Every bride deserves to feel beautiful and confident on her wedding day, regardless of her size. However, for plus-sized women, shopping for the perfect wedding dress can be a challenging experience. From limited size options to the pressure of societal beauty standards, there are several challenges that plus-sized brides may face when searching for their dream dress. Here are some of the challenges and solutions to consider when looking for a wedding dress as a plus-sized woman.
Challenge #1: Limited Size Options
One of the most common challenges that plus-sized women face when looking for a wedding dress is the limited size options available. Many bridal shops only carry sample sizes that range from 8 -12, leaving plus-sized women with few choices.
Solution: Look for Stores That Specialize in Plus-Sized Wedding Dresses
To overcome this challenge, plus-sized women should consider looking for bridal stores that specialize in plus-sized wedding dresses. Seems like an obvious solution however not as easy to find unfortunately. These stores often carry a wider range of sizes and have a better understanding of how to fit dresses for plus-sized bodies. Not sure if the shop your looking at carries gowns in your size? Give them a call! If you ask them, “do you have plus sized dresses” and they say “we have some but we can pin you into size 12s”, keep looking. I can tell you for a fact that most women that are sized 14-18 are not going to be love being “pinned into a 12” and it FOR SURE wont work for any bride that’s above an 18. For my body (I’m a bridal size 20) it’s just not possible and frankly, a waste of time.
Challenge #2: Pressure of Societal Beauty Standards
Plus-sized women may also face pressure from societal beauty standards when looking for a wedding dress. The media often portrays a narrow definition of beauty, which can make plus-sized brides feel self-conscious and ashamed of their bodies.
Solution: Choose a Dress That Makes You Feel Beautiful
The most important thing to remember when choosing a wedding dress is that you deserve to feel beautiful and confident on your special day. Ignore the societal beauty standards and choose a dress that makes you feel like a queen. Whether you prefer a fitted silhouette or a flowy ballgown, choose a dress that reflects your personal style and makes you feel amazing.
Challenge #3: Ill-Fitting Dresses
Keep in mind that even in “your bridal size” the gown will most likely need alterations to make it fit like a dream. For example, I am heavier on the bottom, than I am on the top. To accommodate my hips and booty, I need to size up and have the bodice and cups taken in. Being in between sizes is super common and pretty much every bride, regardless of size, struggles with that when shopping for a wedding dress.
Solution: Get Professional Alterations
To ensure that your dress fits you perfectly, consider getting professional alterations. A skilled tailor can make adjustments to the dress to ensure that it fits your body shape and accentuates your curves in all the right places. It’s also important to choose a dress that allows for alterations, so that the dress can be customized to your unique body shape. Our preferred seamstress, The Town Seamstress is not only a master tailor and seamstress, she is also a curvy gal herself and truly understands all body types.
Finding the perfect wedding dress can be a challenge for plus-sized women, but there are solutions to overcome these challenges. By choosing stores that specialize in plus-sized wedding dresses, choosing a dress that makes you feel beautiful, and getting professional alterations, you can find the perfect dress that makes you feel confident and beautiful on your special day. We are very proud of our plus size assortment but of course, we could use more (we are looking at you, wedding gown designers). Take a look at these plus sized gown inspiration pictures from our shop! Remember, every bride deserves to feel like a queen on her wedding day, regardless of her size.