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Just Said Yes May 2021

Mom’s Dress Alterations!

Cia, on May 27, 2021 at 12:12 AM Posted in Wedding Attire 0 4
Mom’s Dress Alterations! 1
Mom’s Dress Alterations! 2
I just got engaged and I am looking into altering my Mom’s wedding dress for the big day. Luckily we are almost exactly the same size so nothing needs to be changed there. I am interesting in updating the waistline of the dress to be slightly higher and straight across to match my natural waist. I am also thinking about changing the sleeves to long sleeves. I have no idea if these alterations would be possible without compromising the integrity of the dress. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it!


4 Comments

Latest activity by Amanda, on May 27, 2021 at 10:48 AM
  • H
    Master July 2019
    Hannah ·
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    I would search online (try Yelp or maybe Thumbtack) for a reputable seamstress. They will be able to tell you what can and can't be done.
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  • Rosie
    Master February 2022
    Rosie ·
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    As Hannah says, you'd need to ask a seamstress to be sure, but here are my thoughts -

    I don't think it's structural integrity that will be the problem, but other things.

    If you raise the waist, your skirt might be too short, because you're losing fabric from the mid-section and can't make the skirt longer. You might get lucky and have a bit of extra hem edge with the skirt, but it's unlikely. It depends how it's constructed.

    You could add a panel of fabric or of lace/something to the bottom to hide this, depending on how much you raise the waist, or you could chop it off so it's a ballet/tea length which would at least look intentional.

    Realistically, the sleeves look doable - you'd have to remove the lace details, remove them at the shoulder seams, and then add on new sleeves. The main issue with that is going to be finding material that is even close to matching - it is not easy to match vintage fabrics. You could go for something contrasting, or use a sheer fabric in a similar colour rather than try to match them exactly - if you did this, you could spread out the lace embellishments over, to give the impression they've always been there.

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  • L
    Lady ·
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    I also think just removing the short sleeve to make it sleeveless would be stunning. Agree with pp's that you should consult a seamstress to see what alterations are possible. Raising the waistline would definitely update it, but may not be possible if you dont' want to lose length or add to the bottom.

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  • Amanda
    Devoted May 2022
    Amanda ·
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    I think you could do long sleeves if you removed the current ones and chose a similar new lace. I would ask a seamstress for advice about raising the waistline. I love the idea though, it’s still the same dress, just more modern.
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