Design ides for bridesmaid dress

[Hannah]

Dd is going to be a bridesmaid at her friend's wedding. Each bridesmaid will have her own dress made according to her taste. The top of the dress will be the patterned fabric in the photograph below and the skirt the plain. We need some ideas please on dresses made from this fabric.

Edited December 10, 2023 by Hannah
Grammar error

[fairfarmhand]

What is your dds body type?

[Hannah]

3 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

What is your dds body type?

She has an hourglass figure. UK size 8-10, US size 6-8 (I think), and on the shorter side.

Edited December 10, 2023 by Hannah

[Faith-manor]

Indoor, outdoor, what kind of weather, sleeves, how much fabric do you have? Those things will also dictate what can be made.

Something like this comes to mind.

-Wedding-Guest/dp/B08DXS8VXK/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=Bridesmaid%2BMaxi%2BDresses&qid=1702218698&sr=8-16&th=1&psc

Edited December 10, 2023 by Faith-manor

[Beth S]

Adding = Are you intending to sew it yourself?  If so, I would go online (like Etsy) or in person (like Hobby Lobby) and look thru patterns you have the ability to sew. 

I would "work backwards" so to speak . . . from available options, rather than "dreaming" of an idea & seeing if you can execute it.

I like the freedom the bride is giving the bridesmaids . . . but even as a sewist, I would quickly eliminate complex designs! 

[Hannah]

39 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

She says this design is very pretty.

Indoor in the late afternoon to evening.

South African late summer - so warm still.

Open to either sleeves/sleeveless.

How much fabric do you have?  The patterned is 1.2m x 1.2 m (47 inches x 54 inches) and the plain blue is 2m wide x 1.5m long (78 inches x 59 long) 

 

[Hannah]

23 minutes ago, Beth S said:

Adding = Are you intending to sew it yourself? 

No, I'd be too afraid of messing it up, and she also lives in another town.  We'll be looking for recommendations for a seamstress closer to where she lives.

[Miss Tick]

Beautiful fabrics! There are so many dress options to choose from. Pattern selling sites will let you sort for dresses. Maybe your dd would like to look through some of the options and see what kinds of things appeal to her. Length is generally easy to adjust, so she probably doesn't need to worry about that initially, focus on hips-up styling. She should measure dimensions around her bust, waist and hips because sewing pattern sizes are based on those dimensions and often don't track well with the sizes of ready to wear clothing bought at the store.

The Fold Line is a sewing pattern site with a good online presence. You can filter for dress, and then there are a lot of more detailed filters. When you select a pattern, check the size her dimensions would dictate for that pattern. You should then be able to find the fabric requirements for the listed size.

The cost of hiring someone to make a dress will probably not be cheap. In addition to the sewist's hourly wage, there will be the cost of the pattern (and perhaps printing cost), sundries like thread and fasteners. If it were me making it, I would want to make a test garment or partial garment first from similar (but inexpensive) fabric to make sure your DD was happy with the fit before cutting into the final fabric. However she should went up with something that fits well and is one of a kind!

 

[Halftime Hope]

A big part of her design choice is going to be limited by how much fabric they allotted for the skirt. I'd do a simple A-line skirt if there is enough, and then put a pleated, high-waisted cumberbund using either the navy fabric, or if there is not enough, the patterned fabric. But the navy would be a much more classic presentation. It almost doesn't matter what the style of the top would be. ETA: I just saw the dimensions of the fabric. It sound like there is enough there to do an A-line, but not much more, on a bias cut. (The fabric generally has a prettier drape if it is cut on the bias.) 

A simple, princess-seamed top with a flare at the bottom is also quite elegant and looks nice on someone with an hourglass shape. (I love peplum tops, but on a shorter figure, the flare is enough and doesn't overwhelm.)

What a thoughtful gesture for the bride to provide the fabric and have the bridesmaids pick their own style.

[Hannah]

2 hours ago, Miss Tick said:

The Fold Line is a sewing pattern site with a good online presence. 

 

Thanks for directing us to this site.

[Hannah]

2 hours ago, Halftime Hope said:

What a thoughtful gesture for the bride to provide the fabric and have the bridesmaids pick their own style.

It makes everyone feel so much more comfortable on the day.  Not every style fits every figure.  One of the bridesmaids is apparently considering a flared pants.

We were able to find a few lovely examples just by using the correct terms!  A-line skirt, princes-seamed top, peplin top.

[pinball]

4 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

What is your dds body type?

🙄

Can’t believe this is the first question

 

[Hannah]

10 minutes ago, pinball said:

🙄

Can’t believe this is the first question

 

Why though?  Different dress styles flatter different body shapes.  It narrows down the choices to know what shape Dd is.

 

[Beth S]

Another option would be for your dd to find a sewist in her town who is willing to make the dress (& affordable, can meet the deadline).

Maybe search on FB, or get names from a dry cleaner, or fabric store, or the person who does alterations at a local bridal store.
The sewist will likely have some styles that she has sewn before, & would be confident/successful in constructing the dress.

Again . . . trying to think backwards, toward your goal!

