Thank you for shopping with Olivia Luca. We appreciate that you’ve chosen to work with us, and we look forward to serving you.
Below you will find answers to most of your questions regarding your order. For those questions that you cannot find answers to here we ask that you send your question in an email and we will respond quickly.
Please read these Terms and Conditions completely and carefully as you will be asked to confirm and sign that you have read and understand them before your purchase can be completed. We realize this is a lot to read, but it is important!
Each dress and accessory is carefully handmade in our studio to your specifications of design, fabric, color, detail, and standard size, whether you have designed a dress through the Design Studio or have chosen something from the Boutique. Therefore, there are no refunds, exchanges or returns on items purchased through Olivia Luca, as each is made specifically to your order. All sales are final.
We carefully inspect each item before it is shipped to insure it is of the highest quality. If by chance we miss something you must contact us by email within 5 days of receipt of the item with a complete and thorough description of your concern.
It is important and encouraged that you take the time to have your measurements taken by a professional before placing your order. You can find a professional by looking up Tailors or Alterations in your local phone book or via a local chapter of the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers. We encourage you to read and print out our size chart and measurement guidelines and take them with you when you go to get measured, as they can help you determine the best size based on your measurements. You may also send us your measurements by email and we will suggest a size for you.
All of our patterns are made to our own standard sizes and are not made to personal measurements. Therefore you must determine the closest fit by comparing your measurements with our size chart. Given the variation of individual human bodies, you can expect that your dress will need alterations in order to fit perfectly.
Please make sure that none of your measurements are larger than what is indicated for the size you are choosing. Our patterns are thoughtfully designed and constructed so that they are easy to take in and alter to a smaller size. It is not advisable to assume you can let them out and make them bigger. Please see our size chart for more details on choosing the best size.
All alterations and their associated costs are the responsibility of the customer after receiving their order and are not included in the price of the items ordered from Olivia Luca.
Pregnancy can really complicate your decision of which size to choose! To that end we offer three styles of maternity dresses in the Boutique that are specifically designed for women who will be four or more months pregnant at the time they will wear the dress. If you will be less than four months pregnant at the time you need to wear the dress you can usually get away with a standard size dress ordered a size or two larger than your current measurements and have it professionally altered according to the changes in your body closer to the event. Always err to the larger size, as it is easy to take in the dresses and not so to let them out.
All of our fabrics are from high quality sources. Most of them are 100% silk or a blend of silk and other natural fiber. Each fabric is carefully described on the Fabrics page. Because silk is natural fiber you can expect slubs and bumps in the fabrics. This is normal and is not considered a defect but is part of the beauty of a natural fiber fabric. Dupioni and Shantung in particular have many variations in the fibers throughout the fabric.
We offer a selection of certified organic cotton and cotton prints, sustainable SBP® hemp/silk, bamboo and other environmentally responsible fabrics and are always on the lookout for more options appropriate to our designs. As they become available we will add them to our offerings.
Dyelots can vary significantly. If you want all of the dresses for one event that are made from the same fabric and color to also be from the same dyelot, you must order them all within 3 days of each other. You must also include on each order the bride’s full name or other common identifying name so that all the fabric can be ordered at one time from one bolt.
Swatches can be ordered through the Boutique. If you have already received swatches please be aware that some dyelots can vary as much as 15-20%, so the swatch you have in hand may not be from the same dyelot of the dresses that you receive. This is normal and to be expected.
We line most of our dresses in silk. Occasionally in dresses of white, off-white or very pale colors you will find a 100% rayon lining that is more opaque than the silk and hence keeps the dress from being too sheer. This is up to our discretion, and the style of the dress in combination with the fabric choice and color will determine its use. If you are ordering a dress that is using one of the organic or other sustainable fabrics, we can by prearrangment via email line your dress in an appropriate fabric that also falls into the same eco-friendly category. There may be extra charges involved which will be agreed upon before placing your order.
Occasionally a fabric may be out of stock, if that is the case we will contact you personally to advise and possibly adjust your order. No fabrics will be substituted without your prior written approval.
Please keep in mind that every computer monitor displays colors differently. If you are unsure about the color you are choosing, please order swatches through the Boutique. If you have already received swatches please be aware that some dyelots can vary as much as 15-20%, so the swatch you have in hand may not be from the same dyelot as the dresses that you receive from your order. This is normal and to be expected.
Occasionally a color may be out of stock, if that is the case we will contact you personally to advise and possibly adjust your order. No colors will be substituted without your prior written approval.
Occasionally our patterns may need to change to accommodate production methods or fabric choices or feasibility of the design to the specific size ordered. Therefore you should be aware that any photographs or illustrations may vary slightly from what you actually receive. This may include, but is not limited to, width of straps, hem length and size or placement of details. Please note that the dresses the models are wearing in the Gallery photos may or may not have been altered to fit each model individually.
Dresses should be cleaned after wearing, especially if you have sweated in them. Body oils can damage and stain silk fabrics if left in the fabric for too long. We encourage you to find a cleaners that uses environmentally low impact methods and materials, also known as a Certified Environmental Dry Cleaners (CED).
We are in the process of investigating other more environmentally sound cleaning options that we can recommend such as wet-cleaning and CO2 cleaning, when we get to that point we will make those options known on this website and with the items shipped. Please visit our blog for more information on dry cleaning and it's alternatives.
We ship our orders 12 weeks after the date payment is received and processed, this ship date is shown on your online order form. You will get an email from us that we have received your order and it will include the ship date.
