend to supply any materials, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are fit for the intended purpose. I reserve the right to refuse to work with unsuitable materials. I am available

to advise and recommend suitable materials. If you insist on a fabric that is inappropriate, there can be no guarantee of a satisfactory final result.

If providing fabrics, you should buy no less than the quantity of fabric required for your garment. I will advise you of how much is needed for your garment. Inadequate amounts will affect my ability to complete the garment as agreed upon. Any large pieces of excess material will be returned to you with your completed garment.

Any leftover materials supplied by Michelle Belle Dean Designs will remain my property. You will only be charged for what is used in your garment.

Once payment dates and amounts have been agreed upon it is your responsibility to make payments on time. Just as you are counting on the on-time completion of your order, I am counting on your on-time payment. I understand sometimes things come up and you may need to change a payment date. But you must let me know in advance so a new payment date can be arranged. If you miss one payment without contacting me, then I reserve the right to put your order on hold. Due to my busy schedule, any delay in payment will result in your order’s completion date being delayed too. A new completion date will be at my discretion. Orders can only be held for a maximum of 3 months before the order is cancelled.

Payment in full is required before the garment may be collected or dispatched. No exceptions. (Funds must reflect in my bank account prior to collection of the completed garment. A ‘transaction receipt’ will not be accepted as form of payment.) All invoices are payable no later than 15 days after the invoice date. Please email proof of payment to michellebelledean@gmail.com.

10% interest will be added monthly on any unpaid bills after the due date. All physical goods remain the sole property of Michelle Belle Dean Designs until the invoice is paid in full.

Upon collection or delivery, you should confirm that the garment is as ordered and sign the Certificate of Acceptance. If for any reason you are unable to sign the certificate on delivery, you must notify me within 3 days of delivery of any alleged defect or failure to comply with instructions, or it shall be deemed that the garment has been made in accordance with your instructions, is free from any defect and that you have accepted it.

Once you have signed the Certificate of Acceptance and taken/received your completed garment, the garment is your responsibility. If in future your garment requires modification, alteration, or repairs (due to general wear-and-tear or damage) I would be happy to assist you at my standard hourly rate. It is your responsibility to care for your garment and adhere to any care instructions as advised by Michelle Belle Dean Designs (included with the garment and available on the website). If damage occurs because you did not follow my instructions any repairs are at your expense. If any damage occurs to your garment as a result of my craftsmanship it can be repaired free of charge, at my discretion. Please treat it with care and understand that as a garment of use, it will not remain pristine forever.

I will endeavour to post your order as soon as possible as I know how excited you are to receive it! Usually, this is within 1-3 business days, but the timeframe of each order will vary. Orders are sent out of my studio in Welgemoed, Cape Town, South Africa. If ordering multiple products, all items will be shipped together. Shipping times may vary depending on what’s included in your order and how far the order must travel. If you wish for items to be sent separately, please place separate orders. Once payment has been received and your order has been processed, I will email you an update along with a tracking number.

Before ordering any garments from my Ready-Made selection I highly recommend checking your measurements against the measurements for the garment you want to order. Every brand uses a different set of measurements to create their garments, and you might be a size 10 in one brand and a size 14 in another. You can see why it’s important to check your measurements! Remember, your measurements are just numbers. It’s my opinion that the size you are doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you choose a size that will fit your measurements because when your clothing fits you properly, you feel amazing. Don’t choose a size based on what number it is, choose one that matches your measurements.



Please note that orders are processed as quickly as possible and that, once an order has been submitted, I cannot guarantee the purchase can be cancelled or modified. All changes and cancellations must be confirmed in writing. Unfortunately, the deposit is not refundable in the event of cancellation on custom commissions. I will happily refund any payments made over

this amount minus reasonable costs for work already commenced (including design, measurement and cutting) and materials purchased for your order. In this instance, I will provide you with an itemized account of any costs incurred. However, completed orders will incur full payment. Any materials you have supplied will be returned to you once any outstanding payments have been

received. Regretfully, forfeited deposits cannot be counted as ‘credit’ toward future orders.

All descriptions of products or product pricing are subject to change at any time without notice. I reserve the right to modify or discontinue any product at any time. You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases or rentals made with Michelle Belle Dean Designs. If you send submissions, creative ideas, suggestions, proposals, plans, or other materials, whether online, by email, by postal mail, or otherwise, you agree that I may, at any time, without restriction, edit, copy, publish, distribute, translate, and otherwise use in any medium anything that you forward to me. 

I take your privacy very seriously and I will only ever use your personal data to process your orders. Your information is kept secure via password-protected systems only accessible by me. The computers and devices I use to access this information are kept secure with antivirus software. I have never (and will never) pass on or sell your information to any third parties.

I do not guarantee, represent, or warrant that your use of my services or products will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free.

All work showcased on this site (and any other social media or web pages owned by Michelle Belle Dean) is original products by Michelle Belle Dean Designs unless stated otherwise. Michelle Belle Dean Designs reserves all intellectual and creative rights of all original work unless release is given in writing. No license or release will be granted until licensing/release payments are received in full.

You may not republish, sell, rent, reproduce, exploit, duplicate or copy any portion of Michelle Belle Dean Designs' work (whether it is from this site or any other social media or web pages) without written permission from Michelle Belle Dean Designs. Web & social reproduction of any work by Michelle Belle Dean Designs must include credit where it is due. All materials available on the site including but not limited to text, video, data, clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property and proprietary rights and must not be used for any purpose other than educational, informational, and non-commercial viewing purposes. You may download and print information from the site for your own individual and non-commercial use only.

You are prohibited from using the site or its content for any unlawful purpose; to solicit others to perform or participate in any unlawful acts; to infringe upon or violate my intellectual property rights or the intellectual property rights of others; to harass, abuse, insult, harm, defame, slander, intimidate or discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, race, age, national origin, or disability; to submit false or misleading information, or to spam.

Michelle Belle Dean Designs, in its sole discretion, can change these terms or any part thereof at any time without notice.

This policy was last modified on May 25, 2022

If you made it this far then I commend you! But if you still have any questions or concerns, please feel very welcome to contact me directly.

Now go look fierce in your new Michelle Belle Dean Designs garment.

All website content is copyright to Michelle Belle Dean Designs. Michelle Belle Dean Designs is a registered business name. All photography is copyright to the respective photographers.