Dressing Up Western StyleIt's a rare bride who attempts making her own western wedding dress today, even if she sews well. The '80s trend of lavish weddings has made the typical bridal gown into a daunting concoction. The "gift-wrapped woman" concept has always bothered me, but even worse is the thought of a dress the price of a small car. All the grandeur is "for the photos" (and now for the video), but so what? Wedding pictures all look funny in 20 years.
For a really extravagant creation, it's better to go to a store or a designer or dressmaker. But if you picture a western wedding dress of charming simplicity, you or your mother or a friend with moderate sewing skills can make it yourselves in a reasonable amount of time. The result will have special meaning and the cost will be one-fifth of retail or less, even when using the finest materials. This encouragement isn't based on the making of my own western wedding dress, which is lost in the mists of time. (It still looks good, though.) I have recently done another, this time for my wonderful new daughter-in-law. One does not make such an offer lightly. What if she didn't like the idea, or worse, the result? I knew there would be no fit problems nor desire for frou-frou; that helped. Also, she and Number 1 son were just finishing their law studies, starting jobs and planning a major trip, so an extravagant dress was not a priority. As it turned out, all went well and the bride looked beautiful. Bridal and pattern books were studied, and the decision was Butterick 5940, shown below. The main fabric was bought in the Orient: white silk jacquard satin with marvellous fluidity. My first step was easy: Make up the bodice-peplum portion from an old sheet to test fit and style. This was helpful throughout. The basics did not worry me; I knew I could do the assembly within the week I had free. Where I felt unsure was in the subtle "getting it right" that comes from experience in a specific medium. Barcza custom-designs bridal and evening gowns, reconstructs heritage gowns, sells fabrics and advises (for a reasonable fee) someone who wants to tackle a gown herself. "I break it down so it isn't scary," she says. Some clients want help with planning, cutting out, or at the fitting stage. Looking at our pattern, fabric and muslin, Barcza could immediately "see" the gown. She confirmed my trimming instincts: Skip beading but add tubular piping into the neck and waist seams. She pictured puffier sleeves, an easy pattern change. A suggestion that made all the difference in handling was to do the dress in two parts: bodice with peplum and separate skirt. |