The Dress

Maggie Sottero Elsie dress, ivory lace over nude lining.

This dress was my absolute dream. I was looking for something fitted, unique but not too standout, lacy but not too floral, and modern but not too modern. This dress has it all. I loved the ivory over nude look, as it's very much still a white wedding dress, but it has a bit more of a natural and modern look to it. The pattern reminds me of palm leaves, which I love, and I much preferred to a lot of other lace dresses with lots of floral patterns. The sequins on the dress give it an extra pop and let you shimmer in the light, but it's not too flashy or bright. The v in the neckline and under arms are a stunning finishing touch. The lining is really soft and the dress as a whole is very comfortable and lightweight. I felt so special in this dress and received countless complements. It was perfect for my outdoor wedding but has a really versatile look and could work in so many different settings.

I got the dress professionally dry cleaned, and there are absolutely no stains, dirt, or any other marks on the dress. The only two small signs of wear. First, the straps both have some beading coming off. To be honest, the beading started falling off the straps even before my wedding. They are still perfectly functional, and nobody would notice the bead issues unless they're looking at the straps very closely. But it should be an easy fix to clean up the straps just a tiny bit and get the beading back in place. Second, there is a small tear at the bottom of the dress. It really isn't noticeable while wearing the dress, as that part of the fabric naturally falls on the inside of a fold. Also, it's about 2" from the bottom of the dress, so if you were to hem the dress that amount or more, the small tear would be gone entirely. These two minor issues are shown in the photos. Other than these small issues, the dress is in great shape and is ready to wear!

The full dress listing is here (it's now discontinued): https://www.maggiesottero.com/rebecca-ingram/elsie/16205 and https://www.alexandrasbridalboutique.com/p17858168/rebecca-ingram-by-maggie-sottero-designs-20rt211.html
I purchased the dress in late 2021 for $1400 and wore it in May 2022. The hem and bustle addition cost an additional $150 and the dry cleaning was $150 too.

Alterations

The dress was hemmed for my height - 5'6.6" and 2" heels, so it should work for anyone who is 5'8.5" or less with shoes on. It can also be hemmed for anyone shorter.

I also added a french bustle to get the train up while dancing. I loved the design of the bustle

No other alterations were made!