Thank you for visiting Wilma's Corner. Here you can order your custom made dress in basic black without all the shopping hassles!

When I met Wilma and took on the job of designing this site, I had to find a way to let you, a guest to her site, meet her in much the same way that I did.

With that in mind, I had a conversation with Wilma and asked her to tell me about her career in creating women's clothing.

How long have you been making ladies' dresses professionally?

Wilma's Corner has grown from a corner room in her house to a full-fledged dress-shop with state-of-the-art sewing equipment where she can make several women's dresses at one time.

At one time I made all of my own clothes and my children's clothes . . . couldn't afford to buy clothes at the time. I've been creating custom made clothing ever since.

I taught myself to sew around 1957. Wilma's Corner started in a corner of a room in my home in 1989.

I established Wilma's Corner in 1987 at the Farmers' Market in Old Town Alexandria. Lately, I mostly sell my clothes to women in the tri-state area -- Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. I make many different misses dresses and women's clothing in many colors and patterns. The little black dress has become the most popular because it works for every season and all occasions. So, I created six dress styles using the care-free fabric which make excellent traveling companions, casual dresses, career wear, dinner dresses.

Many of my ladies tell me that a basic black dress like mine is difficult to find. When they do find one, it is not the fine quality of knit that I use for the basic black women's dresses. I also hear from my customers how wonderfully the dress travels. Ladies tell me that they wear the casual dress all day site seeing and shopping, wash the dress out at night, hang it up to dry, and it's ready to go out as a dinner dress. They say they will never travel without it. It's so easy to care for, wrinkle-free, and so comfortable to wear.

Do your customers prefer one style more than another?

The great thing about the different styles of the dress is that they fit every figure … it's suitable for all proportions because it's loose fitting, not clingy. Since the empire waist has always gone over well, so many people like them, I have two styles of this ladies' dress with the empire waist, style 3 is a little closer fit than style 1. But, the other styles are popular too. Some women prefer the natural waist of style 2 and some prefer the loose, free-flowing style in style 4. The pockets in styles 1 and 2 are essential for some ladies.

The fabric is a 50% polyester, 50% cotton blend and falls so nicely. That's why it travels well too. I make each dress personally and I can make them either according to the size chart or made-to-measure, a custom made dress!