Lets Discuss... BUSTLES! *

1. Over Bustle; consists several hooks lifting your train off the floor. The hooks are placed along the waistline. Perfect for ball gowns!

2. Under Bustle; also known as the French or Victorian bustle. Works fabulously with gowns that have no waistline. Gown is lifted from bottom area. (more secure)

3. Austrian Bustle; creates a casing down the back (not as common as the top two mentioned)

Kinda cool looking!

The American Bustle (fall into the same category as over bustle)

I am getting an over bustle.

The Double Bustle (I may be mistaken but I believe this would fall under category #2)

Oh thanks, that's helpful I need to add a bustle to my dress, mine is a mermaid style with a tafetta base but a lace layer on top and the lace layer is a bit longer to show off it's sculpted edges. I'm sure the seamstress aka my Mum will know how to do it but I can't picture how it will work.

@Julie, the french bustle would be perfect to show off the detailing of the dress! Here's something that may be similar?

That's good stuff!

For my dress I really like the ballroom bustle which is the one that looks like there was never a train but I really like this picture that I found of someone with my dress and the bustle they have

1st pic the back of my dress

2nd pic ballroom bustle

3rd pic girl with my dress and different bustle, anyone know which one this is? I'm thinking under bustle

@Tach: That's the French bustle (under) This is what it would look like on a ballgown:

Thanks Kimi! I am loving the Austrian bustle. I can just imagine it with the buttons that go all the way down my train.

Kimi, I love you! I have to get my dress bustled and had no idea what I wanted. This helps! I'm leaning toward the over or the double

Oh awesome! I'm glad I could help :o) It was really overwhelming when she started pinning the dress up all different ways... I had no idea what I wanted & hated everything we tried. I ended up sleeping on it and then emailed my steamstress first thing in the morning with a new idea. Looks like we'll make the final decision at the next appointment!

Here's a Victorian Bustle (under) Works well with ball gowns

My dress has a loooong train and a dropped waist. I'm doing either the French or Victorian bustle. Love these pics!

When the salesperson demonstrated the different bustle types on my dress, the French and Victorian bustles were more flattering, if that's possible. They kind of gave the booty a good shape.

Ya @ Ellen I love the Austrian too, so different, wish I could do it but I don't think it would work on a mermaid! Thanks for the pics of the lacey mermaid bustle @Kimi, it helps seeing a picture of it!

I think that for long ball gowns the french looks quite gorg!! I am probably doing an over bustle too on the dress but I have an alterations appointment coming up so I should let her choose which looks best I suppose... I mean my butt is huge before bustle so after HOLY cow! =\

@Melissa, if you go in with pictures or at least an idea in your head of what you'd like the seamstress can pin it back and you can see multiple examples! I spent probably 20mins standing there looking at different ways to do it.

With the french bustle they can lift the dress higher & lower. With lace detail I always think lower looks better. High is pretty if you had a double bustle, but I suppose it all depends on what the back of your dress looks like too! ;o)

It's difficult finding examples of the Austrian bustle but found one more!

Oh thanks Kimi! Very helpful as I'll be going in soon for fittings and I had no idea what I wanted.