You’re shopping for a dress for one of the most important days of your life. You want to feel beautiful and fabulous in it, right?
After working so hard to fit into that size 10 dress, you show up to your bridal appointment and they hand you a size 14. Your self-esteem is crushed and you’ve put in all that hard work for nothing. So, you’re wondering, what on earth is going on?
We’re here to explain to you why wedding dress sizes are SO off.
Photo by Sarah Chacos Photography
The History of Wedding Dress Sizes in the Wedding Industry
European sizing
Although styles evolve, the wedding industry as a whole is somewhat stuck on past traditions. We talked with Lois Fritz, owner and operator of The Wedding Shoppe, one of the largest wedding retailers in the Midwest for over 40 years.
Fritz shed some light on the European size tradition:
“Most leaders in the wedding industry have always been, or at least have started off, in Europe, and their wedding dress size charts run smaller than American ones. Even with the companies that are based in America, many of the designers are European, so that’s the bridal sizing they still use.”
So, they’re not just trying to make you feel larger than you are!
This is your wedding day. Designers and retailers alike want you to feel beautiful! Unfortunately, based on European bridal sizing, many women are required to wear up to two sizes larger than their American size.
So, don’t stress if your normal size seems snug in a wedding gown or bridesmaid dress.
It’s not that European women are so much smaller than American women. The problem is, these size guidelines are based on body types from decades ago. As women have evolved, the wedding dress size charts have not.
“In the past 20 years, girls have become more athletic and have more athletic figures. When I was younger, we didn’t play sports or exercise so it wasn’t uncommon for girls to have 25-inch waists,” Fritz says.
For convenient shopping, Kennedy Blue now offers American sizing on wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses to help you get a closer fit.
Ready-Wear vs. Wedding-Wear
- Ready-wear refers to the clothing that you would find in any chain retailer (think Macy’s or Target). Ready-wear is an item that comes in standard sizes and typically does not require alterations.
- Wedding-wear, on the other hand, is designed for a one-time special occasion—it makes sense that a wedding gown or bridesmaid dress would be tailored to fit you exactly.
Altering Wedding Apparel is an Expectation
Designers create their gowns with a couture mindset—meaning alterations are a part of the package. From shortening a hem to taking in a side-seam, the expectation is that wedding apparel will likely be altered in some way.
When women go shopping at the mall, they don’t always expect to purchase clothing that will need to have alterations done. Although the wedding and ready-wear industries are very different, the same consumer mindset has carried over into wedding apparel.
Brides and bridesmaids either don’t want the hassle or extra cost of fitting and re-working a dress.
LaCresia King, who has participated as a bridesmaid in seven weddings, expresses why alterations cause so much frustration during the buying process.
“Bridesmaid dresses are so expensive and I’ve spent close to $600 in every wedding I’ve been in. I think all bridesmaids hope that their dress will fit without needing alterations since that’s usually another expense to add to something that you will most likely, despite all efforts, only wear once. I think this is one of the reasons why so many brides are choosing the ‘pick your own option’ — to make it easier for girls with different bodies and budgets.”
Designers, however, look at it from a different perspective.
Maybe most of us get by without a tailor in everyday life, but a wedding is a special celebration. Understand that most wedding-wear is made to be altered.
Yes, it’s old-fashioned. And yes, it may cost more money. But you’ll have a custom-fit, perfect-for-you outfit you can feel confident in when the big day comes around.
Avoiding Wedding Dress Sizing Stress
Getting sized for your wedding dress can be nerve-wracking. Here are our top tips for avoiding the hassle and getting the dress that makes you look and feel your best:
- Schedule a visit with a professional seamstress. Try to find someone who specializes in wedding attire, who can get your measurements just right and set a schedule of when you should be re-measured just before the wedding.
- If you’re measuring yourself, use a soft, flexible measuring tape. This will help you get the most accurate results.
- Your bust size is not the same as your bra size. Your bust actually measures the fullest width of your chest, whereas your bra size is typically measured by the area below your boobs. Be sure to relax your arms when your bust is being measured.
- Get an accurate waist measurement. This one is the most important to your comfort and flexibility in your dress. You won’t be able to move, bend, or dance if your dress is too tight around your waist. Make sure you don’t suck in your belly when this measurement is being taken!
- Hollow-to-hem: length matters. The length measurement should definitely be left to the professionals—for long gowns, this incorporates the angle of the full skirt. And for short dresses (like bridesmaids’ dresses), you’ll want to make sure the hem hits where you want it—and matches anyone else in the bridal party wearing that same length!
Sizing is No Small Task
Have you had an experience with European sizing while dress shopping? Do you have any tips for getting the perfect dress size or finding a good seamstress? Please share in the comment section below!
Discussion: What was your sizing experience with wedding or bridesmaid dresses? Did you find it to be a complicated and frustrating experience or did you already know what to expect? Let us know in the comments below!
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