A Taylor Swift superfan was left in tears when the homemade costume she spent 55 hours and $450 on didn’t fit her — but reselling the piece got her in hot water from many who felt it was worth the price. $1,000 not ‘worth’ was label.
Ambra, from Melbourne, is a lawyer by profession but had her sights set on recreating Swift’s iconic $24,000 Versace jumpsuit, with the help of her grandmother.
When she went to try on the garment after it was finished, she realized that she had forgotten to add a zipper and that the fabric had become stiff from all the glue.
“I was so sad when it didn’t fit – that’s when I decided to sell it for a thousand dollars to account for the labor costs and all the effort it took to make it,” she told FEMAIL.
Ambra spent hundreds of dollars on Taylor Swift concert tickets for the Australian leg of the Eras Tour – and she wanted her outfit to reflect the value of the show.
A Taylor Swift superfan was left in tears when the homemade costume she spent 55 hours and $450 on didn’t fit her — but reselling the piece got her in hot water from many who felt it was worth the price. $1,000 not ‘worth’ was label
Ambra, from Melbourne, is a lawyer by profession but had her sights set on recreating Swift’s iconic $24,000 Versace jumpsuit with the help of her grandmother
“I’m going to a few concerts and the Lover bodysuit is my favorite,” she explained.
“I had never sewn anything before, but it was an opportunity to sit down with my grandmother and work on something together.”
Ambra worked on the costume for eight hours straight while she was between jobs – which is why she was shocked by the response she received.
‘I’m very sorry, but thousands of stones can never cost more than $200. Selling this for a thousand dollars is daylight robbery,” one woman said in response to her ad.
“This isn’t worth a thousand dollars at all,” said one fashion employee. ‘I pay good money for things that I can guarantee will last for years – but if I think a fabric is going to fray as soon as I wear it, that’s a lot of money I can’t get back.’
“It’s for a concert, you might wear it once or twice,” one woman said. “It’s not worth spending a thousand dollars to just sell it or throw it away.”
Ambra worked on the costume with her grandmother for eight hours straight while she was between jobs – which is why she was shocked by the response she received
Ambra spent hundreds of dollars on Taylor Swift concert tickets for the Australian leg of the Eras Tour – and she wanted her outfit to reflect the value of the show
But Ambra didn’t let the negativity get to her.
“Some of the hate is irrational, but I don’t let it get to me,” she said. ‘Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. And we’re going through a cost of living crisis right now where people are really struggling to afford things.”
She added, “I really understand and empathize with the feeling that things are beyond our price point, but the original bodysuit was much more.”
‘We need to focus on ethical shopping and paying people for their work, and if it’s something you can’t afford, that’s fine. No one should minimize labor costs and fair wages.”
Several people were in awe of Ambra’s talent and complimented her work.
‘This is beautiful, but it is way out of my price range. Honestly I think you should ask for a lot more, it’s a real work of art,” one person wrote.
“Wow, this is a quality dance or show outfit,” said another. ‘It is so beautiful.’