Is the wedding dress of your dreams already hanging in your closet? With a little imagination and the right alterations, the answer might be yes. If you inherited a gown from a family member or bought a gorgeous dress that’s almost perfect for the ceremony, redesigning a wedding dress could be faster and more cost-effective than starting from scratch with a custom design or shopping for a brand new gown. It’s also a sweet way to honor the past and continue a tradition without sacrificing the style, fit, or cut that’s right for you.
Here are some fun and simple ways to rethink an existing dress and create a completely different look with your redesign:
Consider a Different Neckline
The higher the neckline of your dress, the more freedom (and extra material) you have to experiment with a different cut. Vintage dresses tend to be more modest than today’s sleeveless silhouettes, so modernizing your dress could be as simple as removing a lacy overlay or cutting a high neck into a scoop or sweetheart style.
Try a Tea-Length Alteration
Does your cascading train feel too formal and cumbersome? Do you want to dance up a storm and show off your shoes without tripping over a floor-length gown? Turn it into a tea length wedding dress instead. Falling just a few inches below the knee, this bridal silhouette is long and classic enough for formal or traditional ceremonies, but it’s also the perfect way to adapt an overly fancy dress for a more casual setting.
Add Volume or Color with a Petticoat
Sometimes, you don’t have to change the dress at all to transform its entire shape and style. Petticoats add full, flattering volume to wedding dress skirts, accentuating the waist and creating a dramatically different silhouette. A colored petticoat also adds an unexpected pop of color beneath an all-white dress, making it easy to modernize a more traditional gown and match your wedding day color scheme.
Cut Off the Sleeves
If your dress is outdated or inappropriate for the venue or the season, your sleeves might actually be most of the problem. It’s hard to look timeless in puffy or frilly sleeves, and no bride wants to sweat through a long-sleeved dress during her outdoor ceremony. If your dress has sleeves that are too bulky or too long, shorten them or cut them off to bring your dress up-to-date.
Dye Your Dress a Different Color
Modern brides get to make their own rules, so don’t be afraid to get creative with color. Dyeing is a great way to disguise the discoloration of vintage dresses, whether you add more yellow or pink tones to the color or pick a bold shade like blue or red. Dyeing also allows you to breathe new life into a family heirloom without making the dress unrecognizable.
Are you ready to get started on your wedding dress redesign? Make an appointment with us at TK Bridal & Alterations today to begin your design consultation.
