XP: Simple plus-size wedding dresses

spockforprez

Now that we are under the 7-month countdown, I'm starting to stress about my dress. Background is that I have lost about 60 pounds since June 2014 but am still quite big, street size 24. The last 7-8 months I have not lost very much weight so while I am still trying to focus on my health, I don't want to be overly optimistic about dropping sizes between now and the wedding.

I bought this dress from ModCloth when it went on close-out pricing (it cost $70): http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/sunrise-ceremony-dress. I absolutely love the simple, no train, lace style. 

I bought it back in February when my weight loss was still on track and I thought I'd be a size 16-18 by the wedding, so I got it in a size 20. I can "fit" into this dress using the most technical sense of the term, but it does not look good and the silhouette makes me feel very uncomfortable. While I'd like to lose 30-50 pounds in the next 7 months, that may not happen, and even if it does, I still don't think the silhouette will be at a level I'm comfortable with by then. I know there is Spanx and I will look into that, but it only goes so far, plus I want to be really comfortable on my wedding day.

Having said all that, I'm now looking into a new dress and starting to get extremely anxious. I'm hoping to score something at a David's $99 sale depending on when that happens, but I think I could go up to $3-400 if I needed to. However, most dresses are far more formal and fancy that what I am interested in. I really like the simple A-line, no train, not a lot of pouf, appliques, beading, etc. with some kind of strap or sleeve. And, most of the simpler dresses are tea length or shorter, whereas I really want a long dress.

The emotions of being overweight and shopping for a wedding dress are already tough to deal with, but feeling like I can't find anything that matches what I'm looking for and needing to stay within a smaller budget is causing me to feel extremely panicked. I'm not that into fashion or shopping in my everyday life, and our wedding is pretty casual, but I still want to feel beautiful on my wedding day.

Anyone have advice for where to shop or styles of dresses to try? Thanks.

MesmrEwe

Yes, give David's a try - stick to the sale-dress budget as you also will need to factor in things like alterations, add-ons, undergarments, etc which can double or triple your budget.  Also, check places like JC Penny Bridal, Macy's, Sears, Bloomingdales, Deb Plus, as they may also have options that'd fit your budget that you can order when it's a bit closer. 

Instead of an extra dress, I really would rather see you put that money into some time with a great trainer who can dial in the diet and exercise plan in so you can reach your goal because this is a transformation moment on obstacles getting in your way to living a healthier lifestyle.  You can wedge this dress on, that says you're doing great and closer than you think, at this point, stop looking at the scale and focus on how you feel and how your clothes fit.  Some weight training, cardio, and dialing in the diet will do wonders because there's a tipping point where the scale is not an accurate measure of your success.  A friend of mine is getting ready to walk on the bodybuilding platform next week after having undergone a shorter time-span transformation than you have working a job that he's constantly on the road and in airports.  It can be done if you're focused and dedicated to it. 

Spanx will help as will a properly fitting long-line bra.  Wear these if you choose to go dress shopping as you'll have an accurate idea of your figure.  IMO, I'd give yourself another month or two to get back on track, then go to David's shopping if you still don't like the dress you've got.  The beauty of shopping there is you can literally walk in today and have a dress by Saturday if necessary.  Or, you can check their system to find a dress within road trip distance to get the job done.  It's not ideal, but it can be done.  Don't lose hope just yet!!!

hyechica81

how about calling some mom and pop bridal salons and asking if they have any discontinued discounted dresses you can look at tell them your budget and what you want some affordable designers are boney ( they do sleeves long and short) mori lee venus and allure plus they all have plus lines, also google bridal consignments in your area the ones in my area have sample gowns up to a 30 and reasonable prices. i know for a fact older mori lee gowns like samples and discontinued are selling in the 400-600 range with most being around 500 

fyrchk

What about etsy? I'm big girl and found a woman on there who makes dresses and doesn't charge extra for "plus" sizes. My dress was about $400. Granted, I chose a short dress but I'm sure you can find something. I felt better having the dress made to my measurements than trying to find something that fit in a store. They never work out for me.