Alright, ladies .. let’s talk about gown sizing. You make an appointment to try on wedding gowns, and you’re so excited because you’ve been dreaming about this day since you were a little girl. You “say ‘YES’ to the dress,” get measured by your stylist and she suggests that you order a size 10. But my American Eagle jeans are a 2 .. how is this even possible? Trust me, I’ve been there. I was a size 0 when I was dress shopping (yeah, I said WAS .. having a baby shifts things a little), and when I first heard what size I needed to order, I was like “excuse me, could you repeat that? I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

It’s quite simple – European sizing is completely different than American sizing, and requires us to wear at least two sizes up from our usual size. This doesn’t mean that European women are that much smaller than American women; it just means that the European sizing guidelines haven’t been updated in decades. Women’s body types have been changing and evolving since these guidelines were first put into place, which makes them seem pretty inaccurate. Back in the day, it seemed like a 24 inch waist was the norm, because women had different eating habits, they weren’t working out and they weren’t really playing sports .. luckily that’s changed A LOT! Bottom line: women’s body types have changed, but the size charts have not.

A few other things to keep in mind:

  • The same applies for mother of the bride/groom and bridesmaid dresses
  • Special occasion dresses will almost always need to be altered, even if it’s just a hem
  • As much as you may not like the number, you should ALWAYS refer to the brand’s size chart (which the boutique will be using to figure out the correct size to order).
  • If you’re in between sizes, we always suggest going up a size to play it safe. Sometimes customer try to avoid alterations or at least minimize them and choose to go with the smaller size. We will be sure to let you know if we feel okay with it. It will depend on your measurements, the gown’s silhouette, and how far off you are from the smaller size.

Moral of the story:
Bridal and special occasion sizing is not a reflection of your physical appearance, ladies. Please do not get offended when your consultant tells you what size you need according to your measurements! And also, please, please, PLEASE do not insist she order you your regular clothing size just because you don’t like the number the sizing chart suggested, because guess what? It might not fit!

With all of this being said, we want to stress the fact that we realize you are the consumer and you have the right to select your size. Therefore, we are only here to make a suggestion. But, why does it matter to us that you go with our professional opinion? Because you are a representation of us and you walking down that aisle is the best form of marketing for us. We need and want you to look your best and fit into the gown you ordered. We as the professionals will never lead you wrong! We truly want the best for our customers and it’s no sweat off our back if you don’t go with our size suggestion! Well, actually, it is if it doesn’t fit!!!