Wedding dress alterations: what can be changed and what largely stays as it is

Most alterations are only decided once the dress is on you, standing up, in the shoes you will actually wear. On the hanger, a dress tells you very little about how it will move as you walk or sit at the table. So before you draw up any list of changes, it helps to understand what each one means for the dress’s construction and how it affects the rest of the gown.

The most common alterations

Some alterations are close to routine, although every dress has its own particularities.

Length. Shortening a plain, single-layer skirt is usually a straightforward job. It becomes more involved when the hem is edged with lace or appliqués, because the motifs have to be kept or repositioned. It is also more complex on skirts with several layers, chiffon over taffeta for instance, where each layer is hemmed separately so that it falls properly alongside the others. The length is set with the shoes (or at least the heel height) you will wear at the ceremony, not with whatever you happen to have on the day of the fitting.

Straps and the shoulders. Fine straps can be shortened or lengthened, and their position adjusted so they neither slip nor dig in. Raise your arms, roll your shoulders gently back, then move as if you were hugging someone. If the dress shifts or pulls, tell the seamstress exactly which movement causes it.

The waist and side seams. Taking a dress in is generally easier than letting it out, because you are removing fabric rather than trying to find more. It is worth watching what happens elsewhere, though: if the waist is moved or taken in, does the skirt still fall the same way? Do the details on the front remain symmetrical?

The train and how it is bustled. If the dress has a train, you will discuss how to lift it for dancing, so you are not holding it in your hand all evening. The solution depends on the weight and length of the train, so it is something you work out at the fitting, not from a general rule.

Why letting out and taking in don’t work equally both ways

A dress has a small reserve of fabric within its seams, known as the seam allowance. How generous it is varies from one design to another and cannot be seen from the outside. If you need more room, the atelier can only use what has been left inside. If you need less, fabric is taken out, and the dress usually keeps its proportions more easily.

The size of the difference matters too. A few centimetres at the sides is quite different from a full change of size, where the bust, waist and hips all move at once, and the neckline, waistline and the placement of lace or embroidery can shift in relation to your body. A substantial alteration does not automatically mean a weaker result, but it does mean more work and, often, more fittings.

If you are between two sizes, raise it from the start, before you fall for a particular dress. For more on how a ready-to-wear dress compares with one made to your measurements, see our article on ready-to-wear versus made-to-measure wedding dresses.

What limits an alteration

A few elements make an alteration more delicate, though not necessarily impossible. That is precisely why it is worth recognising them at the fitting.

• Embroidery and motif lace. If a seam is cut or moved, the pattern can be interrupted. Sometimes the motifs can be remade or repositioned by hand, but the work depends on how the embroidery is constructed. We have written about this at greater length in our article on hand embroidery and what changes with alterations.
• The corset. If there is a structure beneath the fabric supporting the bust, any change in that area affects the support, not just the size. For what a corset supports and what it pulls in, see our guide to the corset.
• Fabrics that keep needle marks. With some fabrics, such as taffeta or satin, an unpicked seam can leave small marks. For this reason, the atelier plans any unpicking and re-stitching with great care.
• Changing the silhouette. Turning an A-line dress into a very fitted one is no longer an alteration but a new dress. The line of a cut largely remains the one it was designed with.
• The neckline and back. Moving them changes how the dress sits on the shoulders and how it is supported. These are assessed case by case.

What an alterations fitting looks like

Bring the shoes you intend to wear and, if you can, the lingerie you have chosen for the wedding day. A difference of a few centimetres in heel height, or the shape of a corset, changes the way the dress hangs.

Then don’t stand still. Take a few steps, sit down, raise your arms, turn as you would in a slow dance, and ask someone to look at the back as well. Say what bothers you, even if it seems a small detail: a strap that digs in, a neckline that gapes when you lean forward, a skirt that catches on your heel.

The useful questions for the seamstress are simple:

1. What can be altered on this dress, and what would be riskier?
2. What happens to the embroidery, lace or layers in the area being altered?
3. How many fittings will be needed, given what we have agreed?
4. What should I change between fittings, such as shoes, lingerie or accessories?

How long the work takes depends on the number and type of alterations: shortening a simple hem is quite different from reworking the bodice. Ask for an estimate for your dress from the outset and put it in your calendar with time to spare, not at the last minute.

What to know before you choose

If you have a dress in mind, ask at your very first appointment what alterations it would need on your body, not just how it looks on the mannequin. Sometimes the answer is that the dress suits you with a little shortening and a small adjustment to the straps. At other times, it is worth looking at a different cut or a made-to-measure version.

How we approach wedding dress alterations depends on each individual dress, so the best place to start is a conversation with the dress in front of us. If you would like to have it at the Alice Design atelier at Calea Moșilor 100, you can book through our appointments page or by phone. Bring your shoes, someone whose opinion you trust, and your questions.