Chic, ethereal and effortlessly beautiful, Made With Love understands what brides want in a gown — a dress you can’t wait to put on and never want to take off. We had the absolute privileged of chatting with the women behind it all, owner + designer, Jillian Leigh and we’re sharing it all below! Keep reading to find out all about this California based biz and why we love them so much!
What was your inspiration for the business?
I was inspired to start Wear Your Love out of a desire to provide the brides-to-be in my life with an alternative to the stiff, repetitive look I was seeing at almost every wedding that I attended throughout my twenties. Strapless, sweetheart, mermaid or princess gowns with rigid boning and layers of prickly tulle. My bride friends were itching to get out of their dresses from the minute they put them on, and that just didn’t make sense to me.
As brides, we put so much effort and money into acquiring The Dress, and making ourselves as beautiful as we can be on the big day, but what good is all of it if the bride doesn’t feel like herself; doesn’t feel at ease to be present with her beloved and her friends and family?
My goal is to create dresses that brides wake up on their wedding days and can’t wait to put on, and that they never want to take off. My mantra when creating a new dress design is “effortlessly beautiful”. In my vision, a Wear Your Love bride looks naturally gorgeous, rather than painstakingly put together.
How did you go about starting up?
After months of planning, imagining, and sewing through the nights, I began the company with eight dress designs, a website, and a willingness to skip meals and sleep in favor of building the brand. It is simply amazing what artists and entrepreneurs can do these days with a little social media savvy and a dream.
What are you offering that is different from the rest?
I don’t know of any other brand that offers wedding dresses made to each brides’ exact measurements (torso length, shoulder width, neckline depth included), with high quality soft stretchy lace fabrics, organic cotton knit linings (so luxurious), and a team that controls every aspect of dress creation, production, and sales. We do everything in-house, from fabric sourcing, to design, to patterning, to quality control, and very hands-on customer service.
What gets you out of bed every day?
My team. The dresses. The brides. The ladies that I work with every day are dedicated and love this company, so they fill my days with a real sense of joy and pride in what we accomplish together every week. There is always a new dress brewing in my mind that I can’t wait to share with the team, and through collaboration, create something unique and beautiful.
Perhaps more than anything though, it is the brides. When one of our brides sends in photos of her wedding, and we get to see how a dress idea we brought to life found its way to a bride who made it part of her personal expression of herself and her love for her partner, that is everything.
What do you love about your job?
So much. But one of the highlights is definitely seeing our dresses on a person for the first time. After having sketched on paper, draped on a dress form, and imagined like crazy, getting to see a dress on a model for the first time is always pretty magical.
What does marriage mean to you?
This is a question on my mind more than ever, as I am less than three weeks away from my own wedding day (Eeeek!). I just finished writing my vows, squinting at my computer screen through an endless stream of happy tears, and contemplating the meaning of marriage and the beauty of love.
To me, marriage is meant to provide us as individuals the opportunity to grow our ability to love another human being. To love and commit to someone for life means being able to simultaneously achieve self-care, some boundaries, and maintain individuality, while embracing our partner fully in his or her own needs, goals, flaws, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and individual beauty. I see it as a challenge that I am privileged to have the opportunity to rise to, with the man of my dreams.
Tell us about your favorite experience as a business owner?
The best part about being a business owner, especially of a business that is continually growing, is that no two days are the same and I am both forced and lucky to get to learn new things every single day. Depending on the particular events of the given day, how much sleep I got, and how much coffee is available, this could also perhaps be the hardest part of being a business owner.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out in the industry?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. In the beginning, you don’t know what you are doing, and that is okay. Ask. The worst anyone can do is decline to answer, and the best they can do is open a door for you, or a world of information that will help you take the leap to the next phase of your business.
