Tailoring Advice Needed--how big is too big to tailor?

I am interested in this Black Halo dress for my wedding, and am wondering about sizing. I own the Jackie O dress in size 6 and am a 32B/C and 42" in the widest part of my thigh. (I wear a J. Crew size 8 bottom, 7FAM 29 or 30, Gap 8, for reference).

The Jackie O dress in 6 is quite body con, and I would want something looser in the hip for the wedding. I do plan on dropping 7-10 lbs before, which is doable in terms of time, and in terms of my comfort zone. Unfortunately, because Black Halo subjects all returns to a 15% restocking fee (!), I want to be sure to pick the better size the first time around.

The dress I'm looking is available in 6 and 12. Given the projected weight loss, would I be better off getting a 6 or a 12? The 12 would probably fit well/be slightly loose in the hip/thigh now, but would need to be tailored to a size 6 in the waist, and a size 4 in the bust. Are these adjustments too drastic for a size dress in this cut?

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11 years ago

barbaraq

Active Member

I would say go for the 10. It is always easier to take a dress in than to hope to find enough extra fabric in the seam allowances to let it out. Check out Mrs.'s Mole blog. She is a pro wedding dress alteration expert and her blog is hilarious. Her blog will give you some idea of the difficulties she encounters in alterating formal/wedding dresses. Good luck!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I vote go for the size 10. Black Halo if I remember correctly runs very small.

retailgirl

Veteran

I think you said there was no size ten available...sounds risky to me. I would try to find something similar that fit, with minimal alterations. Plus the dress looks like it's a bias cut with a lining...you'd really need to trust that your tailor or dressmaker was expert!

Ah. There is no size 10. Yup. I agree with retailgirl.

Janet

Black Halo does run small. I bought a size 8 BH dress when I was my slimmest (right after running my first half marathon), and then gained a few pounds back, right in the worst place for their cuts -- hips and thighs. I was fitting into size 6 in most dresses at the time. It sounds like you and I have similar measurements in our lower halves. (I finally gave up and sold that dress last year.)

I would be worried that the 12 would be not only too roomy, especially in the top, but also too long in the torso.

gradfashionista

Sorry for the confusion, I had initially typed ten, and then realized my mistake and corrected it.

unfrumped

When my DD was buying her wedding dress, tailoring costs really added up if tailoring down a large amount. We found the " love" dress , but too big. Major tailoring was going to run nearly the cost of a whole dress! And of course there are all the emotions about finding your dress. Then fortunately, an alert SA found a smaller size in another state, to ship.

Dimity

I'd agree with retailgirl. It's an expensive risk to tailor so dramatically. You basically have to remake the whole dress and what if you don't like it afterwards?

Sorryl I thought there was a size 10, too. Too much risk with the size 8, I agree.

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