Shopping for a wedding dress is fun! Always think about a general style of what you are looking to achieve and more importantly be comfortable in the dress you wear. In today’s post we want to discuss several items related to having a long dress.

So what is the purpose of a bustle?

According to wikipedia a bustle is “just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging.” Bustles to you may also mean the type of style and how you take your long dress into something much simpler from the time you are walking in your wedding dress down the aisle to the time you’re ready for the midnight dance!

There are several different types of bustles and we’ll discuss the most popular three types of bustles.

Australian Bustle:

Possible the most structurally complex bustle but is also like other bustles very simple to have. This type of bustle is for individuals who plan to only bustle once possibly all night. Structurally the bustle itself is very time consuming to build up and may take some time unless you have bridesmaids readily available to put your dress together.

The Australian Bustle essentially adds “ruffles,” type of look to the exterior of your dress. The amount of ruffles is very dependent on the size of the train on your dress. The longer the dress the more material you have to work with to create the ruffled look. Normally for all dresses, besides figuring out the style you are hoping to achieve on your wedding dress bustles comes down to how flush your dress will be with your final look.

Australian bustles are normally pulled higher on your dress and will have a flowing looking on your overall dress. In layman’s terms you may also call this an under bustle.  Another choice for an under bustle is also called a French Bustle.

French Bustles For Wedding Dresses:

Compared to the Australian bustle, this would be perfect for wedding dresses that just need a little “pick me up.” French bustles for a wedding gown are great to have just a little lift for the bottom of your dress. This is most ideal for wedding dresses that need to have between 15-24” of lift necessary for the bottom of your dress. The bottom of a French lifts it to create a small ruffle affect. Best pro of a French bustle is that it may be completed by you and may be removed quickly. This is another type of under bustle that will be at the bottom of your dress.

Most common: Over Bustles:

This is very normative when it comes to your dress. When it comes to over bustles there are several items to think about.

First being the length of your dress:

The length of your dress dictates the amount you are able to bustle and the style. For most dresses the most common on most lengths this will be 3 different bustles. One into the middle of the dress, the next being from the sides will be brought in underneath the middle bustle to create a triangular affect.

Second the heaviness of your dress:

Due to the style of the dress if you have multiple layers it’s very normative to first piece together the layers prior to bustling. The bustles that are then added to the over bustle is going to be lifted causing it to be heavier. Another factor that creates more weight on your dress will normally be the amount of embellishments on your dress. Most dresses are going to fall under 3 categories.

  1. Normal – plain exterior with nothing on the dress.
  2. Laced – Embroidery or lace appliques.
  3. Embellishments –  Rhinestones, lace, everything else that makes the dress shine.

Most dresses will fall under those 3 categories which should also be accounted for when you are bustling your dress. The heavier the dress, the more stress it will cause on your dress. As a rule of thumb from your professional wedding dress tailors, more bustles will alleviate the stress on your dress and make your dress more flush to the ground.

Tailor Pro – Tips: The more bustles on your dress will make the bottom more flush. Depending on the weight of your dress. Always think about bustling your dress for dancing.

Want some more advice? Contact your local tailors nearby or email us at [email protected]