"Handmade" is a phrase you read everywhere. Here's what it concretely means for a Tétè accessory, and why the price is different from a chain-store one.

Made after you buy it

We don't hold stock. Each piece is made when you order it: 5 to 8 days of work. That means no leftover inventory to discount, no guesswork production, and the option to adapt size and colour to the individual customer.

Fabrics bought in small quantities

We buy silks, velvets and prints in minimal lengths, often vintage fabric or fine deadstock. One cut makes a few pieces, sometimes only one. That's why many prints don't repeat.

Hand-sewing and finishing

The covered rigid structures, the hems, the fixed elastics, the shaped flowers: all done by a person, not a machine. A well-sewn headband doesn't slip, doesn't deform and survives dozens of washes.

Why it costs more

The price of a factory accessory covers fabric and machine time. The price of an artisan accessory covers hours of a person's work plus quality fabrics in small quantities. In return you get a piece that lasts years instead of seasons, and is often unique.

The "slow" part

Slow fashion isn't a slogan: it's buying less, buying better, and keeping things. The right accessory is worn for years and pairs with a thousand different looks.

If you want to see how we work, there's the about page. The most visible hand-work is the crochet — there, each piece is literally days of work. And the vintage collection is where "one of a kind" is meant literally.