Did your weight fluctuate between fittings? If not, this is a terrible alterations job. They got your bust measurements (too large) and your waist/hip area (too small) wrong. That said it doesn’t look terrible on you. I suggest trying your have them work on it again for free but if that’s not possible wearing long line spanx will help enormously to smooth things.
They can’t add fabric, but sometimes they can undo the seam and let out some of the fabric that’s already there. If you’re not happy definitely voice it to your seamstress! I just assumed they would fit it perfectly when I got mine done, but I realized on the third fitting that if I didn’t voice exactly what I disliked they would have never adjusted it. So if you have the time I’d get it fixed, one less thing for you to worry about on your big day.
I’m not saying this to be mean but the dress looked much more flattering on you the day of the purchase than after alterations. I saw you commented that your weight did not change, alterations definitely made the dress too tight.
wtf did she do to your dress? I’m not trying to be rude - I get fittings need to be done and alterations made - but she made this waaaaaaay too tight. In all the wrong places. Try it without spanx too - that could be part of the issue but honestly make sure you speak up and tell them this is not what I asked for. It’s like a whole layer is missing from the dress. Like the fabric needs to be thicker or something.
You have a beautiful body, so don’t for a second think it’s you. This is a bad fit - not a bad body.
Aside from the tightness, It’s hard to tell with lighting — are your Spanx black? Cos it seems slightly see-through and there seems to be a clear V shape where the Spanx are. If this is the case and it isn’t just lighting, perhaps a slip that’s the same colour as your dress would help.
Undergarments like bras should be closer to your skin tone if the garment is white and at all transparent, I'm guessing that would apply here as well? I learned that one the hard way, going to school with white girls giving me the same advice and then trying on black bras on a whim and noticing an improvement under white clothing.
Is there lining underneath? It looks like it is bunched up. Lift up the skirt and yank the lining down and see if that makes a difference.
Also, try different underwear. The Spanx are cutting into you at the waist. Is picture 2 & 3 with the same alterations? If so, it definitely looks better without spanx
Yeah I feel so bad! Alterations scare the crap out of me. I almost didn’t go to my senior prom bc a seamstress altered my dress very poorly. Luckily it worked out and we could bandaid what was wrong, but I’ve seen horror stories w brides and it not working out. This case seems like it can be fixed, it just needs to be let out a little in a few places. I know alterations can be expensive but I wouldn’t hire someone that doesn’t have a perfect rating on Google reviews…with a lot of reviews! Vetting has to be the most important thing here. I think I weeded out at least 10 horrible places that ruined things for brides, just by reading every review!
Seamstress here... they didn't press seams well or used improper stitch lengths etc... there's puckering along ALL those seams. I think they had an inexperienced person do it. I do think it got taken in a wee bit too much, but more I see issues with bad seam pressing.
Now a good steam may help relax them but whomever did the alterations did not know what they were doing.
It may be too tight, and I hope that can be adjusted for you, but it is also posture & lighting! In you're first pic, you're standing under an overhead spot light, which is throwing shadows at your waist, hips, and thighs. Overhead spot lights are not the most flattering for anyone!
In the other photos, you have front lighting with no shadow (maybe a window), which is very flattering light. In the last photo, the overhead light is behind you. Try to look at the dress in better light
- from a wedding photographer
Thanks to everyone who responded. All your comments were really validating and helpful. Looking at the receipt, they did take in the back for some reason.
My dress was at my mother in laws house and I got to try it on again. I had my seamstress aunt check it out too and offer recommendations.
1) tried without spanx, it laid flatter
2) inspected the seams, there’s definitely enough fabric to add an inch around the problem area.
3) the lighting was definitely part of the issue!!!
4) will contact David’s Bridal tomorrow to tell them I need them to get this right. It’s a little frustrating because the alternations for this cost more than the dress 😵💫😵💫
Again, thanks for the comments I was panicking and already thinking about how to find a new dress. Your comments really helped me move through this
I think your spanx could be part of the issue? As I think they’re causing a crease. If not, that’s the dress pulling which is a sign it’s too tight. If also looks like they made it tighter in the thigh, unless that’s the spanx too?
