THE INSIDE STORY: The Inner Life of Your Dress

 

The thing that makes a wedding dress so special is attention to detail inside as well as out. A well made wedding dress is indeed a work of art. While a bodice and skirt may look pretty straight-forward from the outside, there's a complex life of inner linings, facings, crinolines, slips and shaping materials we never see but sense by the way the gown holds its shape. For instance, the bodice on a typical wedding gown needs an underlining to give it that sculpted form in addition to becoming a strong foundation for lace, trim or embroidery. Additionally, an underlining can hide casements within the bodice for boning, a material used to hold that strapless bodice up. Realize that most bodices, whether draped or closely fitted to your body, frequently have some kind of foundation of reinforcement beneath. Contemporary bones are available in two forms- flat steel boning and spiral steel boning. Spiral is flat but thicker than flat boning due to the tips required at the ends. Flat boning bends in only one direction, while spiral steel boning bends easily in two directions. Spiral steel boning may be used for curved channeling or in light-support areas. Both varieties are rigid lengthwise. Today, manufacturers use nylon or Rigiline bones. Steel is still optimal for 'real deal' corsetry and couture bodices. Nylon boning doesn't have the strength to hold up bodices as well as steel. Nylon is also coarse and wrecks fabric over time. It is, however, inexpensive, so manufacturers do use it frequently.

Above Left: Finishing work on a lace bodice with a lining as clean and finished inside as out. Above Right: A built-in bodice helps this dress keep its shape. Below: Underneath view of a full skirt with layers of net and crinoline.

The skirt is where the most critical movement takes place. It goes into motion once you put one foot in front of the other and make your way down the aisle. And because the skirt is an action piece, it has a certain ‘living quality’ once you start moving around in it. For the gown to look and move properly, the right linings and understructure are necessary.  

Above: This heavier-weight train will glide with walking, as it has a 5-inch-wide horsehair core encased in fabric and lining.

  Your gown won't look finished off without proper lining and/or a slip. For snug sheath and evening gown silhouettes, an appropriate lining will suffice. Anything beyond an A-line requires a slip that provides structure. So what is structure? The ball gown above is shaped with a very wide and voluminous slip similar to the photo beside it. Whether you're going for an A-line, princess or full bouffant shape, your slip should be worn separately from your gown (read: yes, as in a whole separate piece). Why? You don't want to add bulk to the waistline. Wedding gowns have enough heavy-duty handiwork going on inside. Why add more? I know most gowns come with built-ins, but do ask your salon when placing the order to have the designer send your slip as a separate component from the gown.

  Trains and bustles have a lot going on inside as well. Most built-in trains double as bustles and are filled inside with layered crinoline or organdy to give shape. Ever wonder how the back extension of a gown glides so beautifully? The secret is horsehair. If you're looking at one of the more voluminous gowns, notice whether or not the skirt (read: skirt, not the under slip) seems to have a structure that can stand on its own. It should. This has to do with how it is lined and hemmed. When you pick up the skirt—including the train—and look closely at the hemline, you’re likely to find a 3-6” wide band of horsehair. That’s the clear and meshy edging at the hemline that gives the bottom of the dress some flex as well as firmness. Notice how the skirt and train extension seem to hold that precision shape. It’s the horsehair that keeps the bottom of the skirt in shape and gliding when you move instead of swishing side to side (you’ll find this out once you try on the gown). Typically horsehair is sewn on the inside of the hem. Most designers are bringing the skirt lining completely over the horsehair edging, leaving as clean a finish inside as out.

CREDITS

 

Header Photo & Photos 2&3: Bride Chic Photography 

Photo 4: Loic Photography 

Photo 5: Bride Chic Photography