Calling seamstresses: a question about boning.

missdelilah

Hi ladies, thanks so much for stopping by and helping out, even though I've been a terribly bad Knottie of late.  

Here's the dress I'm hoping to walk down the aisle in.  I find it kind of weird that there's a panel of boning in it.  It's sewn to the lining just under the bust, but isn't really connected to anything else.  To me, it just adds a lot of unnecessary bulk.  My seamstress first said she could remove it, but has now changed her mind, as she thinks the dress will hang strangely without it.  Is this something I should be getting a second opinion on, or do I just have to live with it?

Many thanks,

Delilah

artbyallie

Boning is not something a dress designer puts in just for funsies. It's an important structural element in dress construction. It also looks like that dress is cut on the bias, so unless you have a flawless body I would expect that yes, you need that boning for the dress to hang the way it is meant to and not do unflattering things.

Get a second opinion if it will make you feel better, but if your seamstress has a decent reputation I would assume she knows what she's talking about.

missdelilah

Thank you @artbyallie.  I know that designers don't add things like that for no reason at all, but I did assume it was put in there for more self conscious ladies.  I'm not saying I have a perfect figure, but I'm not worried about people seeing it.  I've worn bias cut dresses before, and never had a problem.  The lace is new to me though, so I have no idea how that would react.  

Can you please help me think of a way of making it less bulky, or do I have to just suck this one up?  I know I sound like I'm being a total whinger, but honestly I don't think I would have chosen this dress if I hadn't been told that the boning was removable.  That one's on the salon owner, not the seamstress, I realize, but it's always a bummer to have dress regret - I've read enough on these forums know I'm not alone.  Maybe I'll feel differently when the alterations are done.  

Thanks again for your help. 

ohannabelle

If you remove the boning, there's a good chance that you're going to get puckering and bunching at the waist. It's also helping to support the weight of the skirt, so once that's gone, there's a chance that the hang and weight of the skirt will redistribute, and you'll get a droopy, uneven shape on the skirt. 

I think your seamstress sounds like she knows what she's looking at. 

missdelilah

Thanks @ohannabelle.

WhatawagSBNy

The function of the boning is to keep the top front of the dress up, for 14 inches above the support point at back waist. Those lace straps spread wide on your shoulders and made of an open work material which will no take much stress or weight, would stretch into longer pieces in a bunch of wrinkles, then the bustline would drop 2 to 5 inches, and the fabric on top of your hips might hold on but the midriff would have 2 - 5 extra inches of bunched wrinkles. Kind on an unmade bed with bosom exposed, not the look you want.

The boning is removable for those who need enough extra body support that they wear a stiff or boned foundation corset underneath and actually sewn to the inside of the dress. That corset top would then have 3 to 5 strands of clear nylon heavy duty thread (like very heavy fishing line) braided together for strength, and cut a little shorter than the lace straps, running under the lace shoulder pieces to the corset back. These clear straps would not show under the lace, but they and the corset boning would take the weight of gravity and movement pulling the dress down, and the lacy shoulders would lie on top, nothing pulling them out of shape. Some people would even do a showy additional cross strap across the back neck strap to strap, more support.

Don't remove the boning unless you are replacing it with a stiff and probably boned corset with invisible straps. If you do it even to try it for an hour to see, the lace shoulders will permanently pull out of shape, and the continuous lace will all have to be unseen, removed, and replaced with matching lace fabric from the manufacturer. I have had to fix dresses where people thought they would try it.

missdelilah

WhatawagSBNy 

I love how much I'm learning from this thread.  

I still think that if you're going to own a bridal boutique, you should know about dress construction and not mislead customers, but oh well.  I'm sucking it up.  At least the dress still looks great from behind.