Bustles. Need Pics. Seamstress being lazy?

Everytime I go into her little shop. People coming in and out. Every day of the week I've ever been in there. I've seen brides go in there as well. I went for my last fitting this past Friday. I went in to make sure the sticky cups I bought worked well with the dress and to make sure the dress zips up with these cups on (I had some trouble some months back where the dress wouldn't zip with a bra on - I've since lost some weight and everything zips, even with the sticky cups added in). I try the dress on. Everything works out fine. So, I put the dress back in the bag and proceed to finalize a few things with the seamstress about timelines, when I will pick the dress up, and discuss the bustle. She said to me she already put the bustle in. It is a one point bustle. There was a hook showing in the middle of my dress. I told her I didn't like the hook. She said she could fasten one of the crystal buttons tighter, take the hook off, and fasten the bustle to a crystal button. I said I liked that idea better. I went home, and couldn't get the thought out of my head that the way it is bustled now looks sloppy on the bottom two sides of the dress, it is just kind of hanging and does no justice to the beautiful detail on the bottom of that dress. I called her back, and she said she could make it a 3 point in time for my wedding 10/17. Great. So, I need to go back into her today ... but now I am worried about her "hooks" ... my MOH said she went to a wedding over the wknd and had to help her cousin, the bride with her bustle and she had clear buttons for hooks on her bustle. Why is my seamstress using hooks? Are hooks more stable? In any event, I have to go in today and get this sorted out. My confidence is getting low with the seamstress. Any advice? Are most wedding dresses bustled with those hooks? I would much prefer clear buttons.

Mine had clear buttons, and two popped as soon as my husband stepped on my dress (twice). Even with it bustled, people will probably end up stepping on your hem, so I would go with whatever is strongest!

Mmmm ... annakay511 I think that is why she is using hooks, she just wants it to be stable for me. I've heard of that happening a lot. The only time I feel the hooks would be visible is when I'm walking down the aisle, other than that the dress will be bustled, and surely, the hooks won't show in pictures. Interesting to hear other's opinions on hooks or clear buttons. I probably should have entitled my post something along those lines.

My seamstress sewed ties underneath my dress - a total of 9. Much sturdier than hooks or buttons. It took quite awhile to get all of the ties done, but once it was bustled it was very secure. And.... since it was all under the dress, nothing showed.

ETA: I know I live in a cheap area, but my total alterations bill was somewhere between $350 and $400 and in addition to the bustle I had a tiny bit taken off the hem and both sides of my dress spit open and pulled in.

@Jess ... I am curious to know if your bustle was a French bustle? It has been determined by 2 shops that my dress wouldn't look right bustled under the French style.

As a Alts CSR, I'll tell you what we use; super strong bustle thread and clear buttons (unless a bride has another preference, such as a pearl button). I have never heard of a hook being used, and the type of bustle she is attempting on your dress is called an American bustle

I guess it was a French bustle? The ties did pull it up and under. My skirt was fluffy so you wouldn't be able to tell how it was pulled up looking at it. These are just pictures from Google... the first shows the train that my dress had and the second is what it looked like bustled.

I'm a little confused as to why they'd say your dress wouldn't work with a French bustle... I think they usually look nicer. Sometimes they look like a bubble butt, but I think they look less random, if that makes sense. Here's a good example of a nice one.

French bustles don't work with every dress. Sometimes only one type of bustle will work with it, other times all will work. Without seeing the dress RHN, I couldn't tell you which one would look best with your dress. But if you're looking for something that's cost effective, an American bustle is the one you would want

@ Jess, 1st of all, you were a beautiful bride! That dress!! Like April commented, (I do love the French bustle) the French bustle didn't do my dress any justice in showing off the detail on the bottom of the dress, so therefore, two different shops said a French wouldn't be the way to go for this particular dress ... and yes, it is the American bustle, but I am wondering why the seamstress put a "hook" in the back of my dress when I have buttons going all the way down for one thing, and secondly, she only made one point. UGH it is just the way the wedding planning has been going for me all year ... can a bride just get the right bustle, geesh. Now I know why brides turn into bridezillas! LOL ... seriously. Now, I am considering pulling my dress from this woman and taking it to where my MOH originally suggested. I thought my seamstress was good, she is close by, I've been using her for 15 years. She has always done a great job.