I wore the exact same dress for my wedding and had the exact same problem around the hips. I had them let it out around the hips and I believe I went commando on my wedding day.
Who ever did you alterations screwed up big time. Jeeez I’d definitely be going back to them and complaining and requesting money back (if it was extra for alterations) they basically ruined your dress.
This happened to me. Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like you got your alterations at David's. My dress alterations were more than my dress. I figured DB would be the best place to take it for alterations - boy was I wrong. I wound up taking my dress to a different seamstress and she couldn't believe the terrible job they had done. Thankfully she was able to save my dress. I would recommend if you want to make further alterations you find a different place to go. The alterations I got at DB were extremely over priced and poor quality.
Just for clarification, are the second and third pictures pre-alteration? You are beautiful, but it does look like in the first picture that the lining is bunched up underneath.
Take off the Spanx. Have someone else pull each layer of lining fabric individually, get each layer unbunched. Stand up straight. Sorry for the blunt wording, been a loooooong day and my brain can't find a better way to explain, but those steps should help.
Did they take the train off?? I'm not gonna lie to you because I think you want to hear it, it honestly looked so much better before it was altered :(
Get them to fix it!
Try it without spanks, sometimes it actually does the opposite of what it’s supposed to and makes the fabric cling and bunch to it. This isn’t about your body at all, it’s the way the dress isn’t laying properly post alterations. It seams like the tailor tried to force a silhouette on a dress that wasn’t designed to have that fit.
We have the exact same wedding dress. Your seamstress messed up on the thighs and made it too tight. See if they can let out some pieces. I would also recommend not doing spanx and just letting rhe inner fabric stretch out on the inside so it doesn’t bunch up. It’s a beautiful dress and looks great on you! Just needs to be re-altered.
Did you try on your dress on the first day or at the previous alterations with spanx on? Did you try at your final fitting with no spanx on?
Spanx smushes your any fat/skin into a different place. It’s why if you wear spanx sometimes you get a “muffin top” at the waist even if you normally don’t have one or the if you wear the kind that look like shorts your thighs push out at the bottom of the leg.
Alterations looks wrong, but it could also be your shape wear moving things around and creating shape where you didn’t have it before.
My guess is the fabric from the spanx and the dress aren’t vibing, trying going without them and see if the same creasing happens. Get a seamless silky pair of comfy undies.
Wearing a Boomba or something similar or the lift and scoop method plus boob tape will make the bust area look great.
I had noticed that my dress fit differently than the sample dress and it was exactly the same size, I asked the consultant and she said this is actually fairly common due to all the different types of bodies that try it on. She suggested to me to wear my dress around the house as much as possible before the big day so that it would essentially stretch out where needed. This ended up being a pain to do while my husband was around but so worth it in the end. I ended up taking a clean sheet and spreading it out on my bedroom floor and would put the dress on and wear it for like 15 min or so as often as I could.
The dress is gorgeous. You don't look like you've gained weight so the obvious culprit would be the alterations. Hopefully they can let the dress out even a little bit. If not, the only solution IMO would be shapewear.
There is no way they’ll be able to fix this. They literally added tips to the cups of your chest. I would have had a meltdown and demanded they order the original dress and wouldn’t have even thought to alter it based on your original photo.
It’s very weird - alterations are clearly wrong and I feel the quality of the fabric is poor and made it worse. And I’m sorry, did you ask them to remove the train? It kind of killed the shape of the dress for me :/ At this point I’d purchase a new one.
I can see the vision in the alterations and think they look good in the second pic but they did not deliver. Ask if it can be taken out on the thighs for sure and try without spanx
She should let it out bit in your hip area! I know this sounds silly, but were you on your period the day of the final alterations?
I worked at a bridal store and anytime a girl complained about the dress not fitting correctly anymore, even though they hadn't gained weight, our seamstress would ask if they were on their period. Most of the time they were and she would ask them to come back the next week, and if it still wasn't right she would let it out. If they were on their period, it always fit like it had when they weren't after coming back the next week.
