Tea length on shorter women

[So_happy]

Does wearing a tea-length dress (falling to the lower calves) cause a shorter (5''0 - 5''3) woman to appear shorter or taller? OR does it not matter as long as heels are worn?

 

[JulieN]

shorter

 

[monarch64]

I definitely think the height of the heel of your shoe has an effect on your overall visual stature, just as the hem length of your dress will. I''m assuming you are a petite gal wanting to wear a tea length dress? If so, I would certainly choose a higher heel to wear with your gown. A lot of other factors besides height go into whether you look "tall" or "slender" or whatever the look you are trying to achieve as far as bridal gowns go, though. A bulky fabric/lace can make you look shorter...a strapless vs. halter or other neckline can make you look shorter...etc.

If you are a petite bride, and wanting to wear a strapless, tea length dress, I would say to opt for a less-embellished dress (as far as the hemline--if you want embellishments you should look for those dresses which have emb. above the hip, not below), smoother texture all around (don''t go for a lacy hemline, again focus on the top half), and wear the highest heel you feel comfortable walking in.

I LOVE tea length/knee length dresses! Some of the most beautiful brides I''ve seen in the past few years have worn little strapless a-line tea-length or knee-length dresses...so stylish, and soooo elegant. Love them. Good luck in your dress search!

 

[So_happy]

Date: 2/11/2007 3:06:14 AM
Author: monarch64
I definitely think the height of the heel of your shoe has an effect on your overall visual stature, just as the hem length of your dress will. I''m assuming you are a petite gal wanting to wear a tea length dress? If so, I would certainly choose a higher heel to wear with your gown. A lot of other factors besides height go into whether you look ''tall'' or ''slender'' or whatever the look you are trying to achieve as far as bridal gowns go, though. A bulky fabric/lace can make you look shorter...a strapless vs. halter or other neckline can make you look shorter...etc.

If you are a petite bride, and wanting to wear a strapless, tea length dress, I would say to opt for a less-embellished dress (as far as the hemline--if you want embellishments you should look for those dresses which have emb. above the hip, not below), smoother texture all around (don''t go for a lacy hemline, again focus on the top half), and wear the highest heel you feel comfortable walking in.

I LOVE tea length/knee length dresses! Some of the most beautiful brides I''ve seen in the past few years have worn little strapless a-line tea-length or knee-length dresses...so stylish, and soooo elegant. Love them. Good luck in your dress search!

I should have been more specific. This is a bridesmaid dress-length question. The skirts are being ordered in full-length because that''s the only length this particluar style comes in (has an organza overlay like my wedding gown) but I want to at least consider having them hemmed to tea length. 3 of my bms are short and the other 2 or 5''7" or so and I wanted to get some ideas from others on what this length might do to thier stature. One shorter bm has said she loves tea lenght because it shows off her teeny little ankles and makes her feel slimmer

 

[laine]

I''m 5''4, and tried on some tea length bridesmaid dresses (mid calf) and they looked awful on me, it was just a really awkward length. A little shorter, like just below the knee looks so much nicer on me.

I recently saw pictures from a wedding, where it looked like some girls shortened their dresses a bit, and some kept them at tea length, and the shorter dresses looked much better to me.

 

[Fancy605]

A good way to solve the issue of length on a tea length dress is to have all of your girls take the dresses AND the shoes they are planning to wear to be altered, and have them get them altered to a certain amount of inces off the floor. That way, it gives the illusion that everyone''s hem matches, but it improves the look of the length for all heights.

 

[cara]

It depends a bit of the short person whether of not tea length works, but I know of a few for which is looks really bad. One in particular though is really short - maybe 5'' - and tea length on her looks like she''s playing dress up in someone else''s clothes. She can do knee length no problem and look proportionate.

 

[So_happy]

Date: 2/11/2007 10:33:39 AM
Author: cara
It depends a bit of the short person whether of not tea length works, but I know of a few for which is looks really bad. One in particular though is really short - maybe 5'' - and tea length on her looks like she''s playing dress up in someone else''s clothes. She can do knee length no problem and look proportionate.

Yeah, I can see this in my head. I''m thinking with heels, tho, that even my 5"2 bm will be 5''5" and then maybe things won''t look quite like you describe. Don''t get me wrong...they can wear any heel height they wish.....but I''m hoping I can at least assume that if a woman is going to be in a wedding and wear any type of dressy dress, that she''ll wear heels?? And these shorter friends of mine routinely wear very high and chunky-style shoes with jeans etc to give them a boost so I don''t see why they wouldn''t with this dress.

I guess what I''m saying is, I really want tea length because I think it just looks lovely.....but to make it look less like they''re playing dress up, I''d love if my shorter women would wear heels

I do not want to dictate what kind of shoes they wear but I do want them to be silver. I''m thinking a wedge heel would be best as the ceremony will be on the most lush green grass you''ve ever seen

......but I digress......if they wear a heel, the tea length should look lovely, no????

