how many sizes can you alter a dress?

Barbiiieee · March 2013

While shopping the other day a bridal consultant pulled a dress for me to try on that was over my budget. Of course, I had asked her not was to do that, but I had no idea until I had the dress on and was in love with it that it was over budget.

So, after I leave I go home and try and figure out what valuables I can sell to scrounge up the extra 800. Just kidding, I checked to see if I could find the dress on a preowned site. The only one I could find in the color I wanted is two sizes too small. Now, I've already lost two sizes recently and I plan on continuing my weight loss, but I would hate to bank on that and end up not losing the weight by December. Is it pretty likely I could have the dress let out one to two sizes if I absolutely had to? Am I absolutely crazy to be considering buying a dress too small? Thanks. :

daubachsgirl23 · March 2013

I think letting a dress out two sizes would be difficult. It would depend on how much material is at the seams, and I would be surprised if there would be that much. If the dress has been altered before, there could be even less material at the seams than normal.

Personally, I would keep looking and hope to find the dress in your size or a few sizes bigger.

vanityink · March 2013

Yeah, generally you can go a couple sizes in either direction (depending on the make/fabric and how good your seamstress is) but it's almost always easier to take in a too big dress than let out a too small one. Again, depending on the dress, however, it might be possible to swap out a zippered or buttoned back for a corset back which would be more forgiving (My friend did that with her A-line dress since the back was just a little tight and it didn't matter around her hips with how it flared out)

Barbiiieee · March 2013

I should also clarify that it is still new, unaltered with the tags on it. Most of the dresses I had been trying on were fit and flares, or pretty slim fitting through the hips at least, while this style is more of a ball gown. The other dresses I tried in the size the store suggested I order needed to be clipped in the top so my wide freakin' hips would fit, so I think I might just need the top altered, I just wasn't sure what seam allowances were usually like. I think adding a corset to the back might work, but I'm wondering if that would cost so much I might as well just pay full price, you know?