Wedding dress sizing/alterations

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It's really hard to know - so much can change in a year. If I were actively losing weight I might have held off until closer to the wedding to buy a dress, but often you have to order well in advance anyway and Covid is making things worse - and also a deal is a deal - so I don't blame you for getting one now. That dress looks like it fits really well. Is it already loose at all anywhere but the bust area? If it's loose then maybe going a size down would be a good call, but if it fits well I'd be tempted to keep it. Often when people lose weight there are plateaus, and it isn't uncommon for someone to drop pounds and inches quickly at the start of a new routine and then have progress slow down, so its difficult to say whether the trend would continue four weeks or several months from now at the same rate as your first four weeks.

Before doing anything I'd definitely double and triple check David's policy about returns and exchanges right now. I know some other brides have really gotten screwed at David's trying to return dresses (although I don't know the specifics of their situation) and many places are being more cautious and have more restrictions on returns right now because of Covid-19. If you are considering exchanging, I'd definitely make sure you can do a one-for-one swap and don't get stuck paying additional fees.

The princess seam styling ( that curves seam from neck down over bust to waist), in a gown with no high and fitted neck or sleeve opening, is the world's easiest and least costly to cut down and completely reshape to fit, up to 3 sizes down. And zero up, unless the side seams have and extra half inch fabric ( and you could not adjust front fullness at all.) Dresses like yours are made in units. Detach skirt from bodice, downsize each, put back. A dress with a zipper, taking out and redoing it in smaller cut down back is fast and easy. ( Corset back, tiny buttons and loops more work.). If you exchange smaller and do not lose weight, tough luck. In advance, line up a good seamstress. David's in most locations are really over priced for this kind of alteration. Bring in your gown 3 months out. First she will measure you, take out zipper, take apart. Then do a fitting. After, having basted it to your new shape, sew. With a very low off the shoulders neckline, often it helps to have a shaped cup sewn in. Other times, a bustier or longline bra is best. Seamstress will tell you.

View Quoted Comment Thanks for input! That’s helpful!

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First of all, WOW. You can already tell your weight loss and firming up. Congrats!

No, a dress can be taken IN up to two sizes, not let OUT to expand two sizes. I heard that as a bride and by the seamstresses in the bridal shop I worked at. Call your bridal shop and ask the manager or a seamstress. Please do not order a dress two sizes smaller than you are today unless you are dang sure you can meet and keep that goal weight.

Love your dress on you!

I agree with previous comments that the issue your having with the boobs will be fixed with alterations. I’m not sure sizing down to a 14w would help that because women’s sizes typically allow more space in the boob area. As someone who bought their dress more than a year early because I got a great deal, I’ll just share my experience.
I bought my dress last July during a sample sale and our wedding is this September (🤞🏻). I didn’t intend to buy that early, but I had family in town and we thought it’d be fun to go try stuff on. Little did I know, I’d put on the first dress I picked out (marked down from $2500 to $200) and tell the consultant instantly “I can see myself walking down the aisle in this dress.” It just ticked all my boxes of what I was looking for.
At the time, I was working out several times a week, down about 60 lbs, and had reached a plateau loosing weight but was focusing on toning. The dress fit perfect around my hips, but was a bit big around my waist, and needed some support in the chest. However, in October I had some medical issues, followed by being in the hospital with my daughter for several days over new years, and by the end of January I had gained back 40 lbs. Getting back into my activity routine has been slow going since then and stress has not been my friend. I had so many good intentions last July when I bought it, but unfortunately we never know what life is going to bring. I’ve spoken to several seamstresses and I’m still working on trying to get back to where I was last August/September, but I’m thankful the dress still fits and I don’t have to buy a new one or spend a fortune on having it let out. I’ve been assured if I get back to where I was, having it taken in is much easier, and where I’m at now it needs minimum alterations. As far as exchanges, I’d double check with David’s bridal because I think their return window is pretty small. Definitely find out what your cut off date is so you don’t have a plan to exchange when you reach x milestone and find out too late that you missed the window. Best wishes, the dress is beautiful!