 

[havernell]

Date: 2/11/2007 3:57:15 PM
Author: So_happy

Yeah, I can see this in my head. I'm thinking with heels, tho, that even my 5'2 bm will be 5'5' and then maybe things won't look quite like you describe.

A three inch heel may be a bit much (in response to the 5'2" to 5'5" comment). I dont feel comfortable in that high a heel (esp on grass). Ask your bridesmaids if they would feel comfortable with that high a heel.

Overall, I think the best thing to do is to ask your bridesmaids how they feel they look in tea lenght dresses, as each person is different. We can all say one thing, but if your BMs disagree, what we said doesn't help you much.

Also, is this going to cost them a lot in alterations? It just sounds like from your earlier posts, some of them are already kind of upset at you for changing dress options. Are they also going to be upset now that you ordered a long dress but make them pay to shorten them to tea length (when you could have just asked them to buy a tea lenght dress to begin with)? Just things to think about.

 

[So_happy]

Date: 2/11/2007 5:07:42 PM
Author: havernell

Date: 2/11/2007 3:57:15 PM
Author: So_happy

Yeah, I can see this in my head. I''m thinking with heels, tho, that even my 5''2 bm will be 5''5'' and then maybe things won''t look quite like you describe.

A three inch heel may be a bit much (in response to the 5''2'' to 5''5'' comment). I dont feel comfortable in that high a heel (esp on grass). Ask your bridesmaids if they would feel comfortable with that high a heel.

Overall, I think the best thing to do is to ask your bridesmaids how they feel they look in tea lenght dresses, as each person is different. We can all say one thing, but if your BMs disagree, what we said doesn''t help you much.

Also, is this going to cost them a lot in alterations? It just sounds like from your earlier posts, some of them are already kind of upset at you for changing dress options. Are they also going to be upset now that you ordered a long dress but make them pay to shorten them to tea length (when you could have just asked them to buy a tea lenght dress to begin with)? Just things to think about.

I thought about this and is part of the reason I have not already chosen to have tea length. My 3 shorter ladies will have to get the skirt shortened anyway (even if I decide to keep them floor length) so I figured it wasn''t too far off to go to tea length. And I would pay the extra fee, if any, to shorten from floor length to tea length. Also, there wasn''t another length option with Alfred Angelo in the separates options. The only organza skirt is floor length. And if I''ve learned anything, I learned that my group of women do NOT do well with too many options and only start monopolizing the situation when I give too many so I would probably not ask thier opinion on the length at all. They honestly seem to do better with "mandates". Funny...I always thought the converse would be true. Oh well. As long as shortening to tea length doesn''t cost them any extra money, if they are wearing even a kitten heel, I think it would look very nice and may go with that

Since I changed my mind on dresses by the way (3 days ago) all but two bms have gone out shopping and picked a top they actually said they LOVED (not liked....they actually wrote "loved") so the dust has somwhat settled thank goodness

 

[havernell]

Sounds like you are good then. If you love the tea lenght look, go for it!

 

[So_happy]

Date: 2/11/2007 9:20:44 AM
Author: laine
I''m 5''4, and tried on some tea length bridesmaid dresses (mid calf) and they looked awful on me, it was just a really awkward length. A little shorter, like just below the knee looks so much nicer on me.

I recently saw pictures from a wedding, where it looked like some girls shortened their dresses a bit, and some kept them at tea length, and the shorter dresses looked much better to me.

Do you mind me asking if you were wearing heels at the time? I''m working on the theory that heels puts some distance between the hemline and the ground, making the awkwardness somewhat dissapear. But if you were wearing heels and still felt this way, then I will need to reevaluate my theory

 

[tanyak]

I''ve tried on tea-length dresses and didn''t find them very flattering. I''m 5''5'''' and I have thicker-than-normal calves (but no cankles!

). Even with a 2-inch heel (about as tall as I can go), I feel it made me look stumpy - cocktail length is MUCH more flattering on me. My maids wore AA separates, too. We ordered the satin and gorgette skirts (they picked their own) and I think universally it''s a more flattering style.

 

[laine]

Date: 2/11/2007 5:55:43 PM
Author: So_happy

Date: 2/11/2007 9:20:44 AM

Author: laine

I''m 5''4, and tried on some tea length bridesmaid dresses (mid calf) and they looked awful on me, it was just a really awkward length. A little shorter, like just below the knee looks so much nicer on me.

Do you mind me asking if you were wearing heels at the time? I''m working on the theory that heels puts some distance between the hemline and the ground, making the awkwardness somewhat dissapear. But if you were wearing heels and still felt this way, then I will need to reevaluate my theory

I didn''t have heels on at the time, so I can''t say for sure, but I think it has more to do with where it hit me on my calves, and making me look (or feel) sort of stumpy. Heels would probably improve things some, but not solve the issue. Honestly, I think even just a couple inches shorter would have been better, so if you''re having them shortened anyway, you can go a little bit shorter, but still stay well below the knee.

