Guess the Bustle

added March 2017

Hi Leanna,

first I'd like to say that you website is an absolute godsend!

I wish you here here in Seattle where I live, but I guess I'll have to settle for your advice from afar.

I have Maggie Sottero's Tuscany dress.(I'm attaching pictures)

I'm going to need it to bustle up. My mother is a fabulous seamstress, and I would love to be able to have her do the work on my dress.

The dress, as you can see, has a lot of asymmetry going on, and we are struggling with just how to do it and keep the lovely lines.

I've ordered and watched your DVD, and it was oh so helpful.

My questions are now about keeping the asymmetrical lines and the separate layers looking good

Any help or advice is much appreciated!!!

added November 2016

Hi Leanna - what a fantastic website! The bustle has been a huge concern for me with my dress. I have attached a picture of my dress, but my dressmaker has said that she can't put a bustle in it as it won't look right. She has put a loop on the satin underneath, and I am then expected to put the top layer of chiffon and lace over my arm, but that is just not practical! I don't understand why it can't be bustled. I am going to have to try and do this myself with the help of my mother, but I would love if you could direct me with what you think would be the best possible option. 

As you can see from my dress, the train is very small, so if we bustled it up below my bottom, it would make the dress to short at the back and you can see my legs. Also you can see I have green panels around the bottom, so when it is bustled up that needs to look ok as well. When i drag all the material over my arm as my dressmaker suggested it pulls it all green at the back and looks rather stupid. The satin underneath has an even hem, but the top layer is actually different lengths where the panels come out...a bit hard to explain.

I really hope you have an idea, and can help me with this situation. I am starting to stress a bit, because at the moment I may have to wear the train down which I really would rather not.

I understand that you may not be able to help, or may be too busy, but I thought I would take a chance and you had such a fantastic site.

With many thanks, Kathy

added October 2016

Leanna,

I have been researching bustles for what seems like months. I came across your site and it has made things so much clearer! I have purchased the picture in the attachment, and am thinking that an Overbustle would be the most flattering with this dress. I know that the skirt underneath is going to be easy to bustle. But the layer on top, with it splitting down the back, is making it hard for me to imagine how to bustle it. Any suggestions on how to make it look nice?

Thank you so much!

Heather

added January 2015

Hi Mrs. Leanna,

I got engaged around March of 2009 and ever since that day I have been looking for my "wow" dress. I found it online and stared at it on the computer everyday for nearly 6 months as I called around trying to find it. I finally did and went to try it on and loved it!

I have attached pictures. I am 6 feet tall so I can carry a dress with a lot of fabric. I love the back of the dress but the more I think about it the more I panic about the train. The dress has a Castilian train! Super long! And while it is beautiful, I just don't think it is practical for me at my outdoor wedding. I LOVE everything about the dress except the length of the train. With all the detail work, would it be possible to have the train shortened?

Please please let me know what you think!

Sincerely,

Kassie

added July 2014

Hi, 

I am getting married soon, and I recently had what was supposed to be my final dress fitting. I have a mermaid style dress with a chapel train. It is satin with an overlay of beading and lace on tulle--which makes the dress extremely heavy. My seamstress has it bustled in a way that everything is off of the floor, but it drapes in a way that totally ruins the silhouette. I believe there is a center point around my tailbone, plus two a little lower on the sides, and two more points somewhere else...

I don't like it and she thinks the only other way would be to wear the loop under the train around my wrist and carry the dress all night (something I do NOT want to do).

Is there a way to bustle it so that it keeps the silhouette but is also off the floor (and that the points are strong enough to hold the weight of the dress?) I have attached some pictures:

added March 2013

Hello Leanna, 

First of all, let me say thank you so much for all the wonderful information you have on your site. It makes it so much easier for brides like me who have no idea what a lot of the terminology means that are thrown at us by bridal shops and seamstresses. 

My question regards bustling my gown. I've attached a picture so that you can look at it instead of having to rely on my inadequate descriptions. My seamstress has suggested a French bustle which makes sense since there isn't a waist to attach an overbustle to. However, to be completely honest, I don't really like how a French bustle looks. I saw the tufted ballroom on your site and am wondering if you think it would work on my dress. It doesn't have nearly as many tufts as the dress on your site nor are they as pronounced on my dress. Any and all comments and advice would be very welcome. Cheers!

