I've read so many discouraging posts on this so I needed to get this out there for others who were in the same boat as me. In August I purchased a dress that I LOVEEEED. I loved everything about it. I would say it's more of a sheath-style. But later on, I started having some regret and wishing I'd gone more mermaid. So I started searching online forums and sites all over the internet to see if altering a sheath to a mermaid is possible and was totally discouraged. Sooooo many sites and forums said things like "if it's your dream dress than why isn't it the shape you want? just buy a mermaid dress.," etc. I was really frustrated. Then I took it upon myself to try two different petticoats underneath my dress, which gave it a total mermaid shape. I ended up deciding not to wear a petticoat but had my seamstress take the dress in behind the knee to give it more of the shape I was looking for. And now I love my dress even more. I will post pictures after my final dress fitting of the before and after so people can see what I'm talking about. But I wanted to post this for others in case they are discouraged looking through wedding forums on the internet that are all negative and saying you can't alter an A-line or a sheath dress to be mermaid----because it definitely is doable.