The Dress

This dress fit my dress-goals to the tee! I was looking for a romantic off-the-shoulder dress that showed off my figure on the top but flowed over my hips on the bottom, and I found it at a local bridal shop in Jacksonville, Florida.

Details:
This dress has multiple layers of tulle and organza underneath the top fabric with the lace. The color of these underlayers is "moscato" so it gives off a more beige undertone, even though the top layers are ivory. The lace pattern consists of hibiscus flowers and a lot of other floral motifs. There are sequins sporadically spread throughout the lace, mostly on the sleeves. The sleeves are also detachable so that it can be strapless. There is a slight train (maybe 2-3 feet?). The top bodice is corset-like with the boning under the bust, but there is a zipper and buttons in the back.

About the fit:
This *does* fit like a strapless dress since the off-the-shoulder sleeves are not structural; therefore, the bodice is more fitted than other dresses so that you are not adjusting it all the time. Given that, I would recommend this to someone with a street size 12 instead of 14. I gained weight after ordering and while I still fit into the dress, the top portion pinched where my back overflowed. However, there are ways to make sure that your skin doesn't rub or that your back is taped down. If you don't have a strong back, this overflow is inevitable with a strapless dress unless you use body tape.

Conditions:
There are no tears or stains. I had it professionally cleaned and treated with David's Bridal.

Weather:
I got married in this dress in early August in Florida (so, really hot). It was not completely unbearable, but it would have been nicer if it were more cool outside. I wore compression shorts underneath to help stay cool, but it still was always very relieving whenever a breeze passed through. So, although possible, this would be a great mid-Fall or mid- to late-Spring dress instead of the hottest month of the year.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Alterations

There are no alterations to the size. However, when my dress arrived, it looked very different from the one I tried on in store: the cups were pointy and the dress flared out a lot more (like a ball gown). First, I had my seamstress curve out the cups so that it was more rounded as seen in the pictures. She had to rearrange the lace on the bodice to do this, but it is not noticeable at all. Then, I had her taper in the sides so that it did not flare out as much. Finally, there is an American bustle (pictured in the 5th photo), which attaches to one of the lace flowers.