Dress Alterations - to the extreme?

The first dress I contemplated purchasing would have required the same alterations and I was quoted $900 from one place and almost $1200 from another. The dress I was looking at was more intricate than yours though, so maybe it wouldn’t be as much? I would definitely contact a seamstress and see if you can email her pictures of your dress and inspiration pics of what you are wanting. You might also want to contemplate just purchasing a second dress that is fit & flare for the reception. If the alterations are going to be super expensive it might make more sense to just put that money towards a new dress.

Alterations always depend on the structure of the dress. Theres a lot of factors like how its sewn, how many pieces they have to contend with to make changes, how much fabric they'll have to take away so it's not too long, any extra work like adding darts to fit it to you, etc. You would need to take it to a seamstress and let them examine the dress on you to determine the cost. It's probably doable but might not be cheap.

Alterations can sometimes cost more than the gown. I would check with a seamstress to get an accurate estimation

To completely reconstruct a dress will be very expensive due to labor costs. Go on Yelp and look up seamstresses in your area and get quotes. It may be much cheaper to get a new dress if you really do not want the one you have.

That dress is gorgeous!


Ballgowns can’t typically be converted into a fit & flare, totally different construction. You’ll end up paying a fortune and won’t likely enjoy the result. Consider buying a fit & flare in a sample sale, or resale site (like PreOwnedWeddingDresses or StillWhite).

I would start with the seamstress you plan on using to see how much it would cost before you pull the trigger.

That dress is absolutely stunning! You look amazing in it. Just my personal opinion, but I think changing it to a fit and flair would make it lose its character - it’s very classic and elegant the way it is. The sleeves match perfectly with the ball gown. I think they would look a bit off with a fit and flair. Just my two cents 😊

The dress is beautiful and the top is amazing! Yes, you should contact a seamstress to see if they can alter it into a fit and flare. They should be able to because that is taking fabric away/in and not adding more to it. But again, it depends on how much it will cost.

I bought my dress last week and wanted to change the neckline from sweetheart to plunge which will be about $300, plus the hemline which is another $200, and bustle another at least $200. So that would be at least $700 in alterations. I think I'm going back to the idea of buying a second dress so I don't need to make that many alterations.

Thanks all! If the cost is crazy I’m totally ok with keeping it as a ballgown and wearing in the whole night. Just figured I’d get some opinions

I absolutely love that neckline! In fact I’m altering my current neckline similar to that of yours! I LOVED how mine fit but wasn’t crazy about the top. If you talk to your seamstress I’m sure you can get it altered to a more form fitting style if your willing to pay. Mines below 💕 good luck!