Post # 1
Member
1378 posts
Bumble bee
Hello Bees!
I saw a post on here about bustles the other day, and since then have been researching a bit. I never knew there were so many kinds!! I’m trying to decide what is feasible for me for my dress.
Originally, I didn’t even want a train – I was going to have it chopped off. Buuuuut now seeing all these beautiful gowns with a small train…I kinda want to keep mine and just go for a bustle.
I don’t much like the look of a French bustle – I don’t like the harsh folds that appear. I don’t mind an English bustle, but I’ve heard they tend to break easier (true?). I don’t mind the train flip, but that seems boring. I LOVE the look of an Austrian bustle, but I’m not sure it would work with my dress!
Here’s the dress (Robin Jillian 621), in a size a bit big – I believe it has a chapel (short? but not sweep) train. It does need to be hemmed significantly in this picture.
There are no buttons on the train – ends at the waistish (it’s a zipper back with button coverup). There are scattered pearl/sequin/rhinestone jazzies that I adore.
What sort of bustles have Bees with similar dresses had – or, if you had an Austrian bustle, what type of dress did you have, and how did it look?
Post # 2
Member
441 posts
Helper bee
gillykat824: Do you happen to have a picture of the back? It’s hard to tell what would be good for your dress without really seeing the train. I don’t think I’d recommend an Austrian bustle, though, because I think it would look limp with your drapey lace fabric. Austrian bustles look best on satin dresses with long, narrow trains. Tell me this, is the lace overlay completely separate from the satin underlay? If so, you could do something like this picture. It’s a French bustle, but I think it looks nice (not harsh) because the layers are done separately.
Post # 3
Member
1378 posts
Bumble bee
idoalterations: We were so distracted by buying it I don’t have any pictures of the back (I think my mom did, I’ll have to ask).
The lace is an overlay though – so perhaps bustled separately would look less harsh (I do like that dress you posted quite a bit more than a bustled-together one). Do you know how many points that bustle has?
My skirt does have two layers of crinoline in the bottom – does that make a difference for bustling purposes?
Thank you for responding! I’m totally clueless when it comes to fancier dresses 😛
Post # 4
Member
441 posts
Helper bee
gillykat824: That bustle has 14 points. 5 on the bottom, 9 on top. So it’s a little expensive. I do think an over bustle would look good as well and would be cheaper. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of one on a similar dress. But I would do the layers separately for that one too. I don’t think you need to worry about it breaking if it’s done properly. The crenoline layers don’t matter. They are short and don’t need to be bustled.
Post # 5
Member
1378 posts
Bumble bee
idoalterations: thanks for your help!
Post # 6
Member
1723 posts
Bumble bee
gillykat824: I have a lace and tulle a-line dress…I decided to go with the French bustle bc it looked so much more elegant IMO than the english bustle (we took pictures of both and i compared later). My dress has more layers than yours does…but I think there’s something about the way the lace lays with the french bustle that just looks really elegant 🙂
Post # 7
Member
1378 posts
Bumble bee
hazyleyedbeauty: Is it less of a harsh line across than the satin dresses with French bustles? Did you have a single bustle?
Post # 8
Member
11418 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I had an Austrian bustle and I absolutely LOVED it. However, my dress wasn’t lace, so I don’t know for certain how it would look with your gown. I do think it is one of the most beautiful bustles available, though.
Post # 9
Member
1378 posts
Bumble bee
Brielle: After looking at a whole bunch of pictures, I agree that it is a gorgeous bustle if done correctly.
Post # 10
Member
1378 posts
Bumble bee
Here’s a picture of the (unaltered) dress’s back. I think it may limit what bustles I can have from the buttons…
