"to fit into a dress"

A girl finding a wedding dress and making it fit was the biggest fiasco of everything leading up to the wedding. The dress was purchased at a bridal boutique that sells sample sizes. These are bridal gowns that were used at high end boutiques or for fashion shows. Some replicated, others not. With any wedding dress comes a dress fitting. I was told 4-6. Those 4-6 became 13, tying the alteration ladies records for the most number of fits.

1. A size 10 wedding dress means nothing, could be a 4 or a 6 or a 0 in “street size”. I show up and the thing is falling. Dress fit number one was just about taking some fabric out.

2. Okay, so it is down a few sizes, or inches, or whatever, but it is strapless and this bod can’t do strapless on a dress to big. So hunched over trying to hold the dress up I am TOLD I should really do some pilates exercises for my chest and back.

“Excuse me”.
“Yes, like this, roll your shoulder back open your chest”
*I do this as the dress begins falling and then quickly remind myself that I did do over 1500 hours of pilates certification and have taught for years, it is just not my main scope of practice anymore.
My ears turn off and I just “go with it”

3. Thinking the dress has got to fit now and all of a sudden it won’t zip up! I swam an hour and a half prior and am now told my back is getting bigger! I know swimmers have big lats, but really, my were so “swollen” the dress couldn’t zip….not sure I believed her, I think they took it in to be a minus 00000 size.

4. Tired of dress fitting taking up my Friday mornings, I get up a bit early to join some friends on a ride. Needless to say, the alterations lady was NOT happy with my bike greased hands!

5. We decided I need straps. Snip goes the thin bow to become the straps. We try various ways to make it work. None of which we can agree upon. And decide to add a straight seam through the front of the dress to make it not look as plain in the front.

6. Bring mom to dress fitting to figure out straps. She somehow likes what the alteration girl does; I can’t make up my mind. So I go with it. A double v-formation type strap.

7. Go back solo; mention I want to go strapless. Am told I have “too much shoulder” to do such a thing….GRRRRRRR!!!! Am now CONVINCED I am going straight to buy a new dress. Mark does not think that is the best idea. I try to brainstorm ways I can pull this off without him knowing…not a good way to start a marriage. But he would never know right? He hasn’t seen the dress.

8. Bring bridesmaid and future mother in-law to figure out this strap thing…mind you they were adding seams and such to make the dress look less “plain” in front since we removed the bow. Immediately future mother in-law notices the uneven lines, I see them too, but know that it will get fixed. Not loving the straps I somehow leave thinking the straps look good. Bring veil too, LOVE IT!

9. Now I am losing sleep over wanting to go “strapless” and decide I will convince alteration woman that I am walking down the aisle strapless. I lose the battle once again. As she mentioned AGAIN that I have “too much muscle and that it would just be ANOTHER un-original strapless gown.” Oh, and take out 1 of the 3 boobie cups that were added in portraying a size DDD. At this point there is no fooling anyone on that matter.

10. Swim again before hand leading to difficulty zipping up dress…am told not to change my body and to not swim ahead of time anymore….I did not diet or do anything…my body was the same as day one….dang it!

11. Okay, too many sleepless nights over wanting a “boring” strapless gown. So bring most verbal bridesmaid back and we decide we are NOT leaving until this gown is strapless. As I run to the bathroom alteration lady says to bridesmaid “Just tell her the straps look good, she is so worried about them”. Little did she know our GRAND plan. Bridesmaid does the talking and somehow says the right thing to convince her that I WILL go strapless. Alteration lady threatens to beat head against the wall. Bridesmaid says “don’t hurt yourself”. I stand and smile…..thank you Natalie!!!

12. Aghhh!!! Strapless dress, and seams nearly perfect. Adding straps for reception.

13. Finally complete!!!! Seams in place, no straps…..3 days to wedding!

So thankful that dress fittings are done and I can go back to my lycra-type attire that either fits or doesn’t! And I even want to think of all the hours I could have been training during this time. Good bye to dress fittings. Woot!