A beautiful gathering
By Never teh BrideThough many gowns have decorative and non-functional bustling incorporated into their designs, the bustles that keep new brides from tripping over their trains while dancing are usually installed by a seamstress. A good seamstress will be able to determine upon examining a dress what bustle design will both look good and work well. I don’t know about you guys, but I find bustles infinitely fascinating. For one thing, a well-done bustle just looks absolutely stunning. And anything that will keep me from ripping the hem off a long gown with a high heel (something I’ve actually done) is golden in my book.
Many brides-to-be know very little about bustles–other than the fact that they will be needing one. And a quick Google search reveals a lot of sites that talk about bustles but few that actually feature accompanying illustrations. Which is all right, I suppose, except what good is knowing that an underbustle (or French bustle) is created by pulling “over” sections of the train and securing them on the waistline or at designated points on the back of the train? I want to see bustles in action, baby!
If you, too, want to see the best in bustles, I highly advise you to check out The Great Bustle Debate at Leanna.com or the Trains, Etc. glossary at Weddings.Pirate-King.com. Both illustrate their discourses on bustling with pictures of the bustles in question.
And that underbustle I was talking about? Well, it looks like this:
Handy with a needle and thread? Try making your own bustle using the directions at About.com.
November 17th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
Hey, this is nifty stuff to know! I love the bustling you see on old Victorian gowns but it’s so hard to get information on how it’s all done.
Apparently one common practice at the end of the days of the huge cage crinoline skirts was to build in all sorts of bustling into your old dress to make it conform to the newer sleeker look without breaking the bank.
November 18th, 2006 at 12:52 am
Smart chicks, those olden days types.
November 18th, 2006 at 2:46 am
Remaking/redesigning gowns was common during the Victorian period. Whether it was due to changing fashions, changing figures, or trying to find the cloth to dress growing children without breaking the bank, the rule of the day was to keep using the cloth until there wasn’t enough left to make a quilt square.
Of course, back then cloth was expensive and every woman knew how to sew.
November 19th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
My sewing skills are pretty much limited to lumpy catnip toys - but old fabric definitely finds new uses in my house!
November 19th, 2006 at 3:51 pm
I was hoping I could post something here about my site that I recently created. http://www.sponsorawedding.com.
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November 20th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
My wedding gown is going to be a Victorian bustle gown! My bustle’s a whole separate section, though: detachable, wearable as a train, and attached with loops and ribbons to the back of the skirt.
I’m fascinated by the interior bustles of modern gowns, though. It’s a skill I’d love to master.
November 21st, 2006 at 12:56 am
Wow, Bacon’s Mom, that is SO cool!