Does your wedding dress have
a long, chapel length train or is it just a small
brush/sweep train?
Regardless of how long it is, your train will add
elegance as you walk down the aisle. But sometime during
your wedding festivities, those extra yards of lace and
satin will probably be in the way. Adding a Bustle to your
gown will make walking and dancing easier, and keep your
gown’s hemline cleaner also.
Bustles date back to the 1800’s when
stylish women wore a frame underneath their dress to
support the back of their very full skirts. This
Victorian fashion also helped women’s waists look
smaller (a fashion goal that never goes out of
style).
The
Bustle is in use today
primarily to lift the long, elegant trains of wedding
gowns off the floor. Instead of a framework worn under
the wedding gown, the long train is lifted with buttons
or ties to create a lovely bouffant style that is also
very practical.
Although almost all brides
utilize Bustles for their wedding gowns, you may be
surprised to discover that the dresses do not come with
bustles in place.They are added during alterations. This makes
sense since all brides are not the same height and your bustle should
lift the back of your gown to your hem
length. So your bustle must be custom
made.
You have
several choices in bustles:
The Over Bustle and the Under Bustle (also known
as the French or Victorian bustle) are the most common.
But you do have another option as well (see below.)You
can choose the style you prefer and the one that will
flatter your gown the best.
Use care in selecting your
bustle style if your gown fabric is delicate. The weight of
the gown on the bustles may tear transparent,
lightweight, fabrics like organza. So if your
fabric is delicate, choose a bustle style that reduces
the weight on each individual bustle. Read below for
several bustle options.
The Over Bustle
The Over bustle consists of several hooks and eyes lifting your train
off the floor. The “eyes” are placed along the
waistline. The “hooks” are sewn in about 14 – 20” down
the back skirt. Lace appliqués,
rosettes or bows may be needed to cover the hooks and
eyes. Covered buttons also work well, and may look
nicer, especially if you have buttons down the back of
your gown.The longer your train is, the more hooks or
buttons you will need.
The Under Bustle
Another option is the Under
Bustle also known as the French or Victorian
bustle. This method works especially well for gowns
without a waistline and gowns that are especially
decorative in the back area, as it doesn’t cover up any
lace or details in the gown right below the waist. The gown is
lifted from the bottom area. The Under Bustle is
also more secure than the Over Bustle.
For the Under Bustle, ribbons
are sewn under the gown securing the outer fabric to the
lining. Use
different colors of ribbon to make the task of tying
easier. Another way to make a French Bustle is sew loops
into the inside back side of the gown in a diamond
shape. A ribbon is run through the loops, gathered and
tied to give the gown a bouffant look.
Austrian
Bustle
While it is not as common,
you can also create a very interesting bustle by sewing
bias tape down the back seams and running a ribbon
through it.The ribbon is pulled to create a look similar to
balloon shades.
As you can see, with a variety of
bustles to choose from you can add a great deal of style
to your wedding gown while making it much easier to get
around.
For more bustle
pictures and information visit: http://www.rencentral.com/oct_nov_vol1/bustles.shtml
© Copyright 2007 Heritage Garment
Preservation
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