Any other TALL brides on here? Dress question

blondeej

Hi ladies!  

I am 6'2" - about to go dress shopping for my September 27th 2014 wedding... I am concerned whether or not my height is going to be a big deal when trying on dresses. I don't even know if I am going to have to have a custom dress made due to my height? I've never gone dress shopping before so am completely ignorant to all of this. My MOH and BM's have been helpful and supportive, but 3 out of 5 in my bridal party are out of state.  I wanted to reach out to all the expertise on here to see what ya'll thought?  My co-worker is 6' and she said she had to have extra added to the bottom of HER dress.... I have 2" on her! eek  :-/

Thanks for reading...  

SmileDamnit

I'm almost 6' (5'11.5" if we're being technical) and didn't have any issues, but my dress is being made so I'm not sure if that payed a part? When they did my measurements, I was in 2" heels and nothing was said about having to add extra fabric for length. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and will be interested in the experiences others have had.

Maggie0829

I believe Benjamin Roberts, Alfred Angelo, Justin Alexander and Casablanca all offer extra length if necessary.

Your best option would be to call up the bridal shops that you want to visit and let them know your concerns.  They should be able to tell you whether or not the designers they carry can accommodate your height.

blondeej

I live in podunk - and would have to go to Chicago to really get any sort of higher quality bridal shops. The words DB make me ill. lol At least, from what I've seen on their website. I guess if I can't find what I need here at the smaller boutiques I will have to face Chi-town...

@Niccirf - random question, but how did you go about finding your seamstress? 

MyNameIsNot

I'm 6'1, so I was in the same boat.  When I ordered a dress, they actually measured from the floor to where the top of the dress should hit and ordered it that way, so that it came in the perfect length.  

It does mean that getting something off the rack is impossible, but based on what I learned, it was typical to order a dress like that.  

Be sure to the take the shoes you plan to wear with you when you shop.  

blondeej

@MyNameIsNot - well, that sounds like a typical day of clothes shopping in the life of us tall girls, huh? lol "special order" and "getting something off the rack is impossible" are all too familiar to me! lol  If you don't mind me asking - what dress designer/label did you end up going with?

And I will be in flats, as the FI is 2" shorter, so at least that's one less thing to worry about

SmileDamnit

I went to a small, independent shop in one of the Denver suburbs and loved it. My consultant at the shop recommend a seamstress they work with. Perhaps you can hit the burbs if you don't actually want to go into the city??

*edited to add that my dress isn't actually custom, rather it's being made post purchase and shipped in a few months once complete.

blondeej

@Niccirf - I bet you're right - there's so much shopping in the Chi-burbs, I should be able to make a day out of it and hit several if I plan it right! And so I'd call that semi-custom then? It was a style they had, but they are making it to order at an extra length. Very nice!

MyNameIsNot

My dress was a designer called Anjolique from a small local shop.  I don't know if they are nationally known or carried.

I'm 2 inches taller than my husband too!  On the bright side, it's easier than shopping for jeans.  

SmileDamnit

blondeej said:

If you don't mind me asking - what dress designer/label did you end up going with?

I went with a Jenny Packham gown (Eden, in ivory). So, so, so not the designer type usually (ever), but I fell in love and thing it's going to work well with the day's vibe. 

And yes, I HATE shopping for jeans

blondeej

@Niccirf - I just did a search and looked at her 2014 collection - very classy! Sleek simple lines. Now if only her dress model didn't look like Taylor Swift's little sister.... LOL  

OliveOilsMom

The type of measuring that MyNameIsNot mentions is called Hallow to Hem.  My vertically challenged SIL's dress was ordered this way - the designer should make the dress proportional to this measurement.  She purchased her dress at a Macy's Bridal - they feature Demetrios gowns.  I think they have one in the Chicago area, but its been a few years since I looked at their website.

FWIW, I am 5'9 and also purchased a Demetrios gown at the Macy's Bridal. I wore 1 inch heels and still needed to have my hem taken up.  I know that's still a few inches off from your height, but any good consultant should have no problems calling the designer to see if extra length should be added to your dress when ordering (if you can't purchase a dress measured hallow to hem.)

blondeej

@OliveOilsMom - thank you very much for the great info!