Wedding ensemble: fitting & alterations

This fitting was very fun. The skirt bottom edge was temporarily set with safely pins and the bride was paraded up and down my stairs and outside to check the length. While a floor length skirt would be elegant, the comfort and ease of walking/dancing at the wedding reception is more important. The final length will be set once all the lining and waist details are finished.

Here is the initial bust:

For the corset, it was almost right. We decided to let the bust out half an inch. The push-up effect was beautifully 18th century but we felt it was a bit much for the wedding. My instinct was to let out the bust 1″ but after doing alterations and re-checking the fit, only half an inch increase in the bust measurement lead to the fit we wanted! The hip will be let out a quarter inch on each side to account for the two layers of skirt that will be worn underneath. I am darting and fitting the skirt closely under the corset but layers of fabric add up quickly.I forgot to take a photograph of the altered bust but we will have the final corset soon enough.

We used a cross-strap design which really flatters her back:

So next is the construction of the final corset, finishing the skirt interior fluff and lining, and a mock-up of the bolero jacket. We’ve picked out the grommet color and are going to try a set of 18th century knicker buckles for the corset strap closure. I had some laying around for another project and on a whim showed them to my client and they fit the strap width perfectly! Brilliant!