Can I fix this dress that's a bit too big?

[Gwenhwyfar]

I bought this dress from Nobody's Child, but it's a bit big.
Black Cord Long Sleeve Flossie Midi Dress

I know from experience that NC won't do a return from where I live so I'm looking for a solution. Either one of those hacks they show online or possibly getting it taken in if it's worth it. Any advice?

Sew a tube of fabric, to create a channel, inside the waistband at the back, insert elastic, tighten to fit. Elastic stretches as you pull dress on, snaps back to gathered length once in place. Bingo.

How tall do you need to be to pull this off? I'm 5 ft 2 but it's so gorgeous 😂😂😭😭

I had the pure wool version of this dress altered. It's meant to be oversized but it was too much. Dressmaker charged £80. She had to lift the shoulders, unpick the bodice from the skirt, unpick the side seams of the bodice and re-sew the seams and add the skirt back.

Dress alteration

@Gwenhwyfar There is the same dress on Vinted. Size 8. £25 with 17 watchers. If you decided to sell it on.

OP what's the quality of the dress like, am tempted to buy it.

For that sort of thing I'll often sew some elastic onto the inside waistband. For that dress I'd go with just sewing a good wide bit of black elastic along the back from one side seam to the opposite one. That way you'll preserve the detailing at the front.

Looks like good quality, but thinner than it appears on the website and actually a bit low cut for me.

Yes, I tried recently. They refunded me, but I had to pay a lot of money to ship it back to them as they don't cover it outside the uk. Sending it with a way of tracking the parcel would have cost even more than the dress so I had to take the risk with a normal package.

Thanks. There's no way I'm paying £80 so I'm looking more at getting a belt or a simple hack.
I can't even thread a needle myself.

Definitely the elastic trick that has been mentioned a few times already , I used to do that with all my sons school trousers when he was little 😂

No glasses on but isn't it empire line? Try putting a belt higher than your natural waist, under the bust?

But trousers have a waistband whereas this doesn't.

Wouldn't that look awful?

Literally one way to find out 😂.

I suit belts on the empire line, obviously it depends on your proportions etc but I just thought it was worth a try.

Small safety pins. Put the dress on inside out and use the safety pins to pull the seams in a bit. Put the dress on the right way. Job done.

As pp mentioned , on a similar cut I've sewn two ribbons on either side of the waistband and then tie at the back. It works really well if the fabric is soft enough.

Put it on Vinted/ eBay and buy the next size down.

What about trying some of the sweater clips or waistband tighteners? Some of them are clips, some pin through, some are a rubber ring to put on the inside to shove the fabric through, and how it looks/whether it works depends a lot on the fabric and style of the dress. The pins and clips link to a two part clasp on the outside of the garment that clip together and gather the material up. Whether this looks good or not depends on the style. I would like to find magnetic ones to use on more delicate fabrics, but haven't yet found any suitable ones.

Examples (there are loads of each type available from all the usual places)

Sweater clips:
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DLFYCR13?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Cinch clip: (you can use it on the inside or outside):
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0D9H4CFMJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Waistband tighteners:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0C5MHX4TK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Those waistband tighteners look handy. There's a black pair in the set you linked, @HoarFrostedWorld. OP could use them to the sides of the opening - one under each boob. If they'll go through a jeans waistband, they should be OK on this dress.

I tend to use Heath Robinson-esque contraptions made of safety pins (my wedding dress was held up by safety pins, as I was still making it in the hotel room before the wedding!) The pins + elastic/ribbon ideas above should work for this dress, placed inside the back of the waistband. I'd try it with four pins to hold the elastic close to the fabric, otherwise she might get an unwelcome billowing effect.

Wear something padded underneath 😊

@kdramaqueen no it wouldn’t make it too tight in the bust as you only take it in where it is loose.

Honestly, I'd order the size that fits and sells the other one on vinted or eBay. Less outlay and faff

I would ask a seamstress to do this vs. the more complex proper job. No sewing for you and hopefully a lot cheaper.

I can't even thread a needle.

I think the cinch clip might be my first attempt.