Calling all FULL FIGURE BRIDES...

[joikb]

Hi ladies. I am a bride-to-be and I am gathering information on gown designers that carry dresses for full figure women. I know Alfred Angelo is one, but I am looking for others to have a variety to choose from. Anyone have any suggestions???

[pandafan1]

I'm recently engaged and went to David's Bridal to try on dresses. They have a wide selection of sizes, and it was nice to try on a dress that actually was the right size. It gave me a good idea as to what would look nice and what I don't want.

We haven't set a date yet, so I'm not in a hurry to find my dress. But, going to David's did give me greater knowledge on what I will want.

[joikb]

Thanks for the info pandafan1. Are there any particular styles/sillouets(sp?)that you would recommend? The gowns that I've looked at (internet only) that I liked were either A-line or empire. I hope you had a good experience at David's though you weren't in any hurry to make a purchase.

[pandafan1]

I thought that I wouldn't want anything without sleeves, but found that styles off the shoulder were very pretty. Styles with a drop-waist are very flattering, but tended to have very big, full skirts and they were a bit much for me. I tried on one empire, which actually looked good too. (I don't usually think empire is good for bustier ladies.)

If I could find my "dream" dress, it would be off the shoulders with a drop-waist and a-line skirt with no more than a foot of a train. Or, with a detatchalbe train of some sort.

I hope that you have good luck looking for your gown! If you have any tips, please post them too.

[ckapral]

I too am a full figure bride and I have found my gown. My wedding is not for a year but I started shopping early. I went to many bridal shops in Sacramento and all of them had plus size gowns and a fairly good selection. I ordered a beautiful Maggie Sotterro gown, that I love.

I was hesitant at first to try dresses that were sleeveless or strapless. I thought they would make my arms look fat. However, the dress I bought has tiny spaghetti straps and it looks so much better than the ones with sleeves. I found that short or capped sleeves made my arms look bigger because the sleeve drew attention to them. The dresses that looked the best had long lines in the bodice and small straps, this caused my waist to look thinner and drew attention away from my arms.

The dress I bought is a corset style dress and it makes me look at least 2 sizes smaller. Maggie Sotterro is know for corset style gowns and they do wonders. I ordered my dress from an online discounter and saved 300.00 to boot.

My suggestion is to try on every style you may be surprised. Personally I didn't like the off the shoulder dresses, it was very difficult to raise or move your arms. A friend of mine had an off the shoulder and said if she could do it over she wouldn't have had one.

Hope this helps.

[joikb]

Thanks for the info. Though I haven't started trying on dresses as of yet, I was kind of concerned about how my arms would look in a sleeveless dress or spaghetti strap dress. There were a couple of dresses by Demetrios that I was going to look into, but I will definitely put Maggie Sotterro on my "must try" list. I think I will start with her website. Thanks again!

Any Chicago brides out there with some info to share?????:)

[joikb]

Thanks Courtney for your advice. The dress you picked is beautiful :) ! I guess my only concern with Sottero's dresses are the corrset lace-ups on the back of the dress. Can anyone tell me how that looks and feels? Right now I am a size 22-24 in street clothes with an average bustline (for my size) and I don't want to look "stuffed" into the dress. Also for any plus size woman that already has her dress did you need many alterations; does the size chart prove accurate? I think Sottero's dresses are beautiful and would like to wear one and want all the help I can get. When I do start trying on dresses I will check a DBS dealer for a comparable price before purchasing.

Thanks everyone for your advice, it's really been helpful! ;)

Joi

[joikb]

Cindy, your dress is beautiful also! You ladies are making me want to go out now and find my dress. But now I am a little apprehensive. The dress is 2 pieces????? So, does the top hook onto the skirt or vice versa? Help me to understand :o !

[ckapral]

Joi-

The top of my dress is a basque waist so it drops down below my natural waist. When you put on the dress put on the skirt first and then the top. When you lace up the back of the top it flattens right over the waist of the skirt and it looks like it is one piece. Before I tried it on I thought it was one piece and I was really surprised to find that it was 2, no one will ever know.

The skirt of my gown is really full and I have a bit of a tummy and the dress hides it so well. I feel so self confident in the dress, but when my sister picked it out I really didn't think I would like it. As soon as I looked in the mirror I knew that it was my dress.

