2013-04-05 06:41:53 | 1# 

Picking The Right Wedding Dress Bustle For Your Bridal Gown
When it comes to picking a wedding dress bustle how do you choose the best one for your gown?
In this article you will learn the answer to this question plus the following frequently asked questions about bustling a wedding dress.
What is a wedding gown bustle? Do I need to bustle my wedding dress?
What are the various wedding gown bustle types?
How do I know which one is best for my wedding gown? When should I have my bustle put up at my wedding?
The above questions are frequently asked of me in my bridal alterations business.
We will answer them for you below and show you various bustle types.
What Is A Wedding Dress Bustle?
A bustle lifts the train up in a decorative fashion off of the floor so that you don't have to carry the train on your wrist or over your arms.
Very few wedding dress designers have a bustle built in the dress, so you will have to have your wedding dress alterations specialist add a bustle to your gown.
A bustle makes it convenient for you to walk around and dance without the train getting in your way.
It is held up on the skirt of your train by sets of hooks and loops or buttons and loops. One bustle style uses sets of ties or a set of ties and loops to hold the train up.
"The bride in the picture to the right chose to have her chapel length train bustled into an American wedding dress bustle style."
Do I Need A Bustle For My Wedding Gown?
If you have a chapel length train or longer you may want a bustle. As mentioned before you will be able to keep you hands free for the reception. You especially need one if you will be walking around and dancing in your gown for hours at the reception.
You don't need a bustle if you have a short sweep train. You also may not want a bustle if you only will wear your dress for a short time. Otherwise, it is worth the cost to have one added to your dress for the convenience of it.
What Are The Types Of Bustles I Can Choose From?
There are three basic wedding dress bustle styles that are popular now:
American Bustle - This style is also often called the "outer bustle" because your train is hooked up on the outside of the dress. To do this there are buttons or hooks placed on the outside of your gown with corresponding loops.
French Bustle - This style is also called an "under bustle" or European bustle." This bustle has ties sewn underneath the skirt and train to lift the gown. Once you tie up the ties, the outside forms a flap or a series of flaps for multiple tie sets..
Ballroom Bustle - This wedding dress bustle style is sometimes called a "flip under or "flip up" bustle. With this type of bustle the train flips up under the dress and buttons are sewn to the skirt and loops are sewn to the hem of the train to button up. Once bustled, this train looks like a floor length dress all the way around.
How Do I Choose The Best Bustle For My Dress?
Most of the time you will be shown either the American bustle or the French bustle. Have the seamstress show you both. With help from the sewing professional you will be able to tell which one looks best with your dress.
Most of the time one bustle style will look better than another. But in some cases each style bustle looks equally as good. In this case it is just a matter of which one you like the best.
But when it comes to the ballroom bustle this one is used less often than the American and French wedding dress bustle styles. Why?
Well... a lot of seamstresses are not familiar with doing a ballroom bustle. However, for certain style wedding dresses this is the best wedding dress bustle style to use. Another reason is that this is the most expensive bustle type because you usually need at least 11 or more button sets to hold the train up.
So you will be the judge, together with the seamstress as to which bustle looks best and falls within your budget.
When Should I Put My Wedding Dress Bustle Up?
This again depends on what you want to do. Some brides put their wedding gown bustle up before they walk into the reception. Others wait a while into the reception time and then before the first dance have it put up.
Whether you decide to wait to put it up during the reception will depend on how easy it is to hook your bustle up. If it is easy... then you can wait and hook it up during the reception. If it is the American bustle this could be done in front of the guest without exposing the under part of your bridal dress.
But if you have a French bustle or a Ballroom bustle... because the train of your dress will have to be lifted above your waist to tie it or button it up, you will need to have this done out of the sight of your guests. That is why most brides with these types of bustles often do so before they go into the reception. Otherwise, you would have to leave your reception to have the bustle put up.