Dress doesn't fit :(

Sorry to hear that the dress does not fit How much do you think you need to lose to fit into the dress?

Sorry to hear about that. Take it to a tailor and get it fixed and try not to stress about it. You are doing great and you will continue your journey but you don't need added stress around a dress.

First of all, bridesmaid dresses are sized really, really weirdly. This happens to everyone, no matter the size. In example, a wedding I was in two years ago, I went to get measured to my dress. I typically wear size 0 to a 4. The lady there advised me to order a size 10 dress. I told her that was crazy, I've never worn anything close to a 10! She said based on my measurements for this particular dress, that is what she thinks will fit. So I trusted her and guess what? The dress fit perfectly! I wore a size 0 dress to the rehearsal the night before and a 10 for the wedding. And the other girls who didn't take the woman's advice had to completely tailor the dresses to fit. So it's probably not you!

Secondly, if it doesn't fit because of a weight gain, it happens to everyone! I am currently trying to get off about 15 lbs. I'm a size 4 right now and all my size 0 jeans are sitting on what I call my shelf of shame - clothes that don't fit comfortably right now! But as long as you stick with it, the weight will come off. I just hit my 30 day mark and I'm already down 5 lbs.

In the meantime, don't let a dress determine your self esteem! The tailor will let it out and it will be fine. Just keep doing what you're doing and be proud that lost 7 lbs already! You're clearly doing it right and the weight will just keep coming off.

Don't be discouraged. One day that dress will be too big for you, just like I will get back into my shame jeans! hahaha

Wedding dresses are sized like pattern sizes, not like commercial clothing chain sizes. That's the reason for the discrepancy.

I agree with everyone else. See a tailor. Get it let out. Enjoy the wedding.

Those dresses never fit! Whenever I had to order a bridesmaids dress, or even my wedding dress, I had to go up like 2 sizes. It's crazy. So don't let that number on the dress get you down.

DeirdreWoodwardSanders wrote: »

Hello -- I'm a seamstress and let me tell you, we fix so many bridesmaid's dresses that don't fit.

There are a lot of different variables that go into fitting a dress. Most dress shops only take your bust, waist, and hip measurement, then go with the largest measurement. If you are slightly endowed and have slightly narrow hips, the dress will never fit.

And even if the bust, waist and hips are the correct measurement, the distance between the bust and waist, and waist and hips may be off so the dress doesn't fit. If the dress waist is two inches below your waist, then the narrowest part of the dress is two inches below your narrowest part, and the dress won't zip.

It's the dress -- not you! -- that is the problem.

Find a good seamstress and have them let the dress out in the proper places. Check Angie's List or Nextdoor in your area to see if there are any seamstress reviews.

If you are near me, come to my shop.

Clearly, I'm not the OP, but I just wanted to say "Thank you!". It's SO nice to see someone with a helpful, positive response! Not to say others on this thread are not nice, but this was an informative and empathetic response. Hope the OP can benefit from it.

I was at a wedding recently, and a family member had the same issue the day of the wedding; not the best time to find out! Luckily you have a month to plan for this.

Definitely get it checked out by a local seamstress, and see if it can be taken in/let out in the right places to make it fit. If you ordered it online from a place with a stationary location (like David's Bridal), try to see if you can work it out with that business first, especially if you took measurements, and the dress should have reasonably fit based on what you ordered. Like what was said above, wedding and bridal party dresses are strangely sized, and don't follow what you'd usually find in a store for every day clothes. I'm a 2 normally in dresses, but I could be several sides larger in bridal wear. I'll find out when I buy my own bridesmaid dress in a few months, lol.

Really, don't panic! If worse comes to worse, work something out with your sister and see if you can find something you can try on in store as a backup; buy it, keep the tags on it/keep the receipt, and hold onto it as long as you can until you figure out what to do with your first choice dress. If it can be altered, perfect! Return the backup. If not, you have something to wear, and you have a dress you can save for another special occasion, or get it altered so it can become a night out dress. My family member had a backup, and they looked just as beautiful in the backup dress as the original dress; no one noticed, and in fact, everyone loved the second dress choice! It will all work out for you, I promise.

How small is it? You may be able to alter the back to be a corset which makes it a bit bigger. Depending on where you ordered it you may be able to exchange but, that would depend on if you could get a new dress in time.

Keep breathing - there are plenty of amazing things that amazing people can do!!
This happened to me a year or so ago!! My dress wouldn't zip up passed a certain point! In the end I had loops fixed along the split of the dress where the zip should have been and ribbon and inserted a panel inside! It was an absolute dream!
Chuck a pair of "suck me in" knickers on and own it girl!!
Do not let a number define you or the way you feel!!

Ok, this CAN be fixed. If you can't return it for a bigger size, then they can just alter it. In the interim, you continue what you're doing (WTG on the 7 pounds), and everything will work out.

hlo9603 wrote: »

It's not too awful. It just only zips up to a certain point. I appreciate everyone's comments and I will more than likely just have it altered. I hate to do that because the dress was already so expensive but this is for my sister not me and I need to tell myself that and move forward. Thank u for the encouragement!!!

Ok, that is GOOD, in seamstress world. Get yourself to a bridal seamstress this week for sure (alterations take time). Chances are, if it is a pricey gown, there is likely plenty of seam allowance to release the seams. Very common area of the dress to need altering. And like others have said, *every* bridal or bridesmaid gown needs altering of some sort.

As far as diet, don't go do anything crazy--maintain a reasonable intake (don't gain, don't worry about having to lose too much, you need your energy) and let your seamstress do her magic

BZAH10 wrote: »

DeirdreWoodwardSanders wrote: »

Hello -- I'm a seamstress and let me tell you, we fix so many bridesmaid's dresses that don't fit.

There are a lot of different variables that go into fitting a dress. Most dress shops only take your bust, waist, and hip measurement, then go with the largest measurement. If you are slightly endowed and have slightly narrow hips, the dress will never fit.

And even if the bust, waist and hips are the correct measurement, the distance between the bust and waist, and waist and hips may be off so the dress doesn't fit. If the dress waist is two inches below your waist, then the narrowest part of the dress is two inches below your narrowest part, and the dress won't zip.

It's the dress -- not you! -- that is the problem.

Find a good seamstress and have them let the dress out in the proper places. Check Angie's List or Nextdoor in your area to see if there are any seamstress reviews.

If you are near me, come to my shop.

Clearly, I'm not the OP, but I just wanted to say "Thank you!". It's SO nice to see someone with a helpful, positive response! Not to say others on this thread are not nice, but this was an informative and empathetic response. Hope the OP can benefit from it.

Thank you so much BZAH!

I would go bat crap crazy if I was a woman. Men's sizes are in actual quantifiable units of measurement.

Women's sizes seem to be whatever the hell someone feels like that day.