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I know, right?! I had been thin all my life but had extra weight on when I was engaged. I was already feeling crappy trying on dresses and then that was like a little extra dig. I know it's just a number but honestly, if the bridal industry was smart they'd make dresses smaller! Even if a dress was 1 size smaller than "street size" I would have smiled.

View Quoted Comment Thanks for sharing! I feel alittle less of a crazy person for buying my dress so early now lol. I was able to finally get ahold of someone and I can actually exchange all the way up the wedding date. Yay! Until I have seen the remarks, I honestly did not realize how much more work and money it was to take it out than it was to take in! I guess that almost makes sense though. It’d be easier to measure in what you need instead playing more of a guessing game of what exactly to take out without taking out too much, only to take it back in. I def hope to be at least one size down. So we’ll see!! Thanks again for the input!

View Quoted Comment Thank you! I was def not gonna order 2 sizes down. Only 1, that way I could take it out to the size I am now, or take down 1-2 sizes depending on how much I lose. I may be feeling far to hopeful and ambitious, but it’d be AWESOME to go to a size 10. It may be unlikely, but if I did, I didn’t want the dress to completely lose its integrity! Or even pay too much to have to altered to a size 12. I wasn’t sure if maybe the cup sizes would be smaller in a 14 and not have the odd stitching line underneath to show where boobs could be. But it’s sounding like it’s much more expensive to let out a dress, which I didn’t realize

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Check with the bridal shop, most dresses you cannot let out a dress an entire dress size. *Maybe* only 1/2 a size, if that. It's very risky because again, you can take in a dress a LOT easier than let it out. If there's not enough fabric, you'll need to buy a new dress.

If you have a larger bust, the seamstress will likely remove the cups in whatever dress you order and put in the right size which will give you good support and make the bust of the dress look SO MUCH better. Having the right size cups helps a lot.

Girl! This dress looks amazing on you! If you do lose more weight I think it would be worth every penny to get it altered.

View Quoted Comment I really appreciate that! 🥰🥰

Obviously the best thing is to get a dressmaker who has been arround a while, and has good recommendations. But just as many people do a hair trial months before their wedding. If you start a dressmaker hunt at 5-6 months out, and have her tailor you an evening or dressy outfit, from fabric you bring her ( not cheap, nice), or perhaps a blazer or jacket, to go with many pants you own, you can get an idea of her skills. If you lose weight, and tone up very much in the process, by 6 months from now you are going to need clothes. Not just a wedding gown. So having one or two dressmakers make you something, to see their skills, will be no money wasted. And make sure you choose someone who will stand behind her own work. Most do. I agree with those who have said, this style, on your size or 2 smaller body, will be dynamite. One thing I think it could use, is some fine soft sheen pearl beads, and clear glass crystal ones, at the top edge of the dress, maybe with a small design or embellishment. But any dressmaker may suggest something because when you alter a dress, and may need to take a little notch out, or put in a little v shape piece in your cleavage, to support a bra insert, and reinforce those off shoulder straps so they give support, not just decoration >>>2 to three rows of beadwork can cover where multiple seams come together, or reinforce straps for strength. Not too much. But hand sewn on, they allow most flaws where the fabric got a pull from taking out and putting back stitches, to either be covered, or to distract your eye. How to hide a necessary support seam. ( Run from anyone who suggests glueing on anything to your satin gown. But stitched on by hand, little beads or crystals allow you to reinforce places underneath that take stress.

The dress looks great. Sug it is easier to take dresses in and cheaper to do that then to let out even if the dress can go 2 sizes larger. And there is always padding if you wish to fill in areas but you look amazing in the dress and happy. I would keep that one and wait to have it altered. Talk to a Seamstriss or person you will have alter the dress for you. Find out from them how long they will need most should only say less than a week before they should be able to do it in about 4 days but find out from them how long they need. This way you know when you need to bring the dress in and altered you don’t wish it to be to soon because you can run into he problem of have alter last minute. But the dress looks great