[Faith-manor]

44 minutes ago, Hannah said:

Why though?  Different dress styles flatter different body shapes.  It narrows down the choices to know what shape Dd is.

 

There are also limits on how much any pattern can be altered, some of them not much at all as Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, and Vogue are NOT the high quality, accurate sewing patterns that they used to be. So knowing what kind of silhouette is needed really helpful s narrow down what can and cannot be done with the sewing patterns available.

[fairfarmhand]

1 hour ago, Hannah said:

Why though?  Different dress styles flatter different body shapes.  It narrows down the choices to know what shape Dd is.

 

Thank you for understanding what I was getting at. And while everyone can wear whatever the heck they want, most of us know what shape we are and especially  when we’re standing up in front of people, we want a dress style that is flattering to our body shape.

[pinball]

1 hour ago, Hannah said:

Why though?  Different dress styles flatter different body shapes.  It narrows down the choices to know what shape Dd is.

 

Bc what your DD enjoys wearing is more imp than her “body type”

When will women stop with this line of thinking? 
 
It’s pathetic that women have even bought into the concept having their “bodies” categorized into “types”

[YaelAldrich]

14 minutes ago, pinball said:

Bc what your DD enjoys wearing is more imp than her “body type”

When will women stop with this line of thinking? 
 
It’s pathetic that women have even bought into the concept having their “bodies” categorized into “types”

I know certain cuts and styles make me look like a beef dumpling. Other cuts and styles make me look like I have curves (which I do!) and I look what I think of as my best. I have tried to give that information over to my daughter and sons. My daughter is seeing that certain things flatter her even if they are not the style worn by her girlfriends (and those styles honestly don't flatter her girlfriends either, but they feel more compelled to wear what's in style in their community).

I don't it's about sexism; it's about looking strong and confident in what clothes you. I want to wear my clothes, not them wear me!

 

ETA It didn't always mean looking sexy. Even my play and work on the car clothes ideally fit nicely and make me not look like a beef dumpling. But realistically I take the not nice fitting or not flattering clothes and use them for working on the car clothes.

Edited December 10, 2023 by YaelAldrich

[Laura Corin]

For me, body type is important for comfort. My waist doesn't go in much. So if something is designed for an hourglass figure, it will be cutting me in half.

There's nothing wrong with considering what clothes will be a pleasure to wear.

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, YaelAldrich said:

I know certain cuts and styles make me look like a beef dumpling. Other cuts and styles make me look like I have curves (which I do!) and I look what I think of as my best. I have tried to give that information over to my daughter and sons. My daughter is seeing that certain things flatter her even if they are not the style worn by her girlfriends (and those styles honestly don't flatter her girlfriends either, but they feel more compelled to wear what's in style in their community).

I don't it's about sexism; it's about looking strong and confident in what clothes you. I want to wear my clothes, not them wear me!

 

ETA It didn't always mean looking sexy. Even my play and work on the car clothes ideally fit nicely and make me not look like a beef dumpling. But realistically I take the not nice fitting or not flattering clothes and use them for working on the car clothes.

And being comfortable. If you wear something that is a long  waisted silhouette, and you are short waisted, it has bunches of fabric clumping up and comes up under the arms. Sometimes it is a pain too zip. Some patterns are not made to enlarge at the hips or if a size 8 and needs to be taken in, major adjustments which may or may not be in the wheelhouse of whomever is sewing in order to put a size 6 skirt on a size 8 bodice or vice versa. There is also a point between a 6 and 8 and again at 14 and 16 where pattern manufacturers assume the increase in hip size means a large increase in bust size as well. This is tricky, and sometimes the easiest dress to assemble at that size range given the crappy patterns now available is an empire waist gown because the silhouette is the easiest to alter when major changes have to be made.

My mother is a genius at this stuff. I am not so talented. In the past when I made evening wear for performances, I made beautiful skirts, and then made tops/coats so I could make each piece off a different pattern and not have to connect them.

By the way OP, the fabric is very pretty. How many metres and what width? That alone can dictate what can and cannot be done with it. Ballroom full skirt isn't going to happen if you don't have 4-5 metres at least 1.5 metres ish wide.

[fairfarmhand]

26 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

And being comfortable. If you wear something that is a long  waisted silhouette, and you are short waisted, it has bunches of fabric clumping up and comes up under the arms. Sometimes it is a pain too zip. Some patterns are not made to enlarge at the hips or if a size 8 and needs to be taken in, major adjustments which may or may not be in the wheelhouse of whomever is sewing in order to put a size 6 skirt on a size 8 bodice or vice versa. There is also a point between a 6 and 8 and again at 14 and 16 where pattern manufacturers assume the increase in hip size means a large increase in bust size as well. This is tricky, and sometimes the easiest dress to assemble at that size range given the crappy patterns now available is an empire waist gown because the silhouette is the easiest to alter when major changes have to be made.

My mother is a genius at this stuff. I am not so talented. In the past when I made evening wear for performances, I made beautiful skirts, and then made tops/coats so I could make each piece off a different pattern and not have to connect them.

