Who on earth are you? StockingShock is an British Gothic and Lolita brand. If you didn't think there were any, you are almost right... but we are hoping to change that. We are based in the English Midlands, so nowhere glamorous (but in reach of interesting photoshoot locations); we do not operate an offline business premesis, although we hope to make inroads into real-life shops in the future. At present we are not available for in-person fittings, visits, or telephone orders.
We consist of mainly Fuchsia, who does all our sewing, admin, and web design, and a few trusted associates who are roped in to help with supplies, postage and making the tea. (Therefore we truthfully are a 'we', not an 'I'.)
We are also involved in: Peacockalorum, a less strictly themed alternative clothing and aesthetics site; and, for fun, The Muffti Cosplay Circle.

Do you have a print catalogue? No, and no plans for one in the future. As we have such a large range of colours, fabrics, and custom options- as well as the sizeable amount of items actually for sale- a print catalogue would be unwieldy and impractical. Since all information is available freely online, it's also rather unnecessary. If you really need a hard copy, print off the pages and assemble your own!

What sizes do you stock? Because we make our clothes to order, clothing is available in any size. Most clothes are semi-custom sized, based on standard dress sizes but with a few exact measurements to ensure correct fit and individual choice (so you can vary the length of skirts etc.). Many items are adjustable, i.e. back-lacing dresses and partially-elasticated skirts- so they are forgiving, but still made to fit each customer individually.
Note: Our 'Quick Shop' items are made to standard sizes. Please check the size chart to see if they are suitable for you.

Standard sizes don't suit me- will your clothes fit? You can supply any measurements you wish, along with those detailed on the order form, if you are concerned about sizing. There is no additional charge for this. If we are concerned about sizing, and need some additional information, we will ask you for this.

Can you do custom work? Certainly- we can create any custom design you wish. All our regular designs are tweakable- i.e. if you don't like one feature you can swap it for another, or add some optional extras. Hardcore individualists can select the 'Custom' option and build an entirely one-off outfit. We can also undertake brand-replica commissions. There are examples of this type of work in our Custom Gallery

What materials do you use?. We use fabrics which we feel compliment our designs- some of our clothes would look just wrong in certain fabrics, so each item description includes a selection of suitable fabrics.
All fabrics are high quality and most are 100% cotton. Our standard is a sturdy but comfortable cotton drill, with lighter weight broadcloths, percales, and quilting prints; there are also velveteens, cords, and other textured fabrics. Fabrics are chosen to give a good-quality appearance and texture, comfort during use, and durability and ease of washing. All fabrics have been thoroughly tested and won't deform or shrink after washing.
We have a page of custom-order fabrics, mostly patterned cottons, to satisfy those who share our love for curious prints.
If your chosen fabric is unavailable, we'll let you know, and suggest alternatives if we are absolutely unable to track down a substitute.

How does your pricing work? We have supplied a base price for each item. This will vary depending on your exact order, for instance taking into account fabric choice and any added extra features. The base price usually applies to the item when made up in cotton, our standard fabric. Our most expensive choice is velveteen. Fabric choices should only affect the total cost by about £5-£10. Our Fabrics page has full pricing information for each choice.

How do I order? Select an item, fabric and colour if necessary, and then fill in the relevent order form (linked to from the item's page). Then submit it and wait for us to get back to you- we'll let you know the total cost and how long we expect it to take. Once we receive payment we will start work on your order.
More Information on Ordering
You can also buy a selection of popular items in our Quick Shop, which features instant online payment.

What payment do you accept? Several- some methods are slower than others, and may affect your order time, but we will let you know in that case.
If you are in the UK: Cheque, postal order, bank transfer, or Paypal.
If you are in the EU: Paypal or bank transfer, or cheque/money order if your currency is Euros.
If you are in the US: Paypal, cheque or money order in US$.
Other countries: Paypal only.
  If you are concerned about ordering, we recommend you pay for your order in stages (i.e. with an initial deposit, and the rest on completion). The order must be paid in full before any items are sent.

