Dress Sizing Dilema

[ocbride2007]

Ok, I am thinking of ordering my dress next weekend, since they are having a trunk show and it will be 10% off. Problem is, I''m not sure of the size. Here''s the deal. The dress is a slim a-line, and thus must fit tighter around my hips. I have wide hips, and a voluptuous posterior

. I am still slender though, a size 4 or 6 in normal clothing. And I''m not quite pear-shaped - even though I don''t have large breasts my shoulders are slender yet wide enough to balance out my hips.

The thing is, I tried on the sample size, a 10, and it fit perfectly (almost). But I''m planning on shedding 5 lbs or so, and slimming down my waist and legs before the wedding (still a year away!). My plan had been to work out and slim down prior to ordering the dress so that I could be more sure of it''s measurements. And I have been exercising, but it''s been so hot I''ve been really lazy about cardio, and have only focused on strength training. Good news is I have muscles for the first time in my life. Bad news is I''m not actually any smaller yet. But I look better. I may actually have gained a pound from muscle, but I''m not too worried about that. (I''ve been using "Buff Brides" - awesome book.)

So, I would just order a size smaller and be determined to fit into it by the time of the wedding. Problem is, I''m not sure I will actually lose any inches off of my hips!! The bones are just set widely, and I anticipate getting a firmer behind, but likely not slimming it down much. So even if I lost 10 lbs, I can''t guarantee that a smaller size will fit my hips!! On the other hand, they may have to bring in the waist more in the larger size if I order that one!!

I''m thinking that maybe I should just wait - I have plenty of time, and the alterations if I ordered too big would probably cost more than the amount of money I will save on the dress by ordering it during the trunk show (about $65). So what do you think?? I don''t want to end up with a dress that''s too tight around my hips!!

If you go to www.bestbridalblog.com you can see where I posted pics of me in the dress and my dress on the model (a skinny little b**ch if I ever saw one

, pardon my french, but seriously - she''s like a skeleton!!)

 

[FacetFire]

I''ve got to say that you should get it in the size that currently fits you. You can always have it taken in as you get closer...and it would be such a nightmare to find out that it doesn''t fit you as you get crunched for time. Since the 10 fits well now, even if you lost weight, it wouldn''t be hard to take in that much at all. Better not to have the extra stress on top of all that you''ll have to do normally.

 

[Fancy605]

I agree. You should get the size that fits you now. I have a friend who bought hers too small--and, eventhough she lost weight, getting her into it on her wedding day was not fun, and she was uncomfortable all night (though she looked pretty). It sounds like you are shaped like me actually! I am about a 4, but have a tough time finding dresses that fit because of my not so big chest and my j-lo booty. I would have the same worry about it being too tight in the hips. I say go ahead and get the 10 because as Facet said, you can always have it taken in where it needs to be taken in. But you might not be able to let it out. Plus, it''ll probably be MUCH more fun to have to have it taken in because you have just gotten too teeny for it as is than to find your dress is too tight with only a small amount of time to go, right?

 

[E B]

Definitely get the 10. I'm in between an 8 and a 10 in wedding gowns as well (more toward the 10) and though I plan on losing 5 lbs for the wedding, I'd much rather have the gown taken in than having to stress about losing enough for the 8.

ETA: Your dress is gorgeous.

 

[FireGoddess]

Definitely go with something that fits now. It''s true that it is SO much easier to take something in than let it out, and you don''t want that added stress!!

 

[ocbride2007]

Date: 7/7/2006 12:23:54 AM
Author: Fancy605
I agree. You should get the size that fits you now. I have a friend who bought hers too small--and, eventhough she lost weight, getting her into it on her wedding day was not fun, and she was uncomfortable all night (though she looked pretty). It sounds like you are shaped like me actually! I am about a 4, but have a tough time finding dresses that fit because of my not so big chest and my j-lo booty. I would have the same worry about it being too tight in the hips. I say go ahead and get the 10 because as Facet said, you can always have it taken in where it needs to be taken in. But you might not be able to let it out. Plus, it''ll probably be MUCH more fun to have to have it taken in because you have just gotten too teeny for it as is than to find your dress is too tight with only a small amount of time to go, right?

I''m glad I''m not the only one that refers to by backside as my j-lo booty!! hahaha.

I think I will probably go ahead and order the 10... I think another issue is the length (I''m 5''8" and many dresses aren''t long enough for me to wear higher heels) - if it''s bigger, the whole dress will sit lower, thus giving it an extra 1/2 inch or so (and a little deeper v-neck). That way I can wear higher heels - as it is now I think I max out at 2 inches before I need extra length, and all the cute shoes are 3 inches!! (well, so far the ones I like are). I''m trying to figure out if it will really work out to giving me extra length, but by looking at the model wearing it, the v-neck dips much lower and the dress sits lower on her figure, because she is literaly skin and bones. So maybe if it''s a little looser around the hips I can get it tailored to fit, but sit lower. Anyone have experiences with a dress fitting a little longer this way? I''ll have to talk it over with the seamstress next saturday.