Attire & Accessories Forum

help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions

Hey everyone, I'm having trouble even finding a style that will fit my body nicely. I am 5'1 and 111 lbs. I am very petite with some curves and muscles because I am an athlete as well as lift weights. I tried on gowns but I feel like I get lost in all the gowns and they are all very overwhelming on me. I am going to post pics of myself and if you could please give me your opinion as to what style gown would flatter my petite figure. Also, I am a june, 2014 bride. When would be the best time to start really looking/trying on? Thanks for your help :) In the pics, im the one in the striped dress and all the other pics.








Re: help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions

  • loca4pookloca4pook member
    First Comment Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Anniversary
    edited December 2012
    I am about your size and this is the MOST important thing to know when picking one...Make sure they can do "hem to hollow" on the dress . Because of our height, some dresses cannot be shortened because it can ruin the design of the dress. If it has any kinda of  pattern" it is a little trickier because shortening it can change where the design falls on your body...They can't just "take it off at the waist" or the bottom if it has lace at the bottom..(I hope that made sense)..ASK a SEAMSTRESS as I found that sometimes salespeople would just tell me "sure, no problem..your height won't matter"...and they were wrong.


    Both my sister and I both had picked dresses and THEN told "oh, we can't shorten that one normally for you". Hem to hollow can cost you extra, as well..and not all dresses can even be shortened in that way, either


    I would stay away from ball gowns because you will get swallowed up


  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_help-with-wedding-gown-style-please-pics-posted-need-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:6a412147-4290-4b27-92e1-ff909026a6ccPost:e43a0e7d-abce-4504-aecd-e54b7ba2b95b">Re: help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions</a>:
    [QUOTE]I am about your size and this is the MOST important thing to know when picking one...Make sure they can do "hem to hollow" on the dress . Because of our height, some dresses cannot be shortened because it can ruin the design of the dress. If it has any kinda of  pattern" it is a little trickier because shortening it can change where the design falls on your body...They can't just "take it off at the waist" or the bottom if it has lace at the bottom..(I hope that made sense)..ASK a SEAMSTRESS as I found that sometimes salespeople would just tell me "sure, no problem..your height won't matter"...and they were wrong. Both my sister and I both had picked dresses and THEN told "oh, we can't shorten that one normally for you". Hem to hollow can cost you extra, as well..and not all dresses can even be shortened in that way, either I would stay away from ball gowns because you will get swallowed up
    Posted by loca4pook[/QUOTE]

    thanks so much! you were very helpful!
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_help-with-wedding-gown-style-please-pics-posted-need-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:6a412147-4290-4b27-92e1-ff909026a6ccPost:1a1b4ea7-5583-4cb3-806a-6d3111b3cc3b">Re: help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions</a>:
    [QUOTE]Start looking now.  Most wedding gowns must be ordered a minimum of six months in advance.  Designer gowns can take up to a year. The stores have styles for you to try on.  They will then order a gown to be made to your measurements, and shipped to the store.  The gown may need to be altered, at that adds more time to the scale. It IS possible to buy a gown off the rack, or at a sample sale, but I don't recommend it for you for the reasons you cited.  It also limits you in terms of design. A lace sheath would look beautiful on your figure, and make you look taller.
    Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

    great, thanks so much. I figure its never too early to start looking. I have 17 months till the wedding. Thanks for your help!
  • I have a friend who's about 4'8" or 4'9" and she wore a sheath dress with a train.  It was beautiful and looked wonderful on her:D
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Congrats on your engagement! I had the same problem I'm petite and athletic and didn't want to be dwarfed by my dress. I went to bridal shows and shops without even trying anything on because all those dresses are so BIG. I finally found my dress at brides by Demetrios I went to 3 of them in different parts of the country had positive experiences at all of them. It's a simple design, no lace and minimal beading, a reasonable train, and straps. It is fitted all the way to my mid thigh where it flares out, like a fit n flare or trumpet shape. It shows off my form and makes me look a bit taller by accentuating my "slimness." My advice: keep it simple and let your body's shape shine through. You're beautiful! Oh and DEFINITELY do hollowtohem. I did it and it worked out perfectly. It's worth the extra cost for us small girls.
    Love is everything it's cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Just a note -- not all shops order dresses that are made to your measurements.  Most will TAKE your measurements, compare those to a size chart, and order the corresponding size.  If your measurements point to conflicting sizes (say an 8 in the bust but a 12 in the hips), then they will order you the bigger size and alter the dress.  Most dresses are that completely made-to measure are quite expensive.   

