You may be pulling down size 6’s when you’re shopping at the mall, but the NCTimes warns that you can expect to try on gowns at least 2 sizes larger than normal when you’re shopping for a wedding dress.
Jeff Moore of David’s Bridal says this is because “bridal sizing goes back to a scale established during World War II that used data intended for making uniforms… The scale also was used for ready-to-wear clothes, but over time, sportswear adapted its sizes to reflect changing body shapes, while bridal, for the most part, didn’t.”
For obvious reason, this unexpected “weight gain” can be disturbing, as all brides want to look their best and slimmest. David’s Bridal has chosen to ditch the old sizing charts and stick to the sizes today’s women are used to, but many designers have not. Regardless of the size printed on that label, remember, it’s just a number and not a reflection of your “true size”!
Once you choose a gown, it will probably be ordered according to your largest measurement. “If her hips and waist are an 8 but her bust a 10, she gets the 10; if her bust and waist are 12 but her hips 14, she gets the 14.” This is to accommodate the alterations; it’s always easier to take in a gown, than to let it out at the seams.
Kathleen Murry of TheKnot.com adds, “Most of the time, the tailoring and alterations is what makes the dress gorgeous.”