From the girl’s perspective, dresses are my favorite outfit, but sometimes we like the piece so much that we want to make it bigger. It’s normal to gain weight and the dress we bought last year feels tight. Bon Appetit to us, but we want to save the dress. I won’t tire you with lengthy introductions; I can already make empathy and put myself into someone else’s shoes.
Key Takeaways
- An experienced tailor can make your dress bigger by at least 1-2 inches. No more than that seems impossible.
- Keep in mind that it’s not always the tailors’ mistake; the fabric plays an important role in that matter. Sometimes you can’t even tighten or shorten some fabric, let alone making bigger.
- Formal wedding dresses at a wedding or at a prom seem less challenging when it comes to adjustments. The reason is that manufacturers’ dress sizes differ from one another, so it’s a well-thought thing.
- Add extra fabric textiles in specific areas like the underarm. This is the least recommended because finding the exact same shade is nearly impossible. So get ready to either ruin the dress or make it more fashionable.
Can a Tailor Make a Dress Bigger?
As I tailor, I frequently get that question, and the answer is yes, you can make it bigger for like 1- 2 inches if the tailor is skilled enough to do that. Be aware that whether a dress can get bigger or not strongly depends on the used fabric and type.
Don’t think that every tailor is capable of doing great jobs. When I first started my journey, I didn’t even know that you could make dresses bigger in the first place. Well, practice makes progress, so what I’m saying is to pick the trusted and experienced tailor; otherwise say goodbye to your lovely dress.
Seams Dress
Reveal a piece of the seams first. If that still didn’t fulfill the expectations, then you might need to insert a zipper or extra fabric even though I don’t recommend it because let’s speak the truth, it’s nearly impossible to find the exact same one. The retail dresses have quarter-inch seams typically.
Another problem occurs when the fabric is not holding up properly if the seam allowance is quite fitting.
A seam allowance is a space between the fabric edges and the stitching line.
Turn your dress inside out and look at the extra material to determine the seam allowance. When there is a problem with the seam allowance fabric, you usually have to open it up and resew it.
Fabric Types
The overall look of the clothing items and the newly added seams can make the needle holes visible, especially in fabrics like satin and taffetas. In the materials such as velvet, polyester, and cotton, the sewing thread is hidden, such as in the Hitman game. Jokes aside, you should be extra careful with these materials.
It’s possible to remove some stitches from many areas in case you trust your sewing capabilities. Continue your DIY work but be careful not to forget to stitch the hem back in the same place.
The Red Carpet-Like Night Dress Types
The dress type is the key ingredient that will determine whether your dress can be changed.
For long, midi and mini dresses like you wear at prom or wedding. The manufacturers act a bit more generous by leaving a broader allowance for adjustment. Even the dress sizes differ, so it’s a well-thought feature. The fabric is specifically designed to give you the flexibility you need.
As a professional, I would like to give you some advice on hiring a pro tailor because the number of tailors that can do that is limited.
In formal shop stores especially, they have their own staff to handle these corrections. Another thing that I adore about the formal stores is that because the prices are so high now, let alone paying extra for adjustments.
My favorite fabric to work with and, at the same time, the easiest ones are cotton and linen, while on the contrary, chiffon, organza, and jersey can make you sweat.
Potential Fixes
Attach Underarm Panels
The disappointment when you notice that the dress you wore last year does not zip and it needs some touches. To save it, the tailor can put an additional fabric on the underarm.
If you ask my opinion, I will buy one instead, but it’s worth giving a shot because, in the end, you cannot use the dress either way, so try it out. I say that because it is impossible to find the same fabric as the manufacturer, so you better be careful than sorry. Speaking from experience.
So, with the added extra fabric, you either will completely ruin your dress or will be okay with some two-shade lighter/darker fabric.
Add an Extender
Isn’t it a good idea to add an extender? I feel like you have reached the last nerve in fixing that precious dress of yours. So, in this scenario, the zip that is located in the back or on the side adds a gusset loop. After you remove the zipper, your dress should be wider.
Closing Words
I bet you didn’t know about this trick, but since you have me here everything is possible. With a few tips and tricks, you can make your beautiful dress fit you again.
The only downside part is when a dress a challenging fabric and it’s making the tailors work harder. I always say, hire those tailors with more experience because practice makes perfect right? Nope, practice makes better results actually. Anyways enough with the philosophy chit-chat.
Hopefully, the dress fits you as it used to.
Further Reading
Since you have scrolled down till the end, I have many other interesting topics to introduce. You might want to check out the greatest embroidery machine for custom designs.
My second advice for you will be to have a look at whether fabric glue is washable my dear DIY community.
Last but not least, I have the best small sewing machines if you have narrow space and the big sewing machines are no way that’s going to fit.
Have you wondered what does dry flat mean? if the topic sounds interesting, read it out or at least take a glance, you won’t regret it.
I graduated from London College of Fashion, and I’ve been working for a Fashion Design company for 10 years. My other hobbies are going to the gym and reading.