We ship FedEx, UPS or USPS to the U.S. and many countries; Alaska, Hawaii and other country recipients should allow additional shipping time. Please order your items at least 14 weeks before the date you need them to insure that they arrive comfortably in time. If you think you will need alterations, include another 2 weeks for a total of 16 weeks (about 4 months) recommended date of order before you need to wear the item.
Your order will automatically calculate the ship date based on the order date on your order confirmation page, please make sure this ship date allows enough time for delivery to the shipping address on your order form. We are not responsible for shipping delays or lost packages after the package has left our studio.
Rush orders are available on a case by case basis. You must email us to get a pre-approved ship date before placing your order. It all depends on the time of the year and our workload. While we will do everything we can to accommodate your rush, we do not guarantee that option to be available. Rush orders will include additional fees to be determined at the time of pre-approval.
All pricing is subject to change up until the time you place your order and complete the payment. If you have saved a dress to your dressing room and at some point later complete the order and make payment, the price will reflect current pricing, not that of the older saved design.
All orders must be placed online through the Olivia Luca website. We accept Visa, Master Card through the online order process only. You may, by prearrangement with Olivia Luca via email, pay by a personal check. Any returned checks will be charged an additional $35.00 processing fee and may significantly delay your shipment date.
We ship FedEx, UPS or USPS to the U.S. and many countries; Alaska, Hawaii and other country recipients should allow additional shipping time and charges. A handling and shipping charge of $15.00 is charged for each standard size package shipped in the continental U.S. (our standard box holds two average knee length dresses). We ship multiple items to one location in the same box when placed on the same order, if the order requires multiple boxes additional shipping charges may be incurred. Items to be shipped to different locations must be ordered separately.
We are now shipping internationally! If you live outside of the U.S. you will find the countries we are currently shipping to listed on the order form drop down list. Shipping charges vary by country. To see if your country is listed, add any item to the Shopping Bag, start the Checkout process (this does not commit you to buying anything, just delete the item when you are done looking) and there you will find the drop down list of current countries to which we ship. If your country is not listed, contact us via email and we will determine if we can ship to your location.
If you have ordered a wedding dress that requires special handling, additional shipping charges may apply, if so, we will contact you by email after you have placed your order with the amount of the additional handling and shipping charge.
Your online order form will automatically calculate the ship date based on your order date. Please make sure this ship date allows enough time for delivery to the shipping address on your order form. We are not responsible for shipping delays or lost packages after the package has left our studio.
If you want your order insured there will be additional charges and you must contact Olivia Luca via email within three days of your order placement to prearrange package shipping insurance.
All packages are shipped with Green Tags purchased through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. These help support the development of renewable energy.
Depending on the state the package is being shipped to or ordered from sales tax may be applied, per state law.
If someone in your party wants to have a matching dress or other item and we do not offer a size or style appropriate for them, you may purchase fabric that matches the other items you are ordering through the Boutique and have it made by a local seamstress. We recommend going through the Professional Association of Custom Clothiers to find a qualified local seamstress.
If you expect to have alterations made to your dress, it is wise to prearrange an appointment well before hand with your alterations specialist or seamstress. The wedding season can be very busy for these professionals and it may be hard to get it done in time if you wait until the last minute!
Many of our designs are very simple and we encourage you to be creative and add your own embellishments, whether that is as simple as a silk ribbon tied at the waist or having someone do some beading or embroidery to add an extra sparkle to your dress after you have received it. Fun and colorful shoes can also add a great touch!
If you are going to have pictures taken remember to put your shoes on first so you don’t get "bend-over" wrinkles before your special event. When transporting your dress, hold it from the hanger up and off the ground and not draped over your arm as this will also help prevent wrinkles before you wear it.
Our dresses are shipped pressed, but due to shipping some wrinkles may need to be removed. We recommend taking your dress to a professional dry cleaners to have it steam pressed before your event. Make sure to allow enough time, some cleaners can get very busy during the wedding season.
If you choose to iron your dress yourself, use a pressing cloth between the iron and your dress. A 1/2 yard piece of natural colored 100% silk organza purchased from the fabric store makes a great press cloth. For silk, cottons or wools, use either a dry iron at a medium setting without steam or a hotter iron with steam. If you are using steam make sure your iron or device is hot enough to actually turn the water to steam otherwise it may drip water and stain your dress. Some dyes discolor with ironing, usually returning to their original shade after the fabric cools down, but not with every dye color. Always test the iron on another item and on an inconspicuous part of the dress before setting it down on the front of your dress. We are not responsible for your ironing mishaps, please do be careful!
Last but certainly not least, we do our best to practice environmentally sustainable business methods. This includes, among other things, donating our fabric scraps to groups who can use them for additional purposes. We recycle and reuse as much as possible. The paper products we use are of recycled content as much as possible. We encourage the use of alternative transportation. We purchase Green Tags to help offset our non-renewable energy use for all packages coming from and going to Olivia Luca, they support the development of clean renewable energy options. We also offset CO2 emissions by the purchase of Terra Passes for our vehicle use and support alternative/renewable energy through our utility service providers.
Our workplace is bright and cheery, safe, clean and comfortable, friendly and supportive. We pay living wages, and all of our designs are sewn in Portland, Oregon. We are always on the lookout for ways to improve our impact on the environment and the people we work with. One of my personal goals is to find reliable sources for silks that are produced with the least environmental impact possible. While that is currently a challenge, we hope that one day it won’t be. As alternative fabrics appropriate to the designs become available we will make those options available to you in our fabric choices.
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