Dress alterations/completely changing the shape of your dress

I would have told you it's not possible to go from a fit and flare to an a-line. You could easily do it the other way around. I would be worried about having to take in the top of the dress three sizes though. That's a lot of altering and the top of your dress may not look exactly the same when it's done. When I worked in bridal and had brides who had gotten the weight loss surgery and would easily be 3 or 4 sizes smaller come the wedding day I always advised ordering smaller so she would have less alterations. A size 12 gown is not made to fit the proportions of someone who is a size 6, so altering it down, while possible, can change the look of the dress and the way it sits on your body. Also you're not going to get a full aline from a fit and flare. Just some things to consider.

You will most likely. Be paying in alterations for what a new dress will cost or close since she is pretty much remaking the dress. Plus like said above the dress will look different.

That’s tricky. The dress you fell in love with is a fit ‘n flare. So my concern is whether you’ll still like it as an A-line once everything’s done (and whether that type of alteration is even going to work well). I wonder if you can find a similar dress that’s already A-line and save yourself the stress.

I would not try to change the silhouette of a dress! You will likely pay out the nose and not get the look you want. Please find an A-line you like.

I feel like if you have to completely change the entire silhouette of a dress to make it what you want, it's probably not the dress for you. I'd either keep looking or I'd embrace the dress as the fit and flare it is. If you fell in love with it, it must have looked great on you, so why do you feel like you need an A-line?

This. I wonder why you think you can't wear a fit & flare? From your pic I can see you have an awesome body type. You are gorgeous! (Meant in a totally non-creepy way!) There are no dresses for this body type and that body type, IMO.

Can you find someone who would be able to see a new dress? Using the top of the gown you love with an a line bottom?

I had alterations done on my sheath for it to be more of a mermaid style. It cost approximately 510$ to do. Honestly. I think you should keep looking. I don’t understand how you found the one but it’s in a totally different style.

I agree with the majority the cost will be very expensive. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I honestly know that the dress will not look the same after altering it. I use to make me and my sister dresses all the time and I know for a fact that you will be getting a totally different dress back.

I am sure the fit n flare looked great on you I’d you feel in love with it. So what change it? You are going to be paying close to it even more in alteration costs as you paid for the dress so you are doubling your budget! That bridal salon did not give you great advice in my opinion

Thank you so much for the advice ladies! Unfortunately, finding a dress similar to it is not an option. It is an insanely unique dress. I am not going for anything in the white family. It is a multi tone dress with unique intricate lace overlay. The seamstress and I have looked high and low for this lace and cannot find it anywhere. The bridal boutique even contacted the designer overseas to see if we could purchase the lace from them... but it was a no go 😢 I have narrow hips and I tend to carry all my weight in my stomach area (ugh!) so I need the dress to be less snug on the tummy. The seamstress seems confident that if the dress fits the way I would like it to in the tummy area, we could just re-cut the hips to bring them in a bit and create more of an A-line shape. It would be more of a modified A line, rather than a “true A-line”. Main goal is just to get the fabric to float away from my tummy, rather than cling to it. To be honest, it is not the shape of the dress that I am in love with, it is just the unique lace. We are still trying to hunt down this lace, or something very similar to it. But, if we are unsuccessful, I am definitely going to move forward with attempting the alterations. I was just hoping that somebody else had attempted these alterations as well and could show me how their’s turned out! I couldn’t find any stories from brides online who had done this either, so maybe I am crazy!! LOL

Do you have a picture of the dress? Just curious if I might know of an A-line with similar lace because I’ve seen hundreds of wedding dresses! Also have you tried on A-lines to make sure you like how you look in them? I also thought I’d want a ball gown or A-line so that I didn’t have to worry about my stomach and found I actually looked better in fitted dresses and bigger in A-lines

View Quoted Comment Hi Rachel! I am attaching a photo of the dress. Any help on finding this lace on an A-line would be soooooo amazing!!!! I actually do like a fit and flare on me... aside from the dreaded tummy area. I literally look pregnant in them LOL And I want to be comfortable on my wedding day- no spanx or trying to suck at it all day!

View Quoted Comment Wow, what a stunning dress! I wonder if anyone on Etsy would have similar lace?

View Quoted Comment Have you looked into getting one made for you? It may be less money? Plus what if it does not work out? You will be out the money for the dress plus about 1000 for alterations and having to buy a new dress. If you have the money go for it.

So I carry my weight in my tummy as well. I got a fit and flare that has a corset inside, and it sucks in the tummy. The back has buttons, so you don't actually see the corset. That may be another option to consider as well. That is a stunning dress!

View Quoted Comment Try looking for a corset to help smooth out the area first and see what you think! I think this dress is so amazing as a fit and flare and you’ll lose some of the drama is you make it A-line!

View Quoted Comment I would absolutely be up for getting a dress made for me! The problem is the lace. We cannot find this lace anywhere 😩

View Quoted Comment We have scoured through Etsy for hours and have not found a lace like this one. The seamstress I spoke to has lots of vendors she works with and has tried to find a similar lace through them also, all to no avail

View Quoted Comment Well, to complicate things even further, a corset is also not an option for the dress as it is backless. I swear, I found the most impossible dress to alter/duplicate. Figures! LOL