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FAQ.


Everything you need to know about Beatrice and then some. 



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Requirements


What will I need to create my Beatrice?
  • An iPhone running iOS 10.3 or later with at least 1G of free memory
  • A cleared, indoor 7’x7’ space with as much light as possible
  • A partner to shoot your scan
  • Reliable Wifi internet connection
  • An email account to facilitate our process
  • Your body scan kit (included with purchase)
  • Be a US or Canadian resident (contact us to ship to the UK and Western Europe)
  • Complete a 30 minute pre-scan consult before you scan (clients outside the US: complete your consult before we ship your kit)

What iPhones are compatible with the Beatrice app?
iPhone 6 or newer.

Where can I get the Beatrice app?
Download our app for free from the App Store by clicking here from your iPhone. Remember to upgrade your iPhone to the latest iOS version, or at least iOS 10.3 before installing the Beatrice app.

I don’t have an iPhone. What about Andriod?
Nathan and I are both ex-Apple engineers so an iPhone app was the fastest and easiest for us to develop. We would love to port our app to Android once we have the resources to do so. In the mean time, our clients without iPhones have been borrowing a friend’s iPhone to perform their body scans.


Our process


What are the steps to create my Beatrice?
  1. Confirm you meet the requirements (see above) and read our policies.
  2. Purchase our body scanning service online here if you’re in the US or Canada or contact us here for the UK & Western Europe.
  3. Receive your body scan kit in the mail.
  4. Get personalized coaching during our 1-on-1 pre-scan consultation
  5. Install the iOS Beatrice App.
  6. Perform your body scan with a partner within 30 days of purchasing your kit.
  7. Pay the balance to manufacture your form.
  8. Approve your digital 3D model using our online viewer.
  9. Your Beatrice is delivered to you!


What comes in my personalized body scan kit?
  • A specially designed outfit (knit top and short) that supports our scanning technology
  • Elastics to mark your waist and bust, and twill tape to create more bust definition
  • Measuring tape
  • A welcome note

How does the body scanning process work?
You will need a partner to record videos of you with the Beatrice App. What’s neat is that you can perform your scan anywhere, even at home, as long as you have a 7’x7’ clear space with some decent light. And there’s no measuring except your waist at the time of your scan (used to scale your digital model correctly). See what a scan session looks like here

Each scan takes about 3 minutes, but we suggest you reserve 30 minutes with your partner to prepare. We request that you perform 2 scans in a row to ensure you get a good result. Our early testing has shown that folks get a much better result on their second scan after they have had a chance to practice one time in real life.

I’m worried I will make a mistake capturing my body scan. Can you help me?
To prevent mistakes, it’s essential for all clients to complete their required pre-scan consultation prior to scanning to ensure great results. While we’re absolutely confident you can perform a successful scan on your own after your consultation, we’re available to help you and your partner over video chat in the case you are having difficulty. Please contact us at hello@beatriceforms.com with your concerns at any time during the process.

Why do you require a pre-scan consulation?
We’ve found that our clients get the best results when they recieve some personalized coaching prior to scanning. Creating the optimal silhouette to meet your expectations is our goal and we’re able to deliver that more effectively when we fully understand your goals and specific fitting challenges. The optimal time for your consultation is before you scan to avoid unnecessary re-scans.

How long will it take to get my Beatrice?
Each form is individually custom-crafted and assembled by hand here in our barn workshop, so our production capabilities are very limited. Typically, it can take 10-12 weeks to ship your order from the date you pay your manufacturing balance. While we do our best to gate sales, we don’t guarantee delivery times because they are dependent on when our clients complete scans and approve models which can happen at any time outside of our control. We will keep you informed via email in case of any delays.

The first step is purchasing our $599 Body Scanning Service which includes your scan kit and access to our scanning app for 30 days. We release limited quantities for purchase through our online shop.

Once you’ve completed a successful set of scans, we’ll invoice you for the balance to manufacture your form. Please read more about our purchasing process here before purchasing a Beatrice Form. Depending on our current production schedule, we may be able to offer expedited delivery in less than 10 weeks for a fee to cover overtime costs (contact us for details). 

If I change my mind, can I get a refund?
We make a custom, handcrafted product and strive to keep our very limited in-house production pipeline full to make your forms for you as fast as we can. We’ve found over the course of running our business that in order to do that reliably, sustainably, and on time, we can only offer partial refunds for our scanning service and no refunds on manufacturing. 

Also note, we’ve split our purchasing procedure into two transactions (scanning and form manufacturing) to help make it easier for everyone. Once you’ve purchased a kit, you have 30 days to scan. Please be sure to read more about our refund polices here before purchasing.

We are 100% committed to making a high quality tool that helps you create garments that you love. We are here to resolve any issues so please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!


