Dress Woes

alhaley88

I tried on and fell in love with an Alvina Valenta fit and flare dress. Now that I am looking at the photos my friends have shown me....the dress does not do a single thing for me. It is very unforgiving in my lower tummy (I call it the mommy pudge). I tried it on with no shapewear or anything underneath. I have been dieting and working out so I know I'll lose some weight. I am at a loss of what to do. Any advice? My wedding isn't until September of 2016, so I have time to choose a new dress if it comes to that, but there is a reason I fell in love with the dress. I just don't want to walk down the aisle and people just stare at my midsection! Any recommendations? Will switching to a corset back instead of leaving it as a zipper help? Should I just get a great corset bra to help smooth out my upper body? Sorry this is so long.

Maggie0829

I would go and try the dress on again without anyone.  Take some shapewear with you to see what that may do.  Also, and I am not trying to crap on your friends, but depending on the angle and the lighting and such even a model can look bad in pictures.  So take those pictures with a grain of salt and try to remember how you felt and looked in the dress when you saw it in the mirror.

As far as changing the back to a corset I am not sure that will have much impact to the "mommy pudge" so some nice spanx that hit a bit above your waist and go down to mid thigh will probably help to smooth things out without adding too much bulk or changing the dress.

alhaley88

Yeah I need to lose a little weight before I do that. The midsection of the dress was the tightest area on the whole dress and the consultant wouldn't have been able to zip me in with shapewear on. So i might have to lose about 5-10 pounds before trying it on with some shapewear on.

Maggie0829

alhaley88 said:

Yeah I need to lose a little weight before I do that. The midsection of the dress was the tightest area on the whole dress and the consultant wouldn't have been able to zip me in with shapewear on. So i might have to lose about 5-10 pounds before trying it on with some shapewear on.

But was that the sample or your actual dress in your correct size?  When you try on samples that are too small of course certain areas are going to be a bit more noticeable then if the dress was in your true size.  So keep in mind that once the dress is in the correct size for you it will fit you a lot better and smoother then something that may have been one or two sizes too small. And really spanx are not going to add that much bulk, they are just like wearing a pair of underwear.

But you have plenty of time before you have to order your dress.  Maybe take the summer off from shopping and start back up at the end of August.  That way if you want to lose a bit of weight before shopping again you can, but just remember that no matter what size you are when you shop make sure to buy the size dress that fits you when you order it.  And try not to be so hard on yourself.  We tend to think the worse of certain areas while others have no idea what the heck we are talking about.

ElcaB

I'm assuming you tried on a sample, in which case you should forget about it not fitting properly. Instead of altering yourself to fit the dress, alter the dress to fit you. 

alhaley88

I already bought the dress and paid in full. The sample size is the size that we ordered. She took my measurements and said that I fit within the measurements of that dress and that there was no sense in ordering a size up. Was this wrong? The sample size fit and zipped up all the way and looked good in the back (no tight back fat or anything), just the tummy was really...flabby i guess is the word to use. Every guideline measurement for the designer, my measurements fit into. There was about 1/2" leeway in the waist and then everything else was way too big.

Maggie0829

alhaley88 said:

I already bought the dress and paid in full. The sample size is the size that we ordered. She took my measurements and said that I fit within the measurements of that dress and that there was no sense in ordering a size up. Was this wrong? The sample size fit and zipped up all the way and looked good in the back (no tight back fat or anything), just the tummy was really...flabby i guess is the word to use. Every guideline measurement for the designer, my measurements fit into. There was about 1/2" leeway in the waist and then everything else was way too big.

Then I am confused why you think spanx wouldn't fit under your dress?  If you had on a pair of underwear then spanx will fit.

I am thinking that you are looking at these pictures and visualizing a much larger belly then what is actually there.

alhaley88

@Maggie0829 That is possible. My friends keep telling me the same as you ladies and that it looks gorgeous....I haven't tried spanx so if the fabric is pretty thin I will definitely give them a try!

Maggie0829

You don't need full body if all you are concerned about is your lower tummy.

I have these that I wear all the time with pencil skirts and other dresses that are a bit tighter around my lower tummy area.  CLICK.  The suck things in and smooth things out but don't suck it in so much that you have like a muffin top over the waist area.  And they are great if you have thighs that touch when you walk so no chaffing.

southernbelle0915

Try not to be so hard on yourself. It's a lovely dress and I'm sure it will look lovely on you. If you want to lose weight, go ahead, but don't do it because you don't think you look pretty enough (or whatever) in your dress. I'm sure you will be a stunning bride.

alhaley88

Thanks ladies! I wasn't initially concerned about it, until I saw the photos and all I could see was how my belly button and mommy rolls stuck out. I have planned to lose weight since before we got engaged, so it isn't just for the wedding by any means. I just want to reach my goal by that time! I will definitely check into the slips!

southernbelle0915

Also, check out the "Getting in Shape" board. Sometimes people pair up or do accountability check ins. It can be helpful to keep yourself on track.