Help me with my wedding dress!

[astrea]

I'm getting married this summer, and I want to wear a dress that I already have (but have never worn). I bought it for $1 at a flea market, but it needs a bit of alteration. For one thing, the navy velvet ribbon that goes around the neck (it's not actually strapless) needs to be longer for my torso, but that'll be easy to replace. Here's the dress:


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The top edges of the fabric under the arms are discolored, so I want to cover the bodice with another layer to hide the discoloration and make it look more bridal. I'm thinking gathered tulle and/or lace. I've been looking at poofy vintage prom dresses, and I've found a few for inspiration.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65224972/vintage-1950s-green-garden-tulle-lace?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=tulle+prom+dress&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=2&order=&includes0=tags&includes1=title&filter0=vintage

http://www.etsy.com/listing/56625522/the-stella-vintage-1940s-1950s?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=tulle+prom+dress&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=2&order=&includes0=tags&includes1=title&filter0=vintage

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65157950/vintage-perfect-black-illusion-lace-and?ref=sr_gallery_3&ga_search_query=tulle+prom+dress&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&order=&includes0=tags&includes1=title&filter0=vintage

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65687452/vintage-50s-dress-dream-lavender-lilac

Any ideas or advice? Is this doable? I have been sewing for years, so I'm not too worried about that aspect. Has anyone done anything like this before?
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[Aliceinwonderland]

Yeah, that seems doable. Spend money on the tulle because cheap tulle looks...well...cheap. You could do a bodice over the top and let the color peep out through the tule and tuck the tulle into the belt, or you could just drape the bust part to cover the armpit discoloration. Finally, I'd pull a the ribbon star off the back, and chose some artisan ribbon for the neck that will match better. I haven't looked at the garment in person but it almost, almost looks like someone said "I don't want a strapless dress" and then added that ribbon secondary. Typically the boning + period correct skivvies in this sort of dress is adequate to hold it up and I see that sort of alteration quite frequently.
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[astrea]

Hmm, I don't think the neck ribbon is supposed to match, since it's navy and the dress is purple, but you might be right that it was added as an afterthought. It's hard to tell, though, since the whole dress seems to be homemade. Do you have any recommendations on where to buy good tulle and ribbon online? It's really hard to tell on a computer screen what fabrics to get, and I don't know if there are fabric stores where I'll be able to find what I want locally. Maybe a fabric shopping expedition to NYC is in order....
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[snoopy]

Astrea, are you still in SF? Hit up Britex Fabrics!
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[Aliceinwonderland]

[receptionitis15]

I don't have much experience sewing formal attire, so take my advice with a grain of salt, but the tulle over color look is nice and seems like it would work with this dress. Would you be able to find tulle that matches the tulle from the bottom of the dress? Have you moved to Boston yet? If so, WinMil Fabrics on Chauncy St. near Chinatown has a nice selection. It's been years since I lived in Boston, but I've gotten nice tulle from them (once in a hard to match color) on two occasions, and they were recommended to me by a really sewing savvy friend of mine.

The dress is lovely, and it's really cool that you're altering it to fit the occasion. Good luck!

[astrea]

[Aliceinwonderland]

If you can find a cotton tule (which, if you find it, let me know the source!!) you can dye to match the bottom.
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[irish*eyes]

As witness to the gorgeous transformation Astrea made to her wedding dress, I believe she needs to update this thread. She was a stunning, fashionable, indie-craft bride last weekend. I would post pics but don't want to do so without her permission, so I won't. Which means she should. *ahem*
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[astrea]

irish*eyes, thank you! Except for the ones you took, I don't really have any good photos of the dress yet. This one you took shows most of it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/turquoise_bird/5928638684/in/set-72157627173957620

Here's a quick phone shot I took after the wedding:

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I wish I had some photos of the back. I tore out the zipper and installed 20-something little crystal buttons. I'll update when I get more pictures.
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[themaverick]

That is AMAZING. SO AMAZING! I'm very, very impressed. :) Beautiful job!
- Aimee

[milyssa]

Amazing!! It's hard to believe it's the same dress. I am in awe. :)

and best wishes to you and your new hubs :)
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[Chiquita]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[snoopy]

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! You did an excellent job giving new life to that dress!
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[miss e]

Beautiful! It is so sweet.
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