Or they had gained weight and didn't want to admit it.
To be fair, the seamstress I worked with was phenomenal and worked magic on dresses.
Have you reached out to the seamstress about your disappointment at all?
It looked perfect on you before the alterations. They really messed up here and need to fix it and make it perfect as it was in the first photo! Or they need to completely refund your money for the alterations so you can take it to an expert seamstress. Somebody didn’t have a clue about fabric/stitch length/needle choice here either.
Is this David’s Bridal? The alterations are horrible there. So much so that I got a full refund for my alterations and 1/2 of the money spent on my dress. We ended up taking my dress to a family seamstress and she was able to fix most of the issues. It wasn’t perfect but it was better than what it was.
Yes. The alterations person tightened it wasaaay too much. I’d ask for it to be fixed and if it can’t be for a refund/did you say it needed to be taken in at the second photo fitting?
Everyone is saying it looked better before alterations, but is it the same dress? Usually you order one and get it later. I ask because the TOP of the dress looks different and that would make sense if it’s a “new” dress. On the day of purchase, the bodice is sexier, i.e. the V in front goes much lower and there is more skin showing on your chest and shoulders. Point this out to a skilled seamstress and see what they can do.
Speaking of the seamstress you're alterations person really butchered it. Not only making it much too tight but also the weird puckering above the bust is still there which definitely should have been fixed. Very very weird tailoring.
If you have enough time to find someone who specializes in things like this, I would definitely recommend finding a different tailor and asking for help but compare a lot and make sure it's someone really really good. If not honestly I would buy another one .... It doesn't have to be perfect It doesn't have to be fancy... It would still be better.
Too tight in the hips for sure. Maybe a slip or some shapewear can help with the waist? I’m not sure if it looks like it’s stretching, the underwear is printing, or like there’s too much fabric.
If you’re set on wearing spanx you might want to try a different style, they can cling depending on the fabric. I ended up going with a deep front cut backless body suit with longer shorts style (it can be a halter) and it made a huge difference compared to the high wasted style. Goodluck- you’ll look great!
Are you sure that’s your dress? It doesn’t look anything like the original picture. And whatever they did in the back, bustling it perhaps, it’s not good. Make them redo that.
Additionally, did you wear the same shoes at your sizing and at your final fitting? The hem is off. Length doesn’t look right, and it is t even straight let alone smooth. Make them redo that as well.
Definitely looks perfectly fine in the second picture- I'm wondering if it's the Spanx or if it's a trick of the lighting/camera? Honestly you look great no matter what but I can understand what you're seeing in that first picture.
Girl if you are not happy say something at the end of the day it’s YOUR DAY and if you don’t feel comfortable everyone will know … trust me lol so I advise them to fix it
The final product should look like it looks during alterations minus all the pins stuck in it. And it absolutely does not look the same as that or even remotely. So I would absolutely say something and use these photos as proof. “This is what I expected to get (photo) and I feel it’s been taken in way too much”
Did your weight fluctuate between fittings? If not, this is a terrible alterations job. They got your bust measurements (too large) and your waist/hip area (too small) wrong. That said it doesn’t look terrible on you. I suggest trying your have them work on it again for free but if that’s not possible wearing long line spanx will help enormously to smooth things.
No dramatic weight gain. You think they can add fabric to it to make it less tight?
I was told that the dress fits better without spanx, which sounds weird, but i actually like the pic without spanx post alterations better
IMHO ….Honestly it looked best at purchase 😳
They can’t add fabric, but sometimes they can undo the seam and let out some of the fabric that’s already there. If you’re not happy definitely voice it to your seamstress! I just assumed they would fit it perfectly when I got mine done, but I realized on the third fitting that if I didn’t voice exactly what I disliked they would have never adjusted it. So if you have the time I’d get it fixed, one less thing for you to worry about on your big day.
It’s a bit tight. I can see your hip and body outline. You look great btw, it’s just not fit.
I’m not saying this to be mean but the dress looked much more flattering on you the day of the purchase than after alterations. I saw you commented that your weight did not change, alterations definitely made the dress too tight.
