The Dress

I got engaged during COVID and ended up ordering this dress directly from the atelier in London WITHOUT trying it on and boy did I luck out! This dress was a dream for my frigid January Chicago wedding. This dress is the made to order version of the bespoke wedding gown Jenny Packham created for Hilary Duff (she had dramatic shoulder pads in her version that could easily be added to this one). I felt so glamorous and strong, I got so many compliments on how unique this dress was. This dress flattered all my best parts and hid what I don't like (my upper arms). This dress was fitted but very comfortable to walk in. The caped sleeves break right mid bicep and aren't tight on the upper arms (perfect for dancing!). My tailor created the bustle and ultimately I LOVED dancing with it bustled as it had great movement especially when I spun!

My tailor took the dress in to fit better and hemmed it. My tailor was a genius and added boning to transfer the weight (when bustled) of the sleeves/train from the waist to the shoulders (to prevent sagging). She added buttons at the waist and loops on the sleeves/train to bustle the dress easily. My tailor also added very thin cups to the bust (cheers to not having to find special undergarments). The fabric is thick but I recommend wearing very thin underwear. This dress was SO easy to steam and didn't wrinkle easily. I have all the extra thread/beading.

My tailor removed the original designer tag as it was visible (you can see it on the left side in the third photo showing the back)

The dress was dry cleaned and has no visible signs of wear.