Sincerely, Karla

added June 2013

Hello Leanna, 

First of all, let me say thank you so much for all the wonderful information you have on your site. It makes it so much easier for brides like me who have no idea what a lot of the terminology means that are thrown at us by bridal shops and seamstresses. 

My question regards bustling my gown. I've attached a picture so that you can look at it instead of having to rely on my inadequate descriptions. My seamstress has suggested a French bustle which makes sense since there isn't a waist to attach an overbustle to. However, to be completely honest, I don't really like how a French bustle looks. I saw the tufted ballroom on your site and am wondering if you think it would work on my dress. It doesn't have nearly as many tufts as the dress on your site nor are they as pronounced on my dress. Any and all comments and advice would be very welcome. Cheers!

Sincerely, Karla

added October 2012

Hi! I'm so glad I found your site!

I've attached pictures of my dress. I want to do a tufted bustle but the tufts on my dress are a bit different than the one in your pictures. They tuft under and there are no appliques at them. What do you suggest? Sincerely, Adrienne

added October 2010

Leanna,

The DVD came on Saturday. Thanks

I’ve watched it and you make it seem easy to do and there are several things I’m going to do.

I have done several bustles, by trial and error, with moderately pleasing results.

My current project is “Holly’s dress” for an early Nov wedding. I’ve attached 3 pictures. The extended train and detail picture show a lace overskirt that is attached except for about 6” around the scalloped edge, which flops. It seems like an under bustle would highlight that the best. But in my first attempt I wasn’t satisfied, and not sure what to do with it. I know I need to do something different on the sides and raise the skirt more level to the floor. 

I want to try again with 3 pickup points on each side. Am I on the right track? Or do you have other suggestions?

If possible, reply soon. Thanks, Peggy

added May 2009

Hello-

I'm hoping you can offer some advice on the bustle of my wedding dress. I have attached a picture of the train and of the current bustle. I am unhappy with it as it is uneven and just looks bunched. Do you recommend a different bustle style? Maybe a French bustle?

added April 2009

Hi Leanna,

I hope you can help me with my bustle dilemma. I have bought the dress in the picture, which I really love, but I would like to be able to pick it up of the floor to dance. My Seamstress says it can't be bustled because you end up with two tails on either side of the dress and it can't be picked up at the back because the train is too small and It would look like I had tucked my dress into my pants by accident!!

The seamstress sewed a wrist loop on to the hem for me but this spoils the look of the dress completely. Is this a hopeless cause, is there nothing that can be done. I am desperate and would be really grateful if you could help.

With best wishes,

Valerie

Added April 2008

I love your website! You have great advice and pictures. I just had my alterations done today for my May 10th wedding. I really like a French bustle, but the owner said a Overbustle would look better with the details on the back of the gown. I sent a picture of my gown, Casablanca 1844. What kind of bustle would my gown, Casablanca 1844. What kind of bustle would you recommend?

Thanks so much! Tracy

added April 2008

It is so sweet of you to offer all of this advice. A picture of my dress is attached. Should I use the same Ballroom Bustle design that you use on the Alfred Angelo white and black dress?

Thanks, Christine

added February 2008

I’m looking for a picture of a bustled mermaid style gown. This is my dress, Please help! I am much, much shorter than this girl, and so the train is MUCH longer on me!

Any suggestions would be great!

added February 2008

Hello!

I love your website, it really opened up my eyes to the possibilities of bustles. I love the look of a French bustle and always assumed that any gown I would get would would conform to that sort of bustle, but now that I have my gown, and have read your site, I'm not so sure- seems like a pick-up bustle may work better. After looking at my pics, what do you think..? I can't wait to hear back from you!

Thanks ever so much, Galit

added February 2008

Hi,

How should this dress be bustled? Could it be done using the one point system?

It needs to be as easy as possible. My husband will be doing it for me. 

We are renewing our vows in Hawaii and it will be just us,the minister and photographer on the beach.