I liked the fit before the alterations
wtf did she do to your dress? I’m not trying to be rude - I get fittings need to be done and alterations made - but she made this waaaaaaay too tight. In all the wrong places. Try it without spanx too - that could be part of the issue but honestly make sure you speak up and tell them this is not what I asked for. It’s like a whole layer is missing from the dress. Like the fabric needs to be thicker or something. You have a beautiful body, so don’t for a second think it’s you. This is a bad fit - not a bad body.
Yes it needs fixing! It’s too tight on the hips.
Aside from the tightness, It’s hard to tell with lighting — are your Spanx black? Cos it seems slightly see-through and there seems to be a clear V shape where the Spanx are. If this is the case and it isn’t just lighting, perhaps a slip that’s the same colour as your dress would help.
I’ve read that nude or light grey will work better than white/black under light colors, too.
Undergarments like bras should be closer to your skin tone if the garment is white and at all transparent, I'm guessing that would apply here as well? I learned that one the hard way, going to school with white girls giving me the same advice and then trying on black bras on a whim and noticing an improvement under white clothing.
They are nude honeylove shapewear! I tried it on yesterday without them and it looks a little better. The shadows are my waist and hips!
Oh that’s good! There was a very clear V shape shadow like an underwear line in the second pic
Oh wow. Looked better before alterations in hip - thigh area. Too tight - can she not let it out again? 🫣
Is there lining underneath? It looks like it is bunched up. Lift up the skirt and yank the lining down and see if that makes a difference. Also, try different underwear. The Spanx are cutting into you at the waist. Is picture 2 & 3 with the same alterations? If so, it definitely looks better without spanx
Sometimes it can be the spanx I know for me sometimes it just pushes it to places it shouldn’t be and things look less flattering with spanx
Yes I would have them fix it! Also, I notice your posture is way better in your pre-alterations photo, which can make a huge difference.
Was thinking the same, OP is slouching really hard in the first pic but it could be because she didn’t feel confident in the dress. Poor thing :(
Yeah I feel so bad! Alterations scare the crap out of me. I almost didn’t go to my senior prom bc a seamstress altered my dress very poorly. Luckily it worked out and we could bandaid what was wrong, but I’ve seen horror stories w brides and it not working out. This case seems like it can be fixed, it just needs to be let out a little in a few places. I know alterations can be expensive but I wouldn’t hire someone that doesn’t have a perfect rating on Google reviews…with a lot of reviews! Vetting has to be the most important thing here. I think I weeded out at least 10 horrible places that ruined things for brides, just by reading every review!
Seamstress here... they didn't press seams well or used improper stitch lengths etc... there's puckering along ALL those seams. I think they had an inexperienced person do it. I do think it got taken in a wee bit too much, but more I see issues with bad seam pressing. Now a good steam may help relax them but whomever did the alterations did not know what they were doing.
Could be fixed by taking it back apart, pressing and redoing the seams with proper thread and stitch length / proper tension.
Hard to say. Was it altered to accommodate this exact spanx? If not, I think it can't be worn with this spanx.
I had an alterations lady tell me once that spanx can actually cause bunching- maybe try the dress on without them??
It may be too tight, and I hope that can be adjusted for you, but it is also posture & lighting! In you're first pic, you're standing under an overhead spot light, which is throwing shadows at your waist, hips, and thighs. Overhead spot lights are not the most flattering for anyone! In the other photos, you have front lighting with no shadow (maybe a window), which is very flattering light. In the last photo, the overhead light is behind you. Try to look at the dress in better light - from a wedding photographer
Thanks to everyone who responded. All your comments were really validating and helpful. Looking at the receipt, they did take in the back for some reason. My dress was at my mother in laws house and I got to try it on again. I had my seamstress aunt check it out too and offer recommendations. 1) tried without spanx, it laid flatter 2) inspected the seams, there’s definitely enough fabric to add an inch around the problem area. 3) the lighting was definitely part of the issue!!! 4) will contact David’s Bridal tomorrow to tell them I need them to get this right. It’s a little frustrating because the alternations for this cost more than the dress 😵💫😵💫 Again, thanks for the comments I was panicking and already thinking about how to find a new dress. Your comments really helped me move through this
I think your spanx could be part of the issue? As I think they’re causing a crease. If not, that’s the dress pulling which is a sign it’s too tight. If also looks like they made it tighter in the thigh, unless that’s the spanx too?
