THE INSIDE SCOOP: The Inner Life of Your Wedding Dress

 

What makes a wedding dress so special is the attention to detail inside and out. A well-made dress is indeed a work of art. While a bodice and skirt may look pretty straightforward from the outside, there's a complex life of inner linings, facings, crinolines, slips, and shaping materials we sometimes don't see but sense by the way the gown holds its shape. For instance, a typical wedding dress bodice needs an underlining or foundation layer to create a sculpted form and provide a strong base for lace, trim, or embroidery. Additionally, an underlining can carry the channels that hold boning inside a bodice. In a strapless gown, boning works with the fit and inner foundation to support the dress and keep its shape. Flat steel boning bends forward and back; spiral steel bends from side to side as well, making it useful where the bodice needs more flexibility. Both offer firm lengthwise support. Flexible plastic boning is another option, but for a closely fitted couture bodice, I generally prefer steel. The choice depends on the gown’s design and the support it needs.

Your gown won’t look finished without the right lining and, in some cases, a slip. For a snug sheath or evening gown silhouette, an appropriate lining may be enough. Fuller skirts need something beneath them to hold their shape and structure. So what is structure? In a ball gown, it might be a wide, voluminous slip. In my work, I prefer a separate slip for A-lines, princess skirts, and ball gowns. It gives me more control over the fullness without building extra layers into the gown’s waist. Many ready-made gowns have that structure built in, so ask your salon how the skirt gets its shape—and try the gown with every layer you’ll wear on the day.

With a firm understructure in place, it is seen only opaquely through a georgette bodice.

The grand finale!

CREDITS

Designs by Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture

Photos 3&6: Stephanie Williams Photography

Hats: Batcakes Couture