Most traditional wedding gowns have a train extending off the back of the skirt.  It’s a beautiful and elegant detail that gives the dress a more formal look.  99% of our brides opt to wear a gown with a train.

The problem comes in when it’s time to dance!  What do you do with all that extra fabric?  Sure, you could leave it down and let it get stepped on all night.  Or you could pick it up and carry it through the reception, losing the use of one of your hands for about five hours.  Neither of these options are really good.  Your best bet is to put a bustle into your gown!

A bustle is a set of strings, ribbons, buttons, hooks, or other closures attached to the back of a wedding gown.  This allows the fabric to be cinched up and held off the floor.  Here’s a ‘before and after’ example:

Knottie ginanjason

There are a few different ways you can have your dress bustled:

Simple “Over” Bustle
This is the simplest type of bustle and is usually the cheapest to ‘install.’  Your seamstress will attach a few buttons along the waist seam of your gown.  Then they will put string loops a little lower on the train.  To bustle, just match up the buttons and loops.  The train will pull off the floor.  This can also be done with hooks and eyes, depending on the existing decoration of your gown.  Here’s an example:

Simple “Under” Bustle:
Similar to the Over Bustle, the ‘Under’ pulls the fabric underneath itself instead of being pulled over the rest of the skirt.  Get it?  Buttons and loops are placed on the underside of the fabric so they are hidden from view.  Then they’re matched up to pull the fabric off the floor.  The outside of the fabric has a different look because the fabric is folded differently.  Here’s an example:

WeddingBee’s Miss Hot Cocoa

French Bustle:
A French bustle is a complicated version of the Under bustle.  Instead of buttons or hooks, the seamstress will attach ribbons underneath the dress.  The ribbons simply get tied together, matching up the fabric and holding it to itself.  It sounds trickier but it’s really not.  This type of bustle is very popular because several points can make several layers of bustle:

Austrian Bustle:
This type of bustle is less popular although it still creates a beautiful effect.  Instead of putting ribbons or buttons underneath the dress, the seamstress will sew bias tape or a set of eyes to the underside of the train.  Then when it’s time to bustle, another ribbon is pulled tight to cinch the fabric together.  If you grew up in the ’80s like I did, undoubtedly your house had balloon shade curtains.  It’s the same idea:

Here’s a close-up example of what the button/loop system looks like:

And the hook/eye system:

Photos from the very helpful Leanna.com

Of course now that you have your bustle, you need to find someone who can help out on the wedding day!  Usually your mother, maid of honor, or wedding coordinator will fill this role.  If possible, it’s best if that person comes with you to the final gown fitting to practice putting up the bustle.  Here’s a funny photo of Wendee at Lucie’s Weddings and Events bustling a bride’s gown:

Have you decided what type of bustle you’ll have on your gown?  Which do you think is the prettiest?  Tell us in the comments!

Tags: Advice, gown, wishschool

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 9:30 am and is filed under Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.