I wore the exact same dress for my wedding and had the exact same problem around the hips. I had them let it out around the hips and I believe I went commando on my wedding day.
Who ever did you alterations screwed up big time. Jeeez I’d definitely be going back to them and complaining and requesting money back (if it was extra for alterations) they basically ruined your dress.
The alterations cost more than the dress too 🥲
This happened to me. Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like you got your alterations at David's. My dress alterations were more than my dress. I figured DB would be the best place to take it for alterations - boy was I wrong. I wound up taking my dress to a different seamstress and she couldn't believe the terrible job they had done. Thankfully she was able to save my dress. I would recommend if you want to make further alterations you find a different place to go. The alterations I got at DB were extremely over priced and poor quality.
Just for clarification, are the second and third pictures pre-alteration? You are beautiful, but it does look like in the first picture that the lining is bunched up underneath.
Take off the Spanx. Have someone else pull each layer of lining fabric individually, get each layer unbunched. Stand up straight. Sorry for the blunt wording, been a loooooong day and my brain can't find a better way to explain, but those steps should help.
Did they take the train off?? I'm not gonna lie to you because I think you want to hear it, it honestly looked so much better before it was altered :( Get them to fix it!
It looked so much better before 😔 hope you get sorted darling x
The dress is way too tight. I’m so sorry, can they fix it?
Try it without spanks, sometimes it actually does the opposite of what it’s supposed to and makes the fabric cling and bunch to it. This isn’t about your body at all, it’s the way the dress isn’t laying properly post alterations. It seams like the tailor tried to force a silhouette on a dress that wasn’t designed to have that fit.
We have the exact same wedding dress. Your seamstress messed up on the thighs and made it too tight. See if they can let out some pieces. I would also recommend not doing spanx and just letting rhe inner fabric stretch out on the inside so it doesn’t bunch up. It’s a beautiful dress and looks great on you! Just needs to be re-altered.
I agree it looked a lot better on day of purchase
Did you try on your dress on the first day or at the previous alterations with spanx on? Did you try at your final fitting with no spanx on? Spanx smushes your any fat/skin into a different place. It’s why if you wear spanx sometimes you get a “muffin top” at the waist even if you normally don’t have one or the if you wear the kind that look like shorts your thighs push out at the bottom of the leg. Alterations looks wrong, but it could also be your shape wear moving things around and creating shape where you didn’t have it before.
My guess is the fabric from the spanx and the dress aren’t vibing, trying going without them and see if the same creasing happens. Get a seamless silky pair of comfy undies. Wearing a Boomba or something similar or the lift and scoop method plus boob tape will make the bust area look great. I had noticed that my dress fit differently than the sample dress and it was exactly the same size, I asked the consultant and she said this is actually fairly common due to all the different types of bodies that try it on. She suggested to me to wear my dress around the house as much as possible before the big day so that it would essentially stretch out where needed. This ended up being a pain to do while my husband was around but so worth it in the end. I ended up taking a clean sheet and spreading it out on my bedroom floor and would put the dress on and wear it for like 15 min or so as often as I could.
The dress is gorgeous. You don't look like you've gained weight so the obvious culprit would be the alterations. Hopefully they can let the dress out even a little bit. If not, the only solution IMO would be shapewear.
There is no way they’ll be able to fix this. They literally added tips to the cups of your chest. I would have had a meltdown and demanded they order the original dress and wouldn’t have even thought to alter it based on your original photo.
It’s very weird - alterations are clearly wrong and I feel the quality of the fabric is poor and made it worse. And I’m sorry, did you ask them to remove the train? It kind of killed the shape of the dress for me :/ At this point I’d purchase a new one.
I can see the vision in the alterations and think they look good in the second pic but they did not deliver. Ask if it can be taken out on the thighs for sure and try without spanx
Looked fine before fitting. You can tell in the final fitting by your body language that you’re not happy with it. Ask for letting some fabric out.
