Bustle?

Written by sparkle-magpie » January 12th, 2012, 1:11 pm:Did you bustle your gown? What do you think someone should know before they have a bustle added to a gown?

I'm liking the fit of a fit and flare gown, but it is too long to dance comfortably in. Are there other gowns in a similar cut that would bustle better?

I am getting a bustle added to my gown because it has a train and doesn't seem practical for dancing in! as far as how the bustle looks...I am not too concerned since it is the back of the dress.

Written by sparkle-magpie » January 12th, 2012, 1:11 pm:Did you bustle your gown? What do you think someone should know before they have a bustle added to a gown?

I'm liking the fit of a fit and flare gown, but it is too long to dance comfortably in. Are there other gowns in a similar cut that would bustle better?

Yes, I bustled my gown because I had a train. It was a 3-point french bustle and very easy for my bridesmaids to take care of between pictures and the beginning of the reception.

Fit and Flare gowns can bustle beautifully...generally the seamstress will gather up the train with the bustling points right where the gown flares. See the various bustles on the La Sposa Fanal thread for some examples.

Fit and flare's can have beautiful bustles. You will just need a french bustle. You may need more than one point, depending on how wide your train is.

I think when trying on dresses, you should ask what the bustle might look like. Some dresses bustle FAR prettier than others.

I did bustle mine. I had a lace overlay gown that worked much better with an American Bustle than a French Bustle, but if your dress works with the style I much prefer a French Bustle.

I had a bustle, 3 point french like the other ladies here. It worked lovely with my gown since I had a "balloon" train to begin with, so it was in keeping with the overall style of the bottom of my gown. It was very simple for my maid of honor to do for me - the seamstress used 3 different color strings, so each bustle point was color-coded and there was no confusion. A guest at our wedding, while watching her do the bustle, even commented on how clever it was to have color-coded strings and how easy it looked.

I had a fit and flare gown and did a 5 point French bustle. These pictures aren't the best because my husband did the bustle and didn't quite tie everything up as well as he should have, but you get the idea. I highly recommend using a combination of ties and hooks for a French bustle. Mine only had ribbon ties and they loosened over the night and the train of my gown got stepped on a lot.

Anyway, hope this gives you an idea of what things can look like. I feel like the French bustle helped maintain the flared shape on the bottom. An American bustle would definitely not have worked as well.

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Are there other options besides ribbons? I've seen buttons with stretchy elastic loops- could those be used instead? I'm an enthusiastic dancer and would hate to have people stepping on my dress all night...?

Written by sparkle-magpie » January 13th, 2012, 12:10 pm:Are there other options besides ribbons? I've seen buttons with stretchy elastic loops- could those be used instead? I'm an enthusiastic dancer and would hate to have people stepping on my dress all night...?

maybe ask your seamstress?

Written by sparkle-magpie » January 13th, 2012, 12:10 pm:Are there other options besides ribbons? I've seen buttons with stretchy elastic loops- could those be used instead? I'm an enthusiastic dancer and would hate to have people stepping on my dress all night...?

I would use a hook and eye and bring along a small pair of needle nose pliers (have a bridesmaid hold onto them for you) and pinch the hooks shut after you're bustled.

This is what the mechanical engineer in me thinks is best and what I wish I had asked my seamstress to do.

If your seamsterss is stubborn and wants to use ribbons instead, bring along safety pins. I would say fairly decent sized. Have whoever bustles you put one (or two!) through the knot of each tie. That should prevent slipping as well. But the hook pinched shut once the dress is bustled is my first choice.

I am an INCREDIBLY enthusiastic dancer and my 3-point french just had grosgrain ribbon ties. That being said, the fabric of my gown wasn't very heavy, but my bridesmaids also triple-knotted each tie so that there was absolutely no slack in the ribbons at all: the knots were directly up against where the ribbons were stitched into the dress.

I dug out my dress and took a picture of the knots for you. And it's definitely possible to un-knot and then re-knot them, as after the wedding I was able to take down the bustle for dry-cleaning, and then re-bustle it for my local reception and post-wedding pictures/trash the dress session.

The knot:


My bustle (done the 2nd time):


If your dress fabric is heavy or you're very skeptical about it being held up by ties, I second Claritek's idea of the hook and eyes. My girlfriend had a 1-point American bustle that was held up by a button and elastic loop and it broke before the dancing even started. Thank goodness she had a corset back because they were able to maneuver one of the ties through the elastic loop and hold it up that way, but it was a pain!

Written by vc10um » January 14th, 2012, 11:02 am:I am an INCREDIBLY enthusiastic dancer and my 3-point french just had grosgrain ribbon ties. That being said, the fabric of my gown wasn't very heavy, but my bridesmaids also triple-knotted each tie so that there was absolutely no slack in the ribbons at all: the knots were directly up against where the ribbons were stitched into the dress.

I dug out my dress and took a picture of the knots for you. And it's definitely possible to un-knot and then re-knot them, as after the wedding I was able to take down the bustle for dry-cleaning, and then re-bustle it for my local reception and post-wedding pictures/trash the dress session.

The knot:

0114121151.jpg

My bustle (done the 2nd time):

Shumate076.jpg

If your dress fabric is heavy or you're very skeptical about it being held up by ties, I second Claritek's idea of the hook and eyes. My girlfriend had a 1-point American bustle that was held up by a button and elastic loop and it broke before the dancing even started. Thank goodness she had a corset back because they were able to maneuver one of the ties through the elastic loop and hold it up that way, but it was a pain!

Oh yes! Grosgrain ribbon will definitely be less slippery than the satin my seamstress used. This is also a great idea.

i had a three point french bustle. my seamstress put it in w/buttons and ties. i realized it was wonky after getting it back home. (i went to my alterations appointments alone.) so my aunt tried to help it out the night before the wedding and did the best should could with what we had. but i had one point that just would not hold. ended up safety pinning that point pretty early on in the reception.

so, my suggestion: lots of safety pins in the bridal emergency kit

why not ask for customized dress? you can make special requirements such as length for it. why not?

I have seen buttons and loops, as well as the ribbons.

Regardless of what you do, I would also put safety pins at the ties, just in case. Bustles break often.

Will your dress have any kind of overskirt? When my mother made my mermaid styled dress, she created a bustle in two parts. The underskirt of stain fabric was brought up and secured at the back zipper area in one point. She then added two strong hook and eye closures to the dress on the beaded lace overskirt and those attached at the waist belt area. It was a really pretty look and not one that I have seen often for bustling this type of dress. I brought safety pins with me to the reception, and needed to use them to adjust the hem upwards just a bit for dancing when I stepped on my own hem and crunched some beads. The pictures below show the dress train before and after bustling.

I was OBSESSED with my bustle! I wore the Melissa Sweet Mila gown, and the seamstress at my bridal salon was a genius, and she gave my dress the coolest bustle I have ever seen.

I loved it so much I made a thread for it:
http://www.pricescope.com/forum/bride-world-wide-grooms-grooves/look-at-this-bustle-or-my-dress-fitting-went-so-well-t88211.html

My bustle tied with silk ribbons, but they all stayed tied all day long. My seamstress numbered each pair of ribbons, and then my sister practiced tying them during my final fitting. I think there were 17 pairs in all.

I think a good bustle can really add a lot to a dress. My dress had a bit of whimsy to it before the bustle, and then the bustle ratcheted the whimsy all the way up. Just the way I like my whimsy.