Bustle Question ...

[calanniebu]

Take a look at my dress and let me know if you REALLY think it's necessary: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rawhite2000/detail?.dir=ee05&.dnm=d3a8re2.jpg&.src=ph. (This is just one picture - feel free to browse the album to get a better look!)

Background: my DH2B's great-aunt is doing my alterations for me. My FMIL - who I adore and am very lucky to get a long great with - took me to her house two weekends ago when we were in NY for my first fitting. After much playing and maneuvering of the dress we couldn't figure out a way to bustle the dress in a way that a) didn't make me look like I had several behinds, b) didn't make me look 5 feet wide or c) didn't hide the embroidery. I believe in the picture I set that the dress had already been pinned - it needs to be taken in (YAY!) - in order to sit correctly. They think I'll be fine. I mentioned to a friend of mine that I wasn't going to bustle my dress and she in her own way flipped out and said how could I not and that people will RUIN my dress because they'll be stepping on it, etc.

So I need an educated opinion of those who may or may not have struggled with this themselves.

P.S.: Thanks already to KT27 who sent me a great picture of her bustle.

 

[Luvndisney]

i would say no - but it might get really dirty. its beautiful though - i love blue

 

[Rustyflwr3]

I wouldn't think that you would need to bustle it! It doesn't have a very long train at all, so you may not have to worry about it! The only thing I would be worried about would be the dirt! But...the edge is blue, so if it does get dirty a little bit, it wouldn't show very much! Good Luck deciding!!

 

[calanniebu]

i would say no - but it might get really dirty. its beautiful though - i love blue

Thanks! Blue is my favorite color so I knew I wanted to incorporate it into my dress. The dress was #1 choice becasue this designer (Alfred Angelo) had 8 different shades of blue to choose from!

 

[cryssi]

only do it if you want to. I was coerced by my seamstress to bustle my dress with a sweep train, despite my telling her that I didn't want people to step on it. What happened? DH stepped on it and pulled out the bustle! So for the rest of the night, I REALLY had people stepping on it! Oh well, that's what the cleaners are for! LOL

great dress, btw...

 

[JonetteA]

I would bustle it, b/c it is going to get tramped on. Honestly, my dress was not that long, but kept getting walked on. It can easily take you down if someone steps on it accidently and doesn't release in time. Just my .02.

 

[D&R love Disney]

Another vote to bustle. I think a very simple french bustle would be perfect and not hide all the pretty detail. Your dress will get stepped on, especially on the dance floor. At my home reception I had someone step on my dress and broke the bustle and I had to keep the train over my arm the rest of the night.

 

[karenperez]

I'm bad at this fashion stuff, but is the dress too long? I bought a similar dress from David's and it's long on me like that. I planned to have it taken way up so that it barely hits the floor. Wouldn't that help?

 

[JandJ]

There's not much of a train, so I don't know that you need to bustle it. We had an Intimate so I didn't bustle, even though I had a semi-cathedral train, because there wasn't dancing or anything like that. And I liked how it sort of dragged on the floor for dramatic effect I wasn't worried about it getting dirty, it could always be cleaned if necessary. If I had to, I used the little strings to hold up the train to walk around, but your dress doesn't have a long train like that so unless it will bother you, I don't think you need to bustle - just my 2 cents!

 

[melmel]

Another option is to have a loop added on. I thought that it would go on the underside of the dress, but they just sewed a white piece of ribbon onto the train, that I could pick up as needed. I didn't want to have my beautiful dress lose it's gorgous look, or have the 8 foot wide behind, so I had them add a loop. I just put it on my wrist after the ceramony. It also makes for those lovely dancing photos with the swooping gown. We didn't have the dancing but you get the idea.


Melissa

 

[Codie]

Try a french bustle...i'm not a seamstress but my bf had a dress like that and it worked well. It involves ties under neath that pulls it up just a little but shows the detail on the botom

 

[calanniebu]

I emailed the picture that KT27 sent of her french bustle to my FMIL and she thinks that Tante Rosie will be able to do it ... but we won't be able to tell until we're back with the dress. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

 

[calanniebu]

well, we struck out! (even with the picture from KT27 sent). She said that the way the dress is made almost prevents it from being bustled. She would have to take a part the whole dress because of where the zipper comes down to in the back to even do a french bustle. My FMIL promised to be my dress protector and yell at people to "Back away from the dress" if necessary! She was too cute!

So thanks for all of your suggestions we're going to wing it. She had the dress almost done - I can take it home in two weeks when we are back down in NY.

Word of advice for those of you with strapless dresses: Ask your seamtress to put hooks in the dress to hook onto your bra. She put 4 hooks (2 in the front and one on either side) so that the dress hooks onto the top of the bra. This way I won't have to worry about my bra showing and/or the dress slipping.