The back of a wedding dress: cut-outs, buttons and lacing, as seen at the fitting

At a wedding, the back of the dress is seen far more than you might think: at the altar, as you walk down the aisle, on the stairs, during the first dance and in every photograph taken from behind. Even so, at a fitting we usually look in the mirror in front of us and leave the back to whoever is helping us fasten the dress. It deserves the same attention as the neckline.

Three kinds of back, three different behaviours

Almost every wedding dress back falls into one of these types, and each asks something different of you and of the atelier.

• The cut-out (V-shaped, rounded or open), which leaves the skin bare and moves the support to another part of the dress.
• The row of buttons, which closes the back along its full length or part of it.
• The lacing, which draws the back in gradually, as on a corset.

None of them is ‘better’. What differs is how you get dressed, how much the dress helps you stand tall and how much can be changed after the fitting. Let us take them one at a time.

The cut-out: where the support goes

When the back is cut away, the fabric no longer supports the dress across the full width of the shoulder blades. The weight of the skirt has to be carried by something else: the bodice, the waist, the straps or the shoulders. That is why an open back does not automatically mean a lighter or less supported dress. It means the support has been built somewhere else, and you need to find out where.

At the fitting, check a few simple things:

• Raise your arms above your head, then stretch them forward as if for an embrace. The edge of the cut-out should not lift away from your skin or slide towards the side.
• Ask where the cut-out ends in relation to your bra line or the inner bodice. If the dress has sewn-in cups or a structured bodice, ask to be shown how they are attached.
• Take a few steps, then sit down. A deep V can look lovely when you are standing and shift when you lean over a table.

Among the dresses in the showroom, for example, Love SC43 has, according to its product description, a V-back and a Chantilly lace bodice, and with a dress like this it is worth seeing in person how the line of the V sits on your own back. The catalogue photograph cannot show you that.

Buttons: beautiful, but they call for patience

A row of small buttons with buttonholes or loops down the back is one of the most cherished details in dressmaking. It does, however, have one practical quirk: you cannot fasten it yourself. Someone has to help you, and that someone needs to know what they are doing.

What to look at during the fitting:

1. The spacing between the buttons. If they sit very close together, the back looks refined, but fastening it takes longer on the wedding day. You can ask to try it, so that you get a feel for the time it needs.
2. How the fabric sits between the buttons. If small ripples or gaps appear when you bend, say so. It may be a matter of fastening or of adjustment, but you cannot judge it while standing perfectly still.
3. What happens when you sit down. The buttons and buttonholes work harder then. Notice whether you feel pressure around the waist or whether the dress pulls upwards at the back.

A practical suggestion: if your dress has a long row of buttons, bring the person who will help you on the day (your mother, a friend, a bridesmaid) to the fitting. They will see how it closes, in what order and how long it takes. The atelier photograph shows a back with buttons and pleated tulle; it looks beautiful, which is exactly why it is worth deciding in advance who will fasten it, and how.

Lacing: adjustable, but not a magic formula

Lacing has one advantage that buttons do not: you can tighten or loosen it slightly, within reasonable limits, for instance after a long day or if your measurements change a little before the wedding. It does not, however, replace altering the dress, and it cannot fix a cut that does not fit.

With a laced dress such as Love 306, described in the catalogue as having a hand-embroidered sweetheart corset and a laced back, it is worth finding out at the fitting:

• how far the lacing can be tightened or let out without distorting the bodice;
• whether the dress still sits well when the lacing is a little looser, not only when it is pulled as tight as it will go;
• how it is tied, and who can redo it during the evening if needed.

For more on how a corset supports you and what to check in its structure, we have written in greater detail in our article on the corset of a dress: what it supports and what it pulls in.

The full check, in five movements

Before you decide, make these movements in the dress. Nobody will ask you to, but they tell you more than any glance in the mirror:

1. Walk a few metres and turn suddenly, as if a guest had just caught your eye.
2. Raise both arms, as you would for an embrace or a dance.
3. Sit down on an ordinary chair and stay there for two or three minutes.
4. Lean forward slightly, as if picking something up or kissing someone shorter than you.
5. Ask someone to photograph you from behind on their phone. You will see the lines you cannot see in the mirror.

If something bothers you, say so there and then. Many details can be discussed: the position of a button, the depth of a cut-out, how snugly the bodice fits. What can be changed, and how long it takes, depends on the dress and on each individual alteration, and you will have the answer once the seamstress has seen it on you. For alterations, you can also read about wedding dress tailoring.

What to bring with you

A back can only be judged properly with the right underwear. If the dress has a cut-out, bring the bra or bodice you will actually wear, not your everyday one. If you are considering an open back, say so from the outset, so that you know what support options exist for that particular dress. And if you do not yet have a clear idea, browse the wedding dress collection and note what draws you: the line, the buttons, the bare skin or, on the contrary, a closed back.

When you would like to see all of this on yourself, you can book a fitting and tell us you want to focus on the back. We will look at it together, from every angle.