Our forms


What are your forms made of?
We use a polyurethane foam that is somewhat firm yet compressible - imagine a very fancy, curvy couch cushion. Unlike traditional batting-covered cardboard base forms, you can insert pins directly into the form (you do not need to insert them at an angle). Our solid foam dress forms are suitible for dress making, tailoring, draping, and designing and other standard uses but aren’t specialized for lingerie fitting.

Will my form be exactly my size and shape?
Your Beatrice Form is based on a 3D scan of your body. Your form represents your shape and proportions much, much more accurately than any standard or adjustable dress form available. We work really hard to scale your model accurately to your size at the time of your scan.

However, it is important to be aware that there are many factors that may result in small differences between your body’s current shape and your Beatrice. Here are a few:

  • Breathing. When you capture your 3 minute body scan, you will have to breathe. This adds about 1 inch to your waist and a little less to your bust measurement, but this will be well within the wearing ease of your final garment. You can easily adjust your fitting process accordingly.
  • Daily body size fluctuations. You are not a fixed size, even over the course of a day. Everyone retains water, bloats, eats a little more, eats a little less each day.
  • Posture. Your posture can dramatically affect your measurements and it changes from moment to moment. When you perform your scan, we recommend you stand in a natural upright posture which will be the most useful when sewing well-fitting custom garments.
  • Foam isn’t the same as a human body. You are much squishier in some places than a couch cushion! You can breathe in, put some tight fitting clothes on, and the clothes can hold you in like a corset. Your Beatrice can’t do that unfortunately. As a result, your form may feel “a little big” even when the form’s measurements are the same as yours.

You can learn more about working with 3D scan dress forms by watching this video.

What happens if I get a Beatrice and then gain/lose weight?
For smaller fluctuations, it’s been my personal experience that in many cases, you can adjust your fitting technique to accommodate those changes (more ease, less ease in certain areas). Our skeleton, shoulders, neck position and body alignment rarely change that quickly, all of which play big parts in fitting. 

However, it is important to consider if you regularly experience large fluctuations in body shape, Beatrice may not be the best fitting tool for you, depending on how you plan on using it. Please do not hesitate to contact us here with any of your concerns.

How do you cover your forms?
We make a custom pattern and cover for every form. We use a thick double knit for our covers because this fabric performs well under repeated pinning. But, feel free to drape your own custom cover, knit or woven!

Tell me about your stands.
If you’ve ever worked with a dress form before, you know how important a working, functional stand is. When you are designing and fitting, you need ergonomic access from the top to bottom. And you don’t want to be fumbling with a tool when you’re in the moment - that’s why our stands have a working foot pedal. Just step on that bad boy and grab the handle on top to slide your form easily up and down. Also, the heavy cast iron base helps to keep your form upright and the wheels - well, everything should be on wheels in a workspace right?

Another thing that makes our 3D scan forms unique is that they’re mounted on the stand exactly like you stand. We can see the floor in your body scan so we can orient your form just like you, whether you lean forward or back, or to the side - whatever is captured in your scan. This is important during fitting and designing to make sure your garment hangs and drapes as you would like.

Can I use my Beatrice to steam my clothing?
Yes! Beatrice is a perfect tool to use with a steamer, far superior to a hanger. Our Early Supporters have reported great results using a steamer. Speaking of heat, never expose your form to open flame and keep it away from sources of high heat, like a space heater. Polyurethane foam is flammable!

How do you turn my 3D model into a dress form?
There’s a lot to it! Here’s a diagram that illustrates the bird’s eye view of how each Beatrice is made:

We’ve drawn on our 20+ years experience in the software biz to create a specialized processing pipeline that turns your videos into a 3D digital snapshot of your body. We carefully hand edit each digital body model to transform it into a traditional dress form bodice, staying as true as possible to your actual shape.

Once you’ve approved your 3D digital model online, we cut your bodice out of foam using a cutting machine called a CNC (Computer Numeric Controlled) router. Nathan designed and built our machine specifically for making custom dress forms so it‘s a one-of-a-kind too! Seriously - what isn’t custom around here?!

After the forms come out of the machine downstairs in the workshop, we bring them upstairs to be assembled and covered. We handmake each knit cover to measure for a good fit. It’s important to us that we personally prepare each form for delivery, check each stand and make sure things are just-so before they depart our workshop for your sewing room.

While dress forms are technically just a tool, ours are special because they are created in the shapes of actual real people. It follows that we employ a lot of care and respect when finishing your forms. We feel so lucky to create these beautiful sculptures of you every day!

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If you like watching videos, check out our Beatrice 101 video series. You'll learn everything you need to know about getting started with Beatrice, from body scanning to what it's like to work with our 3D scan dress forms. This series is great for new clients but also for anyone who's just curious about what our process is like.

That's it! Thank you so much for considering Beatrice Forms for your sewing practice.

As always, we are available if you have any other questions.









Make Clothes That Fit.
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