No matter how perfect that dress you've fallen in love with seems, prom dress alterations are almost a given.
It is very rare to find a dress that fits perfectly without any work whatsoever.
If you want to look your absolute best on prom night, it's important to make sure your dress fits perfectly.
By Lori Soard at Love to Know
The Perfect Fit
Although the women in magazines and catalogs look beautiful, very few of us are actually the perfect size, including models. Teens come in all shapes and sizes, so finding the perfect fit for you may be completely different than the perfect fit for your best friend.
There are a couple of rules of thumb that will help when choosing a prom dress to make alterations easier.
A Size Bigger or Smaller
In general, when altering a dress, it is much easier to take fabric away than to add fabric. To add fabric, you have to be certain of matching color, material and figure out how to hide the seams. If you fall between two sizes, always opt for the larger of the two as it will be easier, and probably less expensive, to have it taken in. Also, it is usually the same price to have one inch or five inches taken in, so if you're uncertain, it might even be better to order two sizes up.
Length
Dresses are generally made for girls less than 5 feet 9 inches tall. If you are shorter than this, you will probably have to get the dress hemmed. If you are taller, you may want to shop for a specialty tall dress to make sure you have enough material to create the length you want. Make sure the seamstress measures you with the shoes on that you'll be wearing on prom night. You don't want to trip on your hem as you're dancing because you wore high heels when being measured and then switched to flat shoes.
Style
Some styles and materials are just naturally easier to alter than others. A dress with many layers may be more difficult for a seamstress to alter and may cost you more money to have changed. Silk and taffeta can also be difficult to work with and may cost more to have altered.
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