Adding a sweetheart to your neckline

One way to enhance your bust line is to add a sweetheart neckline. This will add a bit of flair to an ordinary bridesmaid dress or give you a special added touch to your wedding dress. Here is an illustration of how the process is achieved. The 1st picture is of an typical bridesmaid dress.



This next picture is of the bridesmaid dress turned inside out. You can see the stitching line of how a sweetheart dip is sewn in the center front of the neckline.



Next all of the extra fabric is cut away and the seam allowance is clipped.



And here we have the final results. As you can see this gives the neckline a special touch.



The bride that wore this dress chose it because her ceremony was on a cruise ship. She didn't want a typical white wedding gown and adding a sweetheart neckline made the dress her own.

Bust coverage

Lets talk about bust coverage. So you've got a full bust line. You've had your dress fitted perfectly, but you just seem to be coming up and out the top of your strapless dress. There are some options of things that you can do for some extra added coverage. Depending on how your dress is made will determine which direction to go.

This dress is made of wide cut strips of organza. I used the fabric that I cut from the hem to make a 1 inch ruffle around the top edge. This really fit in well with the design of the dress and did not look out of place.





This bride's dress came with a beaded lace over lay that was to cover the front of her dress. She wanted a plain front bust line and had the lace sent separately. She decided after her dress arrived that she felt to exposed. I used her piece of lace by adding it to the top edge on the front. This gave her the coverage she was looking for and really went well with the dress.

Happy New Year!

Well 2011 has finally arrived and I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I thought I would start out by taking you step by step through fitting a wedding dress and what you need to know so that you can get the perfect fit.

So let's start at the beginning:

The bust line:

The first conversation you need to have with your seamstress is whether or not you will be wearing a bra, inserting bust cups, or going natural. My rule of thumb is that if you are a C cup or bigger, wearing a long line corset type bra is highly recommended for several reasons. One: it helps to keep the dress sitting in its proper position; two: it will lift and support your bust line; and three: it will give you extra structure to your dress, especially if it is strapless. If you decide to wear a bra with your dress it is very important to get the correct size. If you are unsure of what size to get, your seamstress should be able to measure you.

If you are looking for a fuller bust line, then bust cups are what you need to use. There are different styles of cups to choose from. Whether you want a little or allot of extra padding, bust cups work great at enhancing what you already have.

Lastly, depending on the style of your dress and overall desired look you want in your bust line, you may want to go natural. In the end it comes down to what's best for your individual gown to help you look your best.

Now let's take a look at a typical 1st fitting for the bust line. In picture #1 you will see that this bride's wedding dress has been pinned to have the sides taken in and bust cups added.



Another thing that you can do to visually enhance your bust line is to add a sweetheart neckline. This can be easily done on most wedding gowns. You will have to consult with your seamstress if you have lace trim or bead work across the front.



Make sure you take a good look at yourself in the mirror from all angles to make sure you are happy with what your seamstress is pinning or not pinning. It is important to speak up about any fitting concerns you have.



And here in this last picture you can see how all of the fitting issues come together.