Measuring for A Wedding Gown
Once you’ve found the dress you want to purchase, you will need to select the best size to order, based on your measurements.
Most bridal shops will take your measurements and determine which size of dress to order for you. Some brides complain about their bridal shop ordering a gown that was obviously too large for them and then charging for expensive alterations. To avoid this problem, you may want to check your own measurements, then ask to see the manufacturer's size chart for the dress before your order is placed.
Taking correct measurements is very important. If you are buying a dress online, you may want to ask a friend or professional seamstress to take your measurements. Take each measurement twice for accuracy. It's recommended that you have your measurements taken at around the same of time of the month as your planning your special event.
Most formal wear is sized differently than your regular clothing, so don't guess at your size based on what you wear in regular clothing. Alterations may need to be done by a professional seamstress to give you a perfectly tailored fit, regardless of whether you purchase a dress online, or from a traditional formal wear store.
You or your bridal shop should order the dress size that best matches your largest measurement (either your bust, waist, or hip), then plan to have the dress altered, if needed. The only exception is for ballgown, or full A-line style gowns, for which the bust and waist measurements are more important than the hip measurement.
You should also be aware that most dress manufacturers allow for "production tolerance", so measurements may vary plus or minus 1 to 2 inches from the size chart provided with a dress or gown.
How to Take Your Own Measurements
BUST: measure around the fullest part of your bust, while wearing a bra style that you will wear with the dress. This measurement is NOT the same as your bra size.
WAIST: measure around your waist about 1 to 2 inches above your belly button. Do not take your waist measurement over clothing.
HIP: measure around the fullest part of your hips, about 6 to 7 inches below your belly button. Do not take your hip measurement over clothing.
Fitting Tips:
1. Adjustable, corset or lace-up back dresses are an excellent choice if you're between sizes. A removeable insert can easily be added or modified beneath the lace-up back, if needed.
2. Bust and waist measurements are more important than hip measurements for very full A-line, or ball gown style dresses. This style is a good choice to minimize alteration costs if your bust, waist, and hip measurements are very far apart on the size chart.
3. It's much easier to alter a gown to fit smaller than it is to make it fit larger.
4. Most online dress retailers depend on the sizing information supplied by the customer for their order, and will not suggest or choose a specific size for the customer to order. In these situations, it's best to order the size that matches your largest measurement and plan for alterations after you've received your dress.
Why Shop Online? Shopping online at Paradise Style Group is secure, convenient and affordable. Our size charts are easy to use and we're one of the few formal wear retailers to offer a return policy on almost every dress we sell. We want you to love your dress! Our special occasion dresses are the same style and quality as gowns sold in bridal shops across the country, with one big difference - our dresses cost less! Selection, quality and low prices make our online store the perfect destination if you're shopping for special occasion dresses or accessories.
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