How long do orders take? That depends on availability of materials, complexity of work and the amount of orders we have at any one time- we will give an exact time with each order. Current completion time is about 1-2 weeks.
Please note that we are a mostly one-person operation and sometimes experience unavoidable complications, which may affect order time. We will endeavour to work through any problems with our customers.

Can items be returned? We do accept returns on certain items, and will issue either a refund or shop credit in those cases. If you have any problems once you have received an item, please let us know about it.   Our returns policy and procedures are detailed below.

How about postage? Postage costs will be added to your order. UK orders up to £50 are sent by first-class Recorded Delivery. Larger orders will be sent by Special Delivery. International orders are either sent by standard airmail (with a postal certificate), or International Signed-For (this will be added for orders over £50, or on request). Domestic postage should take 2-5 days; International is generally 7 days plus.

What sort of quality are your clothes? They are made to match the standard of Japanese brand clothing, both in terms of materials and workmanship. We are particular about the quality of details like lace etc. which we feel can hugely affect the appearance of a garment.
Our items are made individually in a home workshop environment rather than outsourced to a factory (or sweatshop...), and often feature hand-finished details.
Our seamstress has over 9 years' experience in dressmaking and pattern design, and is practiced in various specialist techniques.
We are familiar with, and fond of, Japanese brand Lolita clothing. We inspect our collection closely to see how we can learn from it. We are also concerned with how you can build up a good wardrobe for a reasonable cost, and how clothes can be kept looking their best after regular wearing and washing.

Please keep in mind...! Fabrics are not kept in-house but purchased from a variety of suppliers as and when they are needed. We keep a store of necessary stuff like lace etc. but we do sometimes run out and are unable to get exact replacements. Therefore, sometimes the details shown in photographs may not exactly correspond to the finished item- however, they will be of a similar appearance and quality. We won't cheat and substitute cheap lace for the quality materials shown in our photographs.

Terms &Conditions

Please read this section before ordering. We cannot start work on any order until initial payment, required measurements, and any other necessary information is received. If more than 14 days passes between initial ordering and commencing payment, we will consider the order cancelled and the work slot will be re-allocated to another customer. We can't reserve 'work time' in advance without agreement and an initial deposit.
  Completion times are provided as guides only and not guaranteed delivery dates; if you require an item for a particular date, we must be informed so we can arrange a definite completion date. Rush orders may involve an additional charge. Unless a guaranteed completion date is agreed upon, returns/cancellations are not accepted for late delivery.
  We do not consider an order finalised until initial payment is received. Until this time we can refuse or cancel any order at our discretion. Once an order is finalised, it cannot be cancelled. No refunds will be issued after this point if you decide you no longer want the item, as we will have purchased necessary materials and started work on the order. Order details cannot be changed once an order is finalised.
  Items can be returned for replacement *if* they are from our standard-sized range. They must be returned in new and unworn condition. You will need to inform us within 7 days, and return the item within 10 working days. Once a problem is reported, we will issue a returns number which you will need to include with the returned item. Items must be sent back to us by registered postage (recorded delivery). We will issue either a refund or shop credit only once we have received the item.
  The following returns will not be accepted:
Customer-damaged or worn items;
Items with problems that were not reported to us;
Items not accompanied by the relevent returns number;
Items not returned by registered postage;
Items returned after 10 working days of receipt.
  Custom or individually-sized items cannot be returned. All measurements are supplied by the customer, and we are relying on you to supply correct information. If there are fitting problems due to incorrect sizing, we can undertake alterations, but we'd rather have it right first time. Alterations may incur an extra charge depending on time and complexity of the procedure.
  Delivery addresses must be correct. We are not responsible for any problems or delays arising from incorrect postal details.
  International deliveries are handled by the customer's postal service. We can't tell you who will be delivering your order, and we have no contact with them.
We are not responsible for, and have no foreward knowledge of, any customs charges that may be levied. We will not falsify customs information (i.e marking items incorrectly as gifts or understating value) in order to avoid such charges.
  We are not responsible for any delays in postal delivery. Please allow the minimum delivery time before reporting lost items. If you suspect an item has gone astray, please inform us as soon as possible. Do not turn up months later to complain that something never arrived, because by that time there is very little recourse we can take.