Re-using mom's wedding dress

I wish I could! My mom's dress is a smidge 80's and I'd wear it in a heartbeat except it's a size 4 and I'm a 12!

I think removing the sleeves and making lacy straps would help 100% with that dress, plus putting a corset back and adding a wide sparkly belt to update the waistline. Are you happy with the overall shape of the dress?

I would definitely want to alter it- maybe change the sleeves to either 3/4 length without the elastic or just make them cap sleeves. I would also want to change the waistline and remove some of the puffy layers- so it would be a dramatic alteration but the heart of the dress would be the same. I'd love to know if anyone else has undergone major alterations!

I wish I could have worn my mom's! My great-grandmother was a sample wedding dress maker so she and my grandmother made my mom's dress. We have pictures from the dress-making process and they are so special! My grandmother had the dress hermetically sealed after my parents got married so I've never seen it in person. She was also a Size 0 and I'm a 14.

You could easily modernize that dress by cutting down the sleeves and adding a belt or something. It looks like you have a lot of fabric to work with so that's good!

My moms dress fits me but it is from the 70s and not what I envisioned for my wedding. We are going to try to take her veil and reuse that!

That dress is beautiful! With moms okay, alter the dress to fit you. Take the sleeves off add a sparkly belt. Beautiful.

Either take off the sleeves completely or if you want long sleeves you could pick a lace that matches and make more fitted sleeves. Maybe a seamstress would be able to make a new skirt out of the bottom of the dress that would sit a bit higher on your waist.

I wanted to wear my mother's dress so bad, but it was stained yellow and wreaked of vinegar (she had it preserved). It would have been a fortune to altar, so I decided to get a new dress.

I want to wear my grandmother's dress (which was later my mother's)...1949 slipper satin. Stunning. Unfortunately I'm not thin as they were. Damn thyroid... Anyway- I would definitely find an alterations shop you like and see what magic they can make if you want to personalize this. I think it's a lovely gesture.

I'm wearing my moms (also my grandmothers!) slipper satin gown. I'm doing some revamp alterations on it.... Putting in a more modern lace back, taking out the shoulder pads, removing the collar.

But any good seamstress would be able to alter it into anything you want while keeping the integrity of the dress

What I see when I look at your dress:

Strapless

Corset back

Boning

Then I'd cut out at least the lace on the bottom, maybe the applique's too.

I'd do the bottom of the dress in tulle, chiffon, georgette, etc... and sew the lace on for trim

You could use the appliques in the veil.

Just some ideas. If you keep the skirt, I'd get a petticoat or something underneath.

As it reloaded after you post... you could even turn it into a flowing empire waisted A-line, with a new skirt and get out of the ballgown if you wanted too

That dress looks like it has endless possibilities! I wish I could have my mom's dress, she isn't very sentimental towards things though and gets rid of things quickly, so definitely didn't last 40 years later.

@TacoCat, I love it! Looks really nice

Love that Taco Cat!!!!

My mom borrowed her sisters dress to wear. It is also super 80s so I wouldn't have worn it anyways. I am using the lace from her bouquet on my bouquet though!

My parents hate each other and never got married so I don't have that option but that dress is very pretty. I think all you need to do to it is get rid of the poofy sleeves.

There was a bride on here a year ago who altered her mom's 80s dress for her wedding. I think she removed the sleeves and made straps, and then took it in. I think she may have gone to a seamstress. Any seamstress could help you, but depending on where you live, may really effect the cost.

That is a beautiful dress!!! I have my dress from a previous marriage still. I wish I could sell it to somebody who'd alter it and wear it!

I've seen some transformations that worked well, good luck!

@TacoCat - yes!!!!! That is perfect!!

Where I live, there's a small business that specializes in reworking gowns like this. Check around Tacoma and see if there's something similar there. The company here displayed at a bridal fair and the before pics compared to the after gowns on display were amazing.