Thank, Kim

added July 2007

I AM VERY WORRIED THAT I WONT BE ABLE TO BUSTLE THIS GOWN BECAUSE OF ALL THE

EMBROIDERY, ITS A DAVINCI GOWN AND THE EMBROIDERED AREA IS ORGANZA I THINK

ITS TOO DELICATE TO BUSTLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

added July 2007

Hello Leanna,

I stumbled across your website quite a while ago and found it most helpful. I am writing in hopes that you might give me your opinion on a matter that is bugging me. The concern is with my bustle. It looks bad to me. I don't if that's because the train is so long and with the fabric that this is the best it gets, or if it should have been a different style, or what. When she showed me what it would look like she only showed me three points. Much different than 7! Anyway, I feel like the dress is wearing me, and I'm not happy with it. I'm a short person. The train is almost longer than I am tall, but she refused to cut it. What do you think? Is this bustle going to look better than I'm thinking or should I start pursuing other avenues?

Thank you so much for your time,

Kelly

added June 2007

Hello Leanna, 

First of all, let me say thank you so much for all the wonderful information you have on your site. It makes it so much easier for brides like me who have no idea what a lot of the terminology means that are thrown at us by bridal shops and seamstresses. 

My question regards bustling my gown. I've attached a picture so that you can look at it instead of having to rely on my inadequate descriptions. My seamstress has suggested a French bustle which makes sense since there isn't a waist to attach an Overbustle to. However, to be completely honest, I don't really like how a French bustle looks. I saw the tufted ballroom on your site and am wondering if you think it would work on my dress. It doesn't have nearly as many tufts as the dress on your site nor are they as pronounced on my dress. Any and all comments and advice would be very welcome.

Cheers!

Sincerely, Karla

added March 2007

Hi, Leanna.

Thank you for your helpful site. 

I've attached some pictures of my wedding dress, which is from the David's Bridal Galina line. It is chiffon with an organza (?) overlay, and neither layers have any beading or ornamentation. I am pretty sure that the seamstress there told me it could not be bustled. At the time, that didn't register with me as "and therefore will be impossible to ballroom dance in."

Your site makes me think it would not be impossible to bustle--maybe a simple French bustle at the knee? Can you give me some tips on what, exactly, to tell the seamstress? Especially regarding how to bustle the transparent layer?

Another thought I had was to do some sort of wrist-loop and cord arrangement, so that the train would be lifted just a few inches when I'm dancing. I'm sure I've seen this in depictions of Edwardian-era (I think) balls but can't find any illustrations on the web. Do you think something like that would work?

I'd really appreciate any advice--my fiancé and I have been taking ballroom lessons, and we really want to show off what we've learned!

Thanks much, Lee Ann

added February 2007

Hi there,

I have been looking at your website and have got some insight into how to bustle. I am going to buy your dvd, but I just wanted to know how possible it is for me to bustle my dress. It has a very long train and has a lace overlay with a thick satin underlay. The lace and the underlay is attached at a couple of places to keep them together while walking. However I don't have a clue how to bustle it.

I have attached a picture of the dress. (Oleg Cassini - CK118). The train is actually longer than that. In the picture they have moved the train around the sides as well.

Please give me your advice.

Thank you, Karen

added July 2006

Hi Leanna,

Your bustle page is great. It was informative and concise. I would love your advice with my train as it is rather unusual. I have attached a picture for you to see. Your opinion on how it should be bustled would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and regards, Thao

added January 2006

Hi Leanna,

I love you website. You really are talented. You have the cleanest bustles I’ve seen.

I never liked the look of bustles and thought they were strictly to serve a purpose, but your ballroom bustle is so seamless and beautiful, you almost can’t tell. If you were closer to me, I would ask you to do my bustle and I don’t think $10/button is too much to ask. You are most certainly talented.

I’m attempting to do the hem and bustle myself to save in cost. I was searching the net to find helpful tips. How far from the ground should the hem be? I was going to use pearl looking buttons and loops. I wanted to use 4 points. Do you have any tips on the placement of outside hooks? I’m trying to reduce the “bunchy” pull up on the fabric from the front. Also the lining seems to separate from the train and turn out when dragging, as you can see in the photos. Please advise.

added February 2004

I found your site on bustling a wedding gown. Can you tell me what type of bustle you would recommend for the following gown? It has a relatively short train, so perhaps a wrist loop would be best, but I am not sure. 

Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest regards,

Paulina

added January 2004

I surely hope you can help me. I have recently purchased a wedding dress and cannot figure out what bustling technique I should request. I have searched all over the Internet and cannot find any info, except on your site. Enclosed is pics of my gown, and any input you can give will be greatly appreciated!! By the way my gown is made of de-lustered matte satin with organza overlay. Also, this isn't a feat I would ever try myself.

Again, thank you for any advice you can give me! Carla