We LOVE being part of the magical moment when a bride finds the one! It’s a moment filled with joy and excitement while envisioning herself on her big day, walking down the aisle in the perfect gown. However, for many brides this experience can quickly turn from magical to disheartening if they don’t see themselves represented with size-inclusivity offered by the bridal store.
If you are a bride-to-be about to start wedding dress shopping, here is what you need to know about size-inclusivity.
First: Know Your Size
The first thing to know is that bridal sizing is completely different from regular sizing. Your wedding dress will be one or two sizes larger than what you normally wear in regular clothes. In addition, the silhouette of the dress will have an impact on your size. So will the designer. All designers in the fashion industry cut on their own scale. Bridal fashion is no different.
Knowing this, if you are a 6 or below, inquire what size gowns the stores you want to visit start at. Make sure they have a nice selection in the smaller sizes. If you are a size 14 or above, you must make sure that the bridal shops you visit have plenty of great choices in plus size wedding dresses.
Next: Know Your Style
But keep an open mind!
Every bride is unique, and beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. We recognize and celebrate this diversity by offering a wide range of sizes in store from size 2 up to 32. All silhouette and fabrics are represented to fit any wedding style theme.
We can special order any gown in sizes 0-32 to accommodate all different sized brides. Every single bride deserves to feel confident not only on her wedding day, but while searching for her perfect dress.
Further: Size-Inclusivity For Every Bride
At Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo, we practice size-inclusivity because our brides are valued and seen, no matter where they fall on someone’s size chart.
In recent years, we have had countless brides visit us who come in disheartened after visiting other bridal dress stores due to their lack of sample sizes and have not enjoyed the shopping process at all. We have heard this same story from so many of our plus size brides that come to us after trying on elsewhere.
Our bridal boutique is proud to offer over 60 plus size sample gowns in the store, and only offer designers who include plus sizes for all of their gowns. We also do not add additional fees for dresses cut in sizes 18 and up!
Similarly, we have had plenty of brides come in our store who cannot find samples below a size 8 to try on. From a business standpoint, it makes sense. Stores want to order a variety of dresses in the middle sizes so more brides can try on. While we understand that viewpoint, it completely isolates an entire group of brides.
To claim you are size inclusive, that size-inclusivity has to extend to ALL sizes. We are very proud of our selection that extends to all. Let’s talk about this little more.
We start at size 2 which is a 00-0 in “street size” (a/k/a regular size). So if you are a 2 street size, you will try on different styles in 2s, 4s and 6s, and start getting clipped in 8s. You need ample choice in these sizes. This is important because while you can get clipped down in any dress, the proportions will be off. While the bodice may be clipped down nicely, the skirts are unable to be clipped down.
For instance: You are a size 2 trying on a size 12 ball gown. The bodice is clipped down perfectly to your size 4 top. You can envision this as exactly what you want, tight bodice and big, voluminous ballgown skirt. The skirt is still a size 12. If you fall in love with the volume of the size 12 skirt, that is not what you will get in your size 2 dress — the proportions are off. Your bridal stylist must explain this before you say yes!
Finally: The Result Of Size-Inclusivity
The emotional impact of trying on wedding dresses cannot be overstated.
For curvy brides who wear a larger size outside the traditional “sample sizes”, the inability to try on gowns that fit can be deeply discouraging. When a bride cannot envision what dresses would truly look on her because the sample sizes are too small, not having a selection in workable sizes will completely ruin the experience of finding a dress.
Most gowns in our store we will only have in one size, but many of our prettiest and most popular we have in two size options!
Often times dresses will need to be clipped up or down to help get a better idea of the fit on the bride’s body type, but you can rest assured that there will be dresses close to your size for you to try on in our store. We have many brides who have fallen for a size 6 sample and ordered it in a size 26, and equally as many who have tried on a size 18 and ordered a 4.
Our stylists are trained to help you get the best idea of fit possible, and we will explain everything along the way. We go out of our way to make sure you have all of the information available and the most honest, personal experience. Then you can confidently say yes to your dream dress!
Note: we offer many off-the-rack options so our selection quickly changes! Sample dresses that sell the fastest are gowns sizes 2-6, gowns sizes 28-32, and dresses with long sleeves.
We are always updating our selection to keep the best size-inclusive designs up to date, but sometimes we are waiting for delivery. If you are concerned about having options in your size, want to inquire about styles for your appointment, or have an interested in a trunk show, we encourage brides to call or text us at 215-491-8500.
All brides deserve a positive experience and have peace of mind knowing that you will have the best experience regardless of where you fall on a size chart. Your perfect wedding dress is waiting for you!
Our bridal gowns in all size samples will provide you with the best wedding dress shopping experience you could hope for. Make your bridal appointment with Darianna® Bridal & Tuxedo!