Calling Amandine and Meresal!

[musey]

Okay, bridal-shop-experts, I have a measurement question for you.

I had them measure me with the intention of wearing flats w/ my gown. My hollow-to-hem measurement was 54.5", and my "gown only" measurement was 48.75". I have a little anxiety today that the dress will be too short.

When I hold the tape where the gown is supposed to start, measured at 48.75", it barely grazes the floor (while barefoot). However, when I hold it at my hollow, measured at 54.5", there is a little extra dragging on the floor (I'd guesstimate about .5-.75" longer than with the "gown only" measurement).

Here's where I'm worried about a discrepancy... If I hold it, with the correct length, at my hollow... then slide my finger down to the "gown only" measurement's start point, it's on top of my nipple!! That can't be right.


I called the bridal shop but haven't gotten a call back yet. I'd just go in, but it's about a 1-hour drive from here. Can you fill me in on what's going on here?

 

[Amandine]

Ooooo...you''ve got me dredging my memory to remember how we did it.

If I remember correctly, we sent in the actual hollow to hem measurement. We always had the woman in the shoes she was wearing, any petticoats/undergarments, and stand up straight and look straight ahead (That I learned from my Mom, a seamstress, from when she marked my dress hems. Evidently I have a tendency to not stand still and wiggle a lot!

)

The more I think on it, I would swear the number I was writing down was the actual hollow to hem, because we are all proportioned differently, so to do it specific to where the dress would lie on the person would make the dress more made to order then just the slightly custom that hollow to hem is. Of course, each manufacturer may be different, just like they are with sizing.

Now, as for when you hold it at the 48.75" measurement, and it barely grazes the floor...I''m just not certain. Gowns should be hemmed one inch above the floor. You get the floor length look, but none of the tripping.

When you are checking the measurement, do have someone help you. It will not be accurate with just you measuring, every time you look down, or anywhere but straight ahead, it will change the measurement.

My best advice? Get ahold of your dress shop, because, as I said each manufacturer has different specifications.

Hope this made sense!

 

[meresal]

Sorry I haven''t been around!!!

Ok, let me see if I have this right...

The H2H is 54.5, Right? and the neckline to hem is 48.75? However, when you hold the tape at the "so-called" neckline, it barely reaches the floor???

Did they take a H2Neckline meas (hollow to neckline)? This is from the hollow to where the dress should lay... usually only taken on strapless dresses, but sometimes taken on low-cut gowns.

The other thing that worries me wbout this is that you are supposed to let it hang off the body a bit, to account for the Flow of the dress... If you are taking this standing straight up, without the dress on... you could also find that it will be a bit short. I''m going to find your dress, and then I''ll post again.

 

[meresal]

ok... your dress doesn''t have alot of volume, so you can cancel out what I last about the size adding length...

You''re H2NL looks like it is about 4 in, please correct me if I''m wrong??? That should make the NL2H apprx 50.5in... which would leave your dress a lil short if they did indeed measure for 48.75. The only thing I can think of is that they measured to the middle of your breast, and Maybe they automatically add 2in for the top of the breast, but that would be VERY strange.

Measure your Hollow to NL(where the dress top should sit)... and subtract that from the H2H, and that should give you the correct NL2H. If it is longer than 48.75, I would suggest calling the store to double check the measurements or ask if you can come in to be remeasured.

 

[musey]

Thank you for replying!

This:

The H2H is 54.5, Right? and the neckline to hem is 48.75? However, when you hold the tape at the "so-called" neckline, it barely reaches the floor???

is precisely right! And you're also right about the 4" hollow-to-neckline measurement.


I talked to the store yesterday and it took a great deal of explaining to get across what I was talking about. She thought I was concerned because the hollow-to-hem was longer period than the dress-only (duh

). I think she still didn't understand what I was saying, but she mentioned that the manufacturer didn't even take the dress-only measurement, only the hollow-to-hem. So it should be long enough.

I think what happened was that they mis-measured or mis-wrote the dress-only by .75-1" somehow.

It took a great deal of self-control not to get annoyed at her, as she just couldn't comprehend what I was describing to her, and kept assuming I meant different things

I'm sure the majority of their brides wouldn't know a measuring tape from a seam ripper, but I'm measured all the time so I'm very used to this stuff.

 

[meresal]

I''m glad you got it all taken care of, eventhough I can only imagine how hard it was to explain your situation!!! It''s a good thing you double checked, because if the dress was being custom made, they could have had a real mess on their hands.