 

Yep. Small busted women with narrow shoulders (boyish types) who try to wear certain styles of bodice may spend the whole evening tugging at their tops to keep it in place. I have full thighs and hips. Certain styles of pants are uncomfortably snug across the hips if they fit in the waist.  High waisted pants are terribly uncomfortable for me. 

Interestingly, dressing in the styles that are most flattering for my body is also the most comfortable for me.

[Halftime Hope]

4 hours ago, pinball said:

🙄

Can’t believe this is the first question

 

Of course this is a legitimate question; different styles flatter different body types. We've been to a lot of weddings, and one really gets a feel for how styles flatter body types by seeing how the different dresses fit different bridesmaids. The bridal industry has recognized that reality by offering color-matching dresses in a variety of styles.

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[Halftime Hope]

2 hours ago, pinball said:

Bc what your DD enjoys wearing is more imp than her “body type”

When will women stop with this line of thinking? 
 
It’s pathetic that women have even bought into the concept having their “bodies” categorized into “types”

You make a point: there is always a balance between wearing what one enjoys and what flatters. But most people are aware of this, and quite a few of us *also* enjoy wearing what looks good on us.

Your final statement is judgemental and quite at odds with the spirit the bride seems to have had when she set the tone for bridesmaids. What a shame.

[Halftime Hope]

9 hours ago, Hannah said:

Dd is going to be a bridesmaid at her friend's wedding. Each bridesmaid will have her own dress made according to her taste. The top of the dress will be the patterned fabric in the photograph below and the skirt the plain. We need some ideas please on dresses made from this fabric.

Hannah, an idea. If your daughter wants a style that requires additional fabric, you might find out if more of the navy can be had. The fabric is so stunning, it would be a shame to skimp on the style that she really wants, as it looks like it will be something she can wear again and again for "occasions".

[goldberry]

5 hours ago, pinball said:

Bc what your DD enjoys wearing is more imp than her “body type”

When will women stop with this line of thinking? 
 
It’s pathetic that women have even bought into the concept having their “bodies” categorized into “types”

That's insulting and judgmental.  You have no idea what motivation is in a woman's head when she's dressing.  Why would you assume to know what they are "buying into" and why?  Tearing other women down and calling them pathetic is not the feminist flex you think it is.

Sorry OP - that fabric is lovely and I'm sure your daughter will be beautiful!

[Halftime Hope]

13 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Indoor, outdoor, what kind of weather, sleeves, how much fabric do you have? Those things will also dictate what can be made.

Something like this comes to mind.

-Wedding-Guest/dp/B08DXS8VXK/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=Bridesmaid%2BMaxi%2BDresses&qid=1702218698&sr=8-16&th=1&psc

My mother of the bride dress was quite like this, but with darling appliqued flowers all over, so it was much more contemporary (younger-looking) than lace would have been. I have to say though, I did not look like this woman, she is -- I believe -- standing on a stool under that skirt. 😄

Edited December 11, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[Hannah]

6 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

By the way OP, the fabric is very pretty. How many metres and what width? That alone can dictate what can and cannot be done with it. Ballroom full skirt isn't going to happen if you don't have 4-5 metres at least 1.5 metres ish wide.

The patterned is 1.2m x 1.2 m (47 inches x 54 inches) and the plain blue is 2m wide x 1.5m long (78 inches x 59 long) 

[Hannah]

5 hours ago, Halftime Hope said:

The fabric is so stunning, it would be a shame to skimp on the style that she really wants, as it looks like it will be something she can wear again and again for "occasions".

Luckily for us, the bride delivered the fabric in the bag from the shop they bought it at.  We will phone and ask them if they can match and courier to us as it won't be worth the four hour round trip to collect the fabric.

[Faith-manor]

12 hours ago, Hannah said:

Luckily for us, the bride delivered the fabric in the bag from the shop they bought it at.  We will phone and ask them if they can match and courier to us as it won't be worth the four hour round trip to collect the fabric.

I am glad you will likely be able to get more. It does allow for more style choice, and for potential cutting errors.

[Halftime Hope]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:38 PM, Hannah said:

Luckily for us, the bride delivered the fabric in the bag from the shop they bought it at.  We will phone and ask them if they can match and courier to us as it won't be worth the four hour round trip to collect the fabric.

Here's another thought:  if your daughter is wild about the color of the fabric and how it looks on her, she could also get enough fabric to make a jacket to match, out of either color. I also like the idea of palazzo pants that could be worn interchangeably instead of the skirt. (The girls on my college campus wear 70s style jeans and palazzo pants a lot, so the look is in style.) However, the pants would take a lot of fabric, I suspect, since they would also need to be cut on the bias rather than on the straight of the fabric, so that the fabric drapes nicely.

Depending on what is in her future, a bespoke, classically-styled navy 'suit' that could be matched with other blouses underneath might be a good investment.

If I were to apply US norms to the situation, the navy satin might be relatively inexpensive, and print might cost more.  (ETA: I meant inexpensive.)

 

 

Edited December 12, 2023 by Halftime Hope