The Dress

I got married in July 2018. As an older bride (46 at the time of my wedding) I really wanted a dress that would feel bridal but not look like I was trying to look 25 again. So, I wanted a dress that had sleeves, had a v neck as this is most flattering on a larger bust and one which nipped me in at the waist. When I saw this Ian Stuart dress is in a salon in Aberdeen, I just knew it was perfect for my needs. It is such a flattering length for an older bride too, as the cut off point shows my legs off at their best.

The structure of this dress is fabulous. It has internal boning and therefore gave me the illusion of a waist, which I am sadly lacking. The "platinum" silk dupion fabric is very luxurious and the dress looks very expensive. I had so many compliments about it on the day and felt fantastic wearing it.

There is a very small chocolate stain on the fabric of the dress, which would easily come out with dry cleaning. Apart from that, the condition of the dress is pretty much as you see it in the photographs. I only had it on for a few hours, as I changed into another dress for the evening reception.

I was 5ft 6inches, a size 18 on top and a size 16 on the bottom at the time of my wedding. So, with the alterations to accommodate my larger bust, I would say the dress is a size 18. If the bust was taken in again, I would have said it would be closer to a size 16.

Alterations

The internal cups of the dress were removed and small panel of fabric was inserted under each arm, to accommodate my GG bust. The fabric for these small panels was sourced from Ian Stuart and is the exact same fabric the dress is made from. As these are under the arm, they are imperceptible when wearing the dress. The dress could easily be taken in again for someone with a smaller bust.