Don't be apprehensive just have fun and try on at least one dress of every style. If I had gone with what I thought woudl look good on me instead of trying on everything I would never have found this dress and it looks way better on than any other dress I tried. Sometimes it is hard to be confident when you are not a size 6 or 8 like all the dresses out there, but I really feel great in my dress and I don't feel like I have to hide any part of my body to feel that way.

Courtney was right that the Maggie Sotterro gowns take a while so if you go with one of her gowns give yourself plenty of time to order. I was told my gown would take about 4 months.

Hope all this helps. Good Luck with your search, post a message and let me know what you choose or if I can tell you anything more about my dress or experiences.

Cindy

[cameroncrazy]

I got my gown from Mary's Bridal. I am very top heavy. Also another good line is Paloma Blanca

Jill

[courtney_welch]

I also went to David's Bridal to try on different styles...and I also ended up ordering a Maggie Sottero dress. Her dresses are great for certain body types. I wear about a 16/18 in street sizes and have a full-figured hourglass shape. Sottero is great for an hourglass shape, even plus size. It makes me look amazing, and really cinches the waist. Plus, I don't even have to wear a bra...which is unheard of for me. I would highly suggest you check her stuff out. There is more than she shows on the website too, so go to stores. I got one that is two piece, so it's really comfy. It is slightly off the shoulder, and I definitely worried about the arms too, but I must say, it looks pretty good. Because of the way they are made, it is also easy to "try on" the sample sizes in the store. Obviously, I mean holding it up, pinning it, etc....but it gives you the idea. When I was looking I also liked some other lines...like Bonny and Mon Cheri. Not quite as good as Sottero, but good on the upper sizes. I thought I wanted a St. Patrick (by Pronovias) dress, but they do a lot of those draped in front skirts which are not very flattering on plus size gals. I think full A-line skirt is the way to go, and I like the basque/pointed/dropped waist. They always seemed the most flattering. I would avoid the "designed for fat girls" look of those princess A-line dresses, they sure didn't look good on me. Ditto on the empire waist, if you have a chest.

finally...whatever you do, make sure you get a quote from Discount Bridal Service for your dress...I saved about $400 on my Maggie Sottero, and the service was great. Keep in mind that Sottero takes a little longer than usual to order, they can be kind of slow.

(attached a picture of my dress, which is called "Vicki")

[ckapral]

Joi-

I was able to try on my Maggie Sotterro gown in a bridal shop before I bought it. They actually had my size in stock which was so wonderful. I wear an 16/18 and am very top heavy:) I ordered my dress in a 20.

I also wondered if the dress would look like I was stuffed in or if there wouldn't be enough support. I was pleasantly suprised to find that I didn't need to wear a bra with my gown. The corset style dress actually was very comfortable and supportive, I felt great when I was wearing it. I totally agree with Courtney that the dresses make you look very thin and really define your waist.

I should receive my gown in about 3 months so when I get it and have the alterations done I will let you know. The nice thing about the Sotterro dresses is that many of them are 2 pieces, mine is, and that makes for easier alterations. Especially if the top fits perfect and the bottom doesn't or vice versa (the story of my life).


I attached a picture of my gown if you want to look, it is not on the Sotterro web site.

Cindy

[danimom]

I got married 2 yrs ago, but remember it like yesterday. Try looking at Venus gowns. I went with an A-line dress & ordered a size 18.

I found the venus gowns nicely made and very decently priced.
Their web site is : http://www.lotusorient.com/home.html

My dress, in case you're interested, is Venue, style V133.

Good Luck in finding the dress of your dreams!

[Lithofacies]

When we went in, I told the lady "No strapless, I'm very modest." I was thinking something like Youlin, Peter Langner, or Bridal Originals.

She fenagled me into a Maggie Sottero. Those ladies can be so pushy! However, the asymetrical wasteline does a ton for the figure. Also, the neckline came up high, so I didn't feel like my boobs were squished and falling out of the dress. Honestly, I still felt self conscious about my arms because it was a strapless.

Has anyone tried on or used the Stole that goes with the strapless Maggie dresses?

Jennifer