Has anyone had a dress with scratchy lace?

The fabric is the fabric. Alterations can change the fit and size, but changing the fabric is creating a whole new dress. If you felt the dress was stiff and lace scratchy, I would just find another dress. If it's uncomfortable when standing in for 5 minutes, you will be miserable on your wedding day.

While it likely is cheap poly or acetate lace, and actual cap sleeves are replaceable, where your arms rub against the gown may get sore after a while.
Sometimes though it is what is called sizing. Similar to spray starch or perma-press coating, most gowns ate sprayed with a che.ical with either a small amount of ammonia or formaldehyde , and a bleach agent that keeps the dress from discoloring, and all og which discourages wrinkle in shipping ( and also bugs/pests.) Sometimes too much is put on, and some people are very sensitive. It can cause rashes, or make them congested or tear up. Sometimes when large shipments of new fabic comes into stores, wow. I would walk around tearing up . My niece tried several BEHOLDEN dresses that were fine. But tried one, Lourdes, looked so soft and pretty, but it scratched like plastic sequins do. Or like the clear thread that they sew labels on that simply has very hard sharp edges on the wire like thread.
All were scratchy . the entire lace dress. She did not buy it, bought another. The cheaper the synthetic lace, the harder edged it is. I wouldn't buy it. She got another BHLDN dress, but Lourdes lace and a couple taffetas the dresses looked nice but felt awful.

To fix scratchy lace would require reconstruction of an entire dress depending on where and how much the fabric bothers you. If it is remotely stiff or you are uncomfortable for just a minute in the dress, your best bet is to wear something else entirely.


For example, I was reading dress reviews recently on Reddit and they said the worst contenders overall for the scratchy lace and general uncomfortable design were Azazie (wedding dresses, not the bridesmaid) and the high end department store wedding dresses. While places like Cocomelody and the longtime big names (Dessy, Watters, etc) were soft fluid construction that you could wear more than an hour.

Did you already purchase the dress?

View Quoted Comment This is definitely what I was thinking—just so tough when everyone is telling me it looked the best! It’s also on a super sale for Black Friday, & spending less is obviously appealing. Thank you!

View Quoted Comment That’s a great point about under the arms. I tried on another dress from the same designer (the BHLDN house brand) & it felt VERY cheap, so it’s possible the same is affecting the lace/construction/design with this one!

View Quoted Comment There are so many dresses that fully redoing even just the sleeves seems unnecessarily!


Thank you—you’re insights about reviews is helpful!

View Quoted Comment I haven’t! It was my first time trying on dresses & I ended up with a top two: the lace one & a more classic style. The lace one is now on Black Friday sale, & not overspending on a dress is appealing, so I’m getting some pressure since my mom & wedding party all love this one.

View Quoted Comment You should get a dress you love that you are comfortable in. Take a look at Cocomelody because they have a $10/15 try on at home program and are pretty inexpensive. Keep looking until you find the one you don't want to take off.


Your entourage is not wearing the dress so they don't notice the uncomfortable fabric, but they will love you in anything.