Brides and others seeking dresses for the upcoming season have been warned to expect delays on future orders due to factory closures in China related to the coronavirus.

René Hill, owner of Rene Hill Originals, said brides, bridesmaids and graduating students should order their dresses soon if their wedding or formal event is scheduled for any time this year.

Ms Hill said: “Our suppliers have taken several approaches to the problem. Some have stopped taking rush orders and have extended delivery times from four months to six months. Another one has stopped taking future orders as they cannot guarantee delivery times. Basically, you have to order from what is currently in stock.

“The general consensus is that if the item is not in stock, we should expect delays in delivery.”

The delays are impacting all product lines carried by the company, including wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, prom gowns, evening wear, bridal accessories, shoes and children’s formalwear, she said.

Typically, Ms Hill said, a bride should order a wedding gown four to six months in advance to allow time for the gown to be manufactured and altered to fit her body.

“Bridesmaids’ dresses will be the biggest challenge as brides tend to want very specific colours and styles,” Ms Hill says. “Then there is the issue of sizes.”

Though all dresses are not manufactured in China, Ms Hill said the lace, fabrics or other integral components may have a Chinese connection, adding that the virus is affecting the fashion industry supply chain globally and causing major uncertainty in the industry.

For more information, contact Rene Hill Originals on 232-0154 or at INFO@ReneHillOriginals.com