Adding A Bustle To Wedding Dress

Yes, it is possible for your seamstress to add a bustle to a gown that didn`t orginally have one -- you`re not insane although planning a wedding can certainly cause any of us to be a bit looney.

My gown didn`t have a bustle and I actually was in the bridal salon today so that they could measure where the bustle should be added.

Good luck!

Thank you so much Meredith!!!!!! I appreciate your response :)
Glad to hear I am not alone :)

You`re welcome! Good luck with your upcoming wedding, I`m sure it will be fantastic.

I don`t think that wedding gowns typically come with a bustle installed, it`s something you have your seamstress do for you while you have your alterations done. Mine was apparently called a California bustle. Rather than all being under your butt, it`s around the back of your knees. It was easy to do, there were just three places where a plastic loop was sewn on under the gown - one in the middle, and one on either side. About six inches or so below the loops there were some ties attached. When it came time to bustle the gown, all we had to do was tie the ties through the loops. It was simple, and looked great.

Good luck!

KD

Im wondering if it is a real costly thing to add? Anyone know prices on the kind of thing?

I depends on how long your train is and what type of bustle you want. You should just discuss with your seamstress what the bustle options are and how much it will cost.

Grace, no dress comes with a bustle (unless it is a detachable bustle). But generally no gown comes with a bustle. The bustle has to be done after the alterations to fit your body correctly. Plus as the previous woman stated, there are many different types of bustles so you have to choose which style suits you best. As for cost, I can only tell you that my alterations plus doing a bustle (and I had an elaborate bustle) came to around $275.

I need to add a bustle to my dress also, but the way my dress is, I can`t imagine how to begin to do it. My dress has an inside layer with lace, and then on top of that is the outside of the dress, heavy silk with buttons that open up to reveal the lace in the train. It`s hard to describe without a picture but I`ve seen lots of these dresses in magazines, so it must be a common problem- dresses that are two layered in the back, the outside layer being heavy. I can see bustling the lace section, but how to bustle the outer part, where the buttons open up like an inverted V to reveal the lace? I would want to continue to reveal the lace underneath after bustling. Bustling this heavy section would look silly, I think, with the buttons. What should I do? Any help is appreciated!!

PS You would think my steamstress would know how to do this (a professional) but she did not have any good concrete ideas when I bought the dress. Since I`m going for my first fitting in a week, I want to have some ideas of what might work. THANKS

I am a seamtress and work with wedding gowns all day. Bustling a dress is a very simple task. If it is made hard to understand or hard to do then they have done something wrong. Email me what type of dress and I will tell you what the bustle should look like and how it should go up.

Jackie, what is your email? I will send you a pic of the back of my dress. I am schluk1@aol.com. It is sort of a mute point now since we figured out a way to do the bustle but I`m curious to hear what you would suggest too. I am having problems with the under layer of detail showing. THANKS! Anne

I would like ideas on how to bustle a dress. It`s a skirt actually. The fabric is lined satin and heavy. Thanks.

Jackie, I would like to add a bustle to my wedding dress and would like to know where to sew the ties on my dress underneath the skirt. Can you tell me how to do this?

Thanks!

My aunt is going to do the bustle on my dress and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to how it should be done and what it should look like. I found a site that sells my dress
Thanks for any help you can offer. :)

I am needing to figure out how to add the hoop or button that would assist in bustling my gown. If anyone can help with that, please let me know ASAP as I`m getting married in 7 weeks!

I tried to add a bustle to my dress to no avail. Apparently there are several ties underneath the dress that can be sewn on but where exactly they should be placed is beyond me. I ended up taking mine to a seamstress who ended up doing a so-so job. I would find out for sure how they are going to do it before you put your dress in their hands. All of your pictures at the reception will show your bustle so I think it`s pretty important that it`s done correctly. Good luck!

Wow, this is comforting to know that I`m not alone trying to figure out about bustling my dress. I have a maggie sottero madison dress. Though my dress is the smallest size, it is still too long for me because I`m only 5 ft. Jackie, or any one else who knows how I can do to add a bustle , please pass on your advise & suggestions : ) thank you very much..
Jeannie
Sunsette@hotmail.com

Hi,
I had a Maggie Dress too.
The bustle seemed simple enough to me, I mean how it worked...not how the seamstress made it.
My advice to you is to take your dress to a seamstress, they will know how to handle it best.
If you bought your dress from a boutique they may have a seamstress on hand, who probably has already bustled the same dress before..so she`ll know exactly what she`s doing.
My alterations were only $135, for hem, cups addded, and bustle. The shoppe was in Charlotte, NC...so I think the price was average.
The Madison is very similar to the dress I have to I would expect it to be around the same price..of course that depends on the seamstress and your area.
Anyway, Hope this helps you some.

I just purchased a dress that i am having a hard time figuring out how to bustle it. If anyone has any pictures of bustles, or knows of a good website that i could go to for pics to take to my seamstress, that would be great! thanks!

I am in the same boat as Rachelle.
I would like to give the seamstress that is altering my dress a few pictures to go by when she is sewing in the bustle. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Katdog22@hotmail.com

Hi - I have altered and bustled wedding dress for about 20 yrs. And always used the `trial and error` method. My main problem has always been, when I lift the side of the train, it also lifts the side seam section making that part of the bustle too short, sometimes showing the under slips and netting. Is there a way around that ? Also, are there ever any classes in bustling techniques offered anywhere ? I live in the greater Chgo. Area. Thanks for any advice or helps you can give. Marje

Anyone know of instructions or pictures to help me bustle a dress. It is all pulled up in poofs on the back with a long train.
Thanks
Cindy

Anybody have a clue on how to bustle a wedding dress with this type of construction: Over the netting inner layer is a silk lining with a short train. Then, over the silk lining (on the entire dress) is a covering of decorative netting and lace combination. The train on the overlay is longer than the silk lining, so I`m thinking I will need to bustle the 2 layers separately. Does anyone have any experience in doing this?

Donna G.
Louisville, KY

Hi, I am wondering if any one knows how to bustle an apron back wedding dress? The back is a bit hard to explain but basically the middle of the train has an organza overlay over a satin material in the form of an inverted V. The sides or (envelopes) of the dress are satin.
I am living in Norway and bought my dress in the states. However, not many people are familiar with the "bustle" because that is not a normal thing they do here. Instead, many brides in Norway prefer to hook their train around their wrist. My seamstress said my apron back train would not be easy for her to figure out. Can somebody help me?! I could send you a picture of the dress if you would be willing to help me.

How do i add a bustle to my wedding dress,

We are also looking at a dress that needs a bustle. I am only seeing questions on this board. Has anyone received any good information?

I am sort of encouraged by those saying that it is a lot of trial and error, but still....