I think your BMs are just going to have to try different lengths and see how they look and feel on each of them. They could either try on a variety of dresses, just to get a feel for length, or when their skirts come in, play around with hiking it up to see what seems best.

 

[laine]

A few more thoughts since I actually looked at the AA webpage:
There is a cocktail length skirt with a chiffon overlay. I''m not sure how different that is from organza, but it might be worth considering. Since dresses and skirts tend to be made for taller women, it might fall closer to tea length on your shorter girls.

Also, my opinions on tea length are based on satin dresses. The more flowy fabric of the organza/chiffon may hang quite differently, possibly changing how the length looks. Really, this just goes back to my thought that you''re really just going to have to try it on the girls.

 

[So_happy]

I think where the horizontal line is created is very important. If it hits where the leg starts to narrow then it has a slimming effect. Conversely, if it hits at a point where your legs have not yet started to narrow, then it certainly would give a "stumpy" effect (lol). But for each woman, this exact point can be very different. I keep thinking that if the skirt is an a-line and made of a flowy material, that that horizontal line, no matter where it hits, is softer and more fluid than say a sheath skirt made of heavy satin. Does that make sense?

 

[tanyak]

Date: 2/11/2007 7:01:25 PM
Author: laine
A few more thoughts since I actually looked at the AA webpage:
There is a cocktail length skirt with a chiffon overlay. I''m not sure how different that is from organza, but it might be worth considering. Since dresses and skirts tend to be made for taller women, it might fall closer to tea length on your shorter girls.

Also, my opinions on tea length are based on satin dresses. The more flowy fabric of the organza/chiffon may hang quite differently, possibly changing how the length looks. Really, this just goes back to my thought that you''re really just going to have to try it on the girls.

This is true. If you look at the picture I posted in the "making my MOH stand out" thread, most of my maids are wearing the satin cocktail length skirts. The one on the left is wearing the chiffon skirt. She''s the tallest at 5''7." No one had their skirt shortened and in retrospect, they might look a little tea-length, but no one has thick legs, so it didn''t look so odd to me. I''m not sure if the fabric made a difference.

 

[So_happy]

Date: 2/11/2007 7:13:43 PM
Author: tanyak

Date: 2/11/2007 7:01:25 PM
Author: laine
A few more thoughts since I actually looked at the AA webpage:
There is a cocktail length skirt with a chiffon overlay. I''m not sure how different that is from organza, but it might be worth considering. Since dresses and skirts tend to be made for taller women, it might fall closer to tea length on your shorter girls.

Also, my opinions on tea length are based on satin dresses. The more flowy fabric of the organza/chiffon may hang quite differently, possibly changing how the length looks. Really, this just goes back to my thought that you''re really just going to have to try it on the girls.

This is true. If you look at the picture I posted in the ''making my MOH stand out'' thread, most of my maids are wearing the satin cocktail length skirts. The one on the left is wearing the chiffon skirt. She''s the tallest at 5''7.'' No one had their skirt shortened and in retrospect, they might look a little tea-length, but no one has thick legs, so it didn''t look so odd to me. I''m not sure if the fabric made a difference.

Tanya~ I couldn''t even tell from the pic which fabric was which....I only saw how happy and colorful you all looked I guess that is the overarching thing to not forget!!! Doesn''t hurt to shoot for perfection tho

 

[ephemery1]

I like the idea of tea-length, but for what it''s worth... I''m 5''5" and average weight (125lbs-ish), and tea-length doesn''t work on me at all. But I''m thinking that has a lot to do with my short legs and abnormally-huge calves... I look much better proportioned in knee-length dresses. Heels definitely do help though!

 

[So_happy]

Date: 2/11/2007 7:42:30 PM
Author: ephemery1
I like the idea of tea-length, but for what it''s worth... I''m 5''5'' and average weight (125lbs-ish), and tea-length doesn''t work on me at all. But I''m thinking that has a lot to do with my short legs and abnormally-huge calves... I look much better proportioned in knee-length dresses. Heels definitely do help though!

You are so right. My 5''2" bm is a size 12 according to Alfred Angelo (just found out yesterday when she tried on bm dresses) but has the teeniest (but compeltely enviable) ankles and calves leading to those liittle ankles. They aren''t strangely small........but very dainty and she often says its her one body part she loves all the time without a doubt But I can''t remember having specific discussions with the others about thier calves and ankles so it''s hard to tell lol. Obviously, she''d look smashing in a tea length and she says it''d help balance out her heaviness. So, I''ll just have to go with some of the others when alteration time rolls around and see if I can sneak a peek and try to make a determination on the spot!!!