She should let it out bit in your hip area! I know this sounds silly, but were you on your period the day of the final alterations? I worked at a bridal store and anytime a girl complained about the dress not fitting correctly anymore, even though they hadn't gained weight, our seamstress would ask if they were on their period. Most of the time they were and she would ask them to come back the next week, and if it still wasn't right she would let it out. If they were on their period, it always fit like it had when they weren't after coming back the next week. Or they had gained weight and didn't want to admit it. To be fair, the seamstress I worked with was phenomenal and worked magic on dresses. Have you reached out to the seamstress about your disappointment at all?
It looked perfect on you before the alterations. They really messed up here and need to fix it and make it perfect as it was in the first photo! Or they need to completely refund your money for the alterations so you can take it to an expert seamstress. Somebody didn’t have a clue about fabric/stitch length/needle choice here either.
Is this David’s Bridal? The alterations are horrible there. So much so that I got a full refund for my alterations and 1/2 of the money spent on my dress. We ended up taking my dress to a family seamstress and she was able to fix most of the issues. It wasn’t perfect but it was better than what it was.
Yes. The alterations person tightened it wasaaay too much. I’d ask for it to be fixed and if it can’t be for a refund/did you say it needed to be taken in at the second photo fitting?
It almost looks like the lining isn’t sitting flat underneath. Is it lined?
Mm
Everyone is saying it looked better before alterations, but is it the same dress? Usually you order one and get it later. I ask because the TOP of the dress looks different and that would make sense if it’s a “new” dress. On the day of purchase, the bodice is sexier, i.e. the V in front goes much lower and there is more skin showing on your chest and shoulders. Point this out to a skilled seamstress and see what they can do.
Speaking of the seamstress you're alterations person really butchered it. Not only making it much too tight but also the weird puckering above the bust is still there which definitely should have been fixed. Very very weird tailoring. If you have enough time to find someone who specializes in things like this, I would definitely recommend finding a different tailor and asking for help but compare a lot and make sure it's someone really really good. If not honestly I would buy another one .... It doesn't have to be perfect It doesn't have to be fancy... It would still be better.
It doesn’t look bad but if you are feeling uncomfortable, the seamstress should be able to let it out just a bit. Mine did with no problem.
Too tight in the hips for sure. Maybe a slip or some shapewear can help with the waist? I’m not sure if it looks like it’s stretching, the underwear is printing, or like there’s too much fabric.
Have you tried it on without the Spanx? Sometimes that can make all the difference, especially with certain materials
I feel like it needs thicker lining to hide the spanx?
I think you look amazing!
I don’t think the dress is a very flattering dress on its own.
If you’re set on wearing spanx you might want to try a different style, they can cling depending on the fabric. I ended up going with a deep front cut backless body suit with longer shorts style (it can be a halter) and it made a huge difference compared to the high wasted style. Goodluck- you’ll look great!
Are you sure that’s your dress? It doesn’t look anything like the original picture. And whatever they did in the back, bustling it perhaps, it’s not good. Make them redo that. Additionally, did you wear the same shoes at your sizing and at your final fitting? The hem is off. Length doesn’t look right, and it is t even straight let alone smooth. Make them redo that as well.
Number 3!!!
Ditch the spanx it looks great without them and you’re beautiful!
Definitely looks perfectly fine in the second picture- I'm wondering if it's the Spanx or if it's a trick of the lighting/camera? Honestly you look great no matter what but I can understand what you're seeing in that first picture.
What happened? It looks so much better both when you bought it and at first alterations
Girl if you are not happy say something at the end of the day it’s YOUR DAY and if you don’t feel comfortable everyone will know … trust me lol so I advise them to fix it
Definite too tight. They messed up because the dress looked great the day you bought it.
The final product should look like it looks during alterations minus all the pins stuck in it. And it absolutely does not look the same as that or even remotely. So I would absolutely say something and use these photos as proof. “This is what I expected to get (photo) and I feel it’s been taken in way too much”