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Ultimate Guide to Bridal Dress Alterations: What Every Bride Needs to Know

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I get a lot of calls from brides telling me that another place told them their dress could not be altered. I understand the limitations gowns have to the altering process and there are some things that just cannot be done and some things that cannot be done if the bride does not want to have structural and/or design changes because of the alterations. This article is your ultimate guide to bridal dress alterations.


I also receive calls from brides all the time asking about possible alterations for dresses they are considering purchasing. My best advice is to purchase the dress with all the details you would like to have. It is always less expensive and looks better if the design feature is already on the dress. Anytime a dress must be redesigned there are possible changes that have to be made that may not look or work as the bride expected. If a salesperson gives you the same standard answer when you ask an alterations question- “sure, that can be done”, please remember, they are a salesperson. Their job is to sell dresses. Be sure to check with a seamstress for the best solution.


seamstress with bride

In discussing alterations with your seamstress keep several things in mind.

 

1.   Any alteration is limited by the fabric and seam structure of the gown. Many things can be done on one dress that can't be done on another depending on these factors.

 

2.   One of the alterations brides are requesting lately is to have a slit added. If there is a seam in the place you would like to have the slit, it MIGHT be possible. If there is no seam there are a lot of complications that can destroy a dress. Fabrics are cut a very specific way to hang properly. Without the seam normally there is no way to add a slit without a great deal of complications. 

 

3.   There are aspects of delicate fabrics that can make the taking out and replacing of stitches a tricky thing to do. In these cases, you want to keep the changes down to the minimum necessary to avoid stressing the fabric.

 

4.   There are structural needs of a gown that must be considered. If a needed alteration will harm the structural integrity of the gown, then the bride must weigh that with her comfort level to find a fit that both looks good and lets the gown function as the design intended.


5   The design or seam structure of the gown may not lend itself to easy altering. For instance:

        

One alteration that is requested often is to change the drape of a sleeve that hangs off the dress. I would love to change this for everyone that asks; however, the drape is there because the bride would not be able to raise her arm if the sleeve were higher against her arm. If the bride is willing to forego giving or receiving hugs or dancing with abandon, yes, of course, we can tighten that sleeve. If she is not willing to limit herself in this manner, then there are other options to look at, which may include removing the sleeves all together.

 

A gown that has no waistline cannot be hemmed at the waist. Sometimes it appears as if there is a waistline (seam at the waist) on the outside but when checking the linings there is no waistline seam.

 

Normally there is only about 1" of fabric in the seam allowance. This means the seam can be let out about ¼" to ½”.

 

Beading that is sewn on after the lace is attached to the gown will fall off when the lace is removed to alter. This requires hours of hand stitching all those beads back on. Are you willing to pay by the hours it will take for this to be done?


seamstress altering bridal dress

6.   Many alterations can be made but will change the design of the gown so that the bride may not like the result. These things need to be explained in detail before any alterations are done so the bride will not be surprised by the outcome.

 

7.   It is important to remember that the seamstress did not create the fitting problem. Many factors go into a poor fit. Sometimes the bride gains or loses weight during the long wait between the ordering and the receiving of the gown. Some gowns fit differently than the store sample that was tried on hundreds of times and has now stretched. A sample gown that is too big will have excess fabric and when the gown arrives in the brides size, there may be more “skin” showing that she anticipates.

 

8.   There are some alterations that are impossible based on each specific dress. If the bride is willing to work with the seamstress, it may take a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and creative sewing to get the fit to be where the bride wants it but there are consequences to these alterations. These could include the loss of some of the design features. The bride must be educated as to the ramifications of anything that may be tried.



bride in wedding dress with bouquet

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