Losing weight - how far can you take in a corset?

strazzypants

I've been getting in shape for my wedding (working out, eating healthily, nothing fancy) and I have to order the dress ASAP because my wedding is in August. I've picked a mermaid gown with a corset back and I'm wondering about alterations. How much/many sizes can a typical corset back be taken in? 

QueerFemme

it depends on the dress.  Most gowns can be taken in 1-2 sizes before it loses structure.  Order your dress now, but have you alterations done closer to the wedding date.  The corset shouldn't be used to change the size of the dress, necessarily, just to give you some pull here & there.

Peledreamsofrain

My dress was able to be altered down at least five sizes. It depends on the dress. The corset helps give you a lot of leeway.

QueerFemme

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_losing-weight-how-far-can-you-take-in-a-corset?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:8511180b-1110-42ac-a777-573a5658b37aPost:6d0bfdf1-8949-46db-b9d9-fccd7dee0553">Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset?</a>:
[QUOTE]My dress was able to be altered down at least five sizes. It depends on the dress. The corset helps give you a lot of leeway.
Posted by Peledreamsofrain[/QUOTE]

Wow !!  5 sizes!!  I'm surprised the boob area was still the boob area. That is normally where the gown loses structure.   If you have to take in the sides TOOO much, you end up with the dress cups up under your elbows.  Or, they have to pull the whole dress apart and remake it from the center out.  Those are normally incredibly pricey alterations.

Peledreamsofrain

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_losing-weight-how-far-can-you-take-in-a-corset?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:8511180b-1110-42ac-a777-573a5658b37aPost:8978a46b-8846-49ab-a94a-c71acf436b05">Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset? : Wow !!  5 sizes!!  I'm surprised the boob area was still the boob area. That is normally where the gown loses structure.   If you have to take in the sides TOOO much, you end up with the dress cups up under your elbows.  Or, they have to pull the whole dress apart and remake it from the center out.  Those are normally incredibly pricey alterations.
Posted by cmgilpin[/QUOTE]

Yeah.... it was pricey, so I'm assuming they had to take it apart and put it back together again.  They did an incredible job though, because it originally had a zipper too and I wanted a corset back!  They made about  300 off of alterations for me, but I was super happy to lose that much weight, and if I had waited, my dress would have been unavailable and discontinued.

Here's a pic.  There was a little wrinkle under the bust, but I didn't mind at all.


<a href="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/2/2/f236ed39-9e55-4d75-b26e-817bd17b93e1.large.jpg" title="Click to view a larger photo" class="PhotoLink"><img style="width:168px;height:244px;" src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/2/2/f236ed39-9e55-4d75-b26e-817bd17b93e1.medium.jpg" alt="" width="160" height="217" /></a>

QueerFemme

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_losing-weight-how-far-can-you-take-in-a-corset?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:8511180b-1110-42ac-a777-573a5658b37aPost:e219cc38-a439-4af4-9b80-b13140951380">Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset? : Yeah.... it was pricey, so I'm assuming they had to take it apart and put it back together again.  They did an incredible job though, because it originally had a zipper too and I wanted a corset back!  They made about  300 off of alterations for me, but I was super happy to lose that much weight, and if I had waited, my dress would have been unavailable and discontinued. Here's a pic.  There was a little wrinkle under the bust, but I didn't mind at all.
Posted by Peledreamsofrain[/QUOTE]

$300 is a STEAL for those types of alterations.  My alterations were $360.00 here in California, and that was just taking in the bust & waist some, a hem and a bustle.   Alterations like you had done would have easily been $600.00 or more out here !

Peledreamsofrain

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_losing-weight-how-far-can-you-take-in-a-corset?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:8511180b-1110-42ac-a777-573a5658b37aPost:9a5912ca-b553-4e49-83a2-39d1e9aa500f">Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re:Losing weight how far can you take in a corset? : $300 is a STEAL for those types of alterations.  My alterations were $360.00 here in California, and that was just taking in the bust & waist some, a hem and a bustle.   Alterations like you had done would have easily been $600.00 or more out here !
Posted by cmgilpin[/QUOTE]

Hahaha, yeah things are much less expensive out here.  That's the trade off for living in the state everyone forgets when they try to remember all 50 :P.

[Deleted User]

Talk to your dress shop to see when is the latest you can order your dress & if necessary how much can the dress you picked be altered without compromising the dress structure? Let that be a guideline for you.

kerbohl

My alterations were quoted at $300, and that was for making a corset back from a zipper, her making a sash for me, and adding trim on the bottom.  So maybe $300 doesn't seem like too small a figure for such alterations . . .
Good luck with your weight loss!  I'm sure your dress will look beautiful!