    It's very important when you try on dresses to ask about alterations -- if they are possible and how much they will cost.   Hems can be expensive, especially if there is design or detailing on the skirt.  My dress was lace, and my hem cost about $275 because it meant cutting the lace all the way around the (relatively short) train, shortening the dress, then painstakingly sewing the finished lace bottom back onto the dress.    Some dresses can be shortened at the waist if there is detail at the hem, but this can be expensive if there is any beading or design on the bodice.   Just some things to think about:-)


    DSC_9275
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_help-with-wedding-gown-style-please-pics-posted-need-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:6a412147-4290-4b27-92e1-ff909026a6ccPost:d0bed24a-ae66-494e-a048-bd963b565080">Re:help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions</a>:
    [QUOTE]Congrats on your engagement! I had the same problem I'm petite and athletic and didn't want to be dwarfed by my dress. I went to bridal shows and shops without even trying anything on because all those dresses are so BIG. I finally found my dress at brides by Demetrios I went to 3 of them in different parts of the country had positive experiences at all of them. It's a simple design, no lace and minimal beading, a reasonable train, and straps. It is fitted all the way to my mid thigh where it flares out, like a fit n flare or trumpet shape. It shows off my form and makes me look a bit taller by accentuating my "slimness." My advice: keep it simple and let your body's shape shine through. You're beautiful! Oh and DEFINITELY do hollowtohem. I did it and it worked out perfectly. It's worth the extra cost for us small girls.
    Posted by Kacin+Daniel[/QUOTE]

    your dress sounds so beautiful and perfect! thanks so much :) congrats to you too!!!
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_help-with-wedding-gown-style-please-pics-posted-need-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:6a412147-4290-4b27-92e1-ff909026a6ccPost:f5955688-fbaa-49c1-b223-6490ceb5e294">Re: help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions</a>:
    [QUOTE]Just a note -- not all shops order dresses that are made to your measurements.  Most will TAKE your measurements, compare those to a size chart, and order the corresponding size.  If your measurements point to conflicting sizes (say an 8 in the bust but a 12 in the hips), then they will order you the bigger size and alter the dress.  Most dresses are that completely made-to measure are quite expensive.    It's very important when you try on dresses to ask about alterations -- if they are possible and how much they will cost.   Hems can be expensive, especially if there is design or detailing on the skirt.  My dress was lace, and my hem cost about $275 because it meant cutting the lace all the way around the (relatively short) train, shortening the dress, then painstakingly sewing the finished lace bottom back onto the dress.    Some dresses can be shortened at the waist if there is detail at the hem, but this can be expensive if there is any beading or design on the bodice.   Just some things to think about:-)
    Posted by Avion22[/QUOTE]

    Yes, thank you. I know most likely I will not get my dress in my exact size and will need it altered. However I never thought about the design on the dress and that it could cause a problem when it comes to shortening the dress/altering. thanks so much for your help!
  • My sister is petite too (4'11") and just started looking at dresses. She went to David's Bridal, where they have size 0P and it is proportionately fitted. Even with the right size, PPs are right... Some styles looked much better than others. She tried a ball gown with pick ups that was way too much dress, and a drop waist where the "drop" was too long for her torso. Styles with detail at the hem, including trumpet styles that flare out at the bottom, may lose the shape/detail after being shortened. The hollow-to-hem will keep the good stuff. I did it too (and I'm tall) because my dress was hard to shorten. And it worked out perfectly. Good luck and congratulations!!
    image
  • loca4pookloca4pook member
    First Comment Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Anniversary
    edited December 2012
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_help-with-wedding-gown-style-please-pics-posted-need-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:6a412147-4290-4b27-92e1-ff909026a6ccPost:ca9244de-82cd-4011-8f42-7fea38ae3ea1">Re: help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: help with wedding gown style please: pics posted, need opinions : Yes, thank you. I know most likely I will not get my dress in my exact size and will need it altered. However I never thought about the design on the dress and that it could cause a problem when it comes to shortening the dress/altering. thanks so much for your help!
    Posted by julespinkribbon[/QUOTE]

    To give you an example, my dress had lace type designs in the mid part of the dress, the bottom part is also lace. I tried the dress on at one shop and they told me "no problem, we will just take from the waist". when I went to a second shop (due to some stupid issues at the first shop--long story), they explained to me that taking it from the bottom is difficult because it ruins the pretty lace trim. If they took it from the waist, then all the details on the dress would be MOVED UP which could potentially make the dress look funky. They mentioned "hem to hollow" which is something I asked about at the first shop and they ignored that issue..If you take one piece of advice from us, it make sure you ask about "hem to hollow". I know hem to hollow costs money, but I am not sure how much since my wedding shop thru it in as a perk due to some issues I had at store #1


    P.s. More advice. I do think you have TIME for a dress. You might change your mind in styles if you go early...and BEST piece of advice, ONCE YOU FIND YOUR DRESS, do NOT look at other dresses! LOL
  • I am about your size and build and I bought Maggie sottero Mia. It is fit and flare style and they had petite options. You could order it 5 in shorter for an extra 50 buck or 3 in shorter without extra cost. I ordered the 5 in short and they still had to hem it a bit but it was no problem. You are a bit taller than me so that lenghy would probably be perfect. I can't post a pic because I am on mobile.
    image
  • thanks so much ladies!!!! Hem to Hollow is what im really taking away from all of this lol :)
  • thanks so much ladies! every bit of advice helps :)
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