To ask you how the hell I can magically fit into this dress?!

[Toddlerwhatwhywhat]

So, I've got a wedding in a couple of weeks and the dress I bought is still too tight - about an inch gap down the back to being able to do the zip up. Any wise mumsnetters know of a magic body sucker inner-er or some other form of voodoo to ensure I can get this dress on? Cheers!

I'm confused, the first post says you bought it

Ah, that will explain my confusion too! I thought I'd read the OP had bought the dress but the subsequent post made me think I'd imagined it

So was it bought or given to you OP

Where abouts are you in the UK?

Getting it altered seems to be the way forward then! Sorry for the confusion, I really didn't want to out myself / give the exact details so I said I'd bought it. The reason I then explained I had been given it was to respond to why I wasn't doing the obvious and just buying a new dress. Sorry for the confusion!

Slimfast. I had a similar problem before my own wedding - had always been skinny, couldn't put weight on if I tried, and bought a (cheap but lovely) wedding dress off the hanger months before the wedding. Tried it on less than 3 weeks before the wedding and it wouldn't zip up - I'd put on quite a lot of weight (sadly it hasn't stopped since). I did a strict Slimfast regime and lost 5 kg in 2.5 weeks, and the dress fit a treat on the day. Put it all back on eventually (and lots more in the 20 years since then) but it worked and the dress fit perfectly on the day!

Toddler

Dress sizes have changed a lot over the years so I can understand why you thought the dress would fit you if it is a size larger than the size you usually wear. I remember trying on a beautiful size 12 dress that my Mum bought in her 20's and it would have been a small size 10 in 'new money'

If you're going to get it altered you need to find a seamstress ASAP if the wedding is in a couple of weeks.

Hope you have a lovely day

Crash diets do work, but obviously not in the long term. I followed the Holland & Barrett 7-day plan once and lost 10lbs (10st 7lbs to 9st 10lbs) to fit into a dress, but it was hardcore.

Having said that, my skin looked absolutely amazing 10 days later!

What onlyonce said. Fix the dress. Please don't go on a crazy unhealthy diet.

Or could you wear the dress unzipped with a jacket/cardigan over it?

Crash diets are just bad for you, and you'll feel rubbish.

Corsets would be uncomfortable, esp. if you are not used to them (they are also unhealthy! They press on sll your organs, women used to faint in them)

I'd go to a clothes alteration place.

I have used them before, and it's great!