Got my hoop skirt!!

EKSKJD22

Ok I'm not THAT excited about it, but I was VERY skeptical of ordering one, since I thought the only place for a hoop skirt was at a civil war reenactment.   Well, I'm very happy I did! 
If you are wearing an a-line or ballgown type dress, seriously consider wearing a hoop skirt instead of a regular crinoline. I hate the way all the fabric gathers around my legs, and June in Cincinnati can be toasty, so I figured it was my best option. And I was worried I couldn't sit down with it on, but I can! I ordered it on eBay, from the store BridalCrinoline. Best part, it was only $25 and good quality.  Once again, just thought I'd share for skeptics like myself. 

Theresa626

I've worn a hoop skirt before and I want to warn you that you cannot sit down normally in it.  You need to lift the back of the skirt where the top hoop is and place it on the chair before you sit. Otherwise, the skirt flips up and shows everyone your goodies. 

raphninja

Theresa, the hoop I got doesn't flip up at all.  The "bones" are SUPER bendy.  I got mine on ebay as well, and it came all folded up on itself in a package about the size of a large office envelope and then it unwrapped and sort of "sprung" into place.  It's very flexible, and so easy to move and sit in.  I can sit right down on a chair like a normal person and there is absolutely no flashing involved.  The hoops simple bend off to the sides of the chair and lay flat and polite.   Your "bones" must be different than the ones EKSKJD and I got.

Theresa626

Wow, I didn't know they were like that. I didn't own the hoop skirt. It was part of a period costume from a reenactment "village".  That's actually really cool.  Can you send the link to where you got your hoop skirt from?  my dress is pretty big too so it'd be nice to see if that could work for me. 

raphninja

I got mine on ebay, as well from angelsbridal.  I think this is a link to their page: http://myworld.ebay.com/angelsbridal/

My hoop skirt is awesome.  i highly recommend this seller for hoops.  BUT...... be warned.  3 of my girls bought regular crinnys from them and one of them smelled like fish.  Like so bad it stunk up the whole house and had to be sent to the dry cleaner.  If you read their reviews, you'll see some other people said that, as well, but my hoops were perfect and so were the other 2 crinnys we got.  Go for the hoops!  They're fun!

raphninja

Oh, and each hoops is adjustable, as well, so you can make each one as big or as small as you like.  It takes a bit of patience and muscle to adjust them, but it can be done.

Theresa626

So, I think I might do this. With the adjustable part, what if you adjust them and then they pop back out while you're walking or something?  How do the adjustments work?  Do they stay in place?

Theresa626

Sorry, another quetion... I was looking at your bio and I love your veil and dress. Can you post a picture of you in the dress with your hoop skirt on?  I'd love to see how full it is.  Raphninja, if you have a pic of you in the hoop skirt and dress, I'd love to see it as well. 

raphninja

I am not posting any pics of my dress until after the wedding.  No one knows what it looks like and it's important, tradition-wise for me to keep it like that, but I'm getting married next month (February 27th).  I actually don't have any pictures in it, either, but give me 6 weeks and I will. 

As for how to adjust them, there are these little plastic bendable "sleeves" the "bones" fit into.  Each "bone" has 2 of them so you squeeze them in and they should stay put, BUT...... I w2as concerned about that as well, so I'm reinforcing mine with duct tape!  lol.  It really does fix everything.  It's hard to explain how the bendy plastic works, but it does, and I really can't see it coming undone.  It's so hard to move it around to where you want it, but like I said, it can be done.  And if you're worried about it slipping afterward, grab the duct tape.  It works perfectly, and is completely hidden in the fabric of the skirt when finished.  Go ahead and buy one.  They're cheap enough that if you hate it, you can get something else.