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I ran into the same scenario -two sizes as well!- with my dress and was suggested that I ordered custom. With my dress all the detailing is in the bodice so having it altered at the store would greatly affect the look of the dress.
That said. I think with your dress it should be OK. start researching seamstress in your area!! Or maybe call up local bridal salons? I think with that much altering you want someone good.
@Gerbera: Yea, I wanted to see if I could do custom, but they couldn't do it for that dress. I probably should have looked for something else, but oh well.
Most bridal salons will not alter gowns that are not purchased through them. Your best bet is to find a seamstress that has experience with altering bridal gowns.
@noritake22: I was planning on going through an independent seamstress anyway. My concern is whether the alterations can be executed at all without ruining the dress.
If your seamstress has a lot of bridal experience, and depending on what the back looks like, I think it can be done.
@noritake22 It's actually a side zipped dress. The back looks like the front.
I'm using the infamous Angie for my alterations and she is GREAT (and very reasonably priced). My secondhand dress ended up being a few inches too short and she came up with a great idea for an alencon lace trim. She also offered to make me a matching veil, and she's taking in my Chinese dress as well. I'm sure she could do something with your dress! Seamstresses can work wonders.
Usually they just cut the dress along the seams at the sides and take it in to match your measurements. I wouldn't be worried, it should be pretty simple to do. The hard part is finding a good seamstress.
This can definitely be done- don't fret! Whether the seamstress has to take in in 1/2 and inch or 6 inches, the process is pretty much the same. And in the pattern, the top is separate from the skirt and connected with the waistband, so they pretty much function as different pieces/sizes when she alters it.
A princess or a-line seamed dress would be easier to alter since they've got continual seams all the way down the gown, but this is why we hire an expert! And a seamstress who has done bridal work will know exactly what to do with the rouching/pleating too.
(I'm not an expert- but I spent a lot of time clocking hours in the costume shop in college. I hope I helped!)
Seamstresses can do amazing things, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. But definitely start asking around and look on Yelp to find a very highly recommended seamstress/tailor. Don't just go to the local dry cleaner. Someone else suggested getting recs from local bridal salons, which is a good idea but might not be the cheapest. Your dress also looks relatively simple compared to a lot of other wedding gowns (ie no beading, crystals, etc), so an experienced person should have done lots of evening gowns like this too.
I had a bridesmaid dress once that had a messed up sizing chart. All of ours arrived way too big - mine literally would not stay on at all. I found a great seamstress and in the end, it fit like a glove, so it definitely can be done!
Try contacting your local American Sewing Guild chapter as well. And ask for seamstress references that are experienced in bridal work. I did that when thinking about a custom made gown. They were able to put me in contact with someone that I would never have found otherwise!
Don't worry, almost all dresses can be altered. Check with a few qualified seamstresses. They should be able to look at the dress and see how it was made.
A good seamstress can work miracles~
Do yourself a favor, post on your local boards or on other sites and ask for seamstress recommendations.
In our area there are many and you will see the same names over and over again.
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My dress came in today, and it's LOVELY. One problem. I'm more bottom heavy than I am top heavy (the joys of being hourglass shaped) to the tune of two full sizes. When I ordered, they told me, based on my measurements, to order a dress that is two sizes larger than the size of my top half.
(As a note, I ordered it independently, it's a small designer. Not through a salon who does alterations on site.)
Well, today when I slipped it on, the bottom fits great and the top is way too large. Seriously, it could easily stand to be taken in about five or six inches in the bust and part of the waist.
Here is the dress, but please note that it is NOT ME IN IT!
It's a tremendous amount to take in, and there's no corset backing, so I can't cheat even a little bit. In addition, there's pleating in the bodice on the top, and I'm concerned about that as well.
Is this fixable, or am I completely screwed on my dress? :-( I know it might be costly, as well. That's fine. I just want to look good in my dress.