Can this dress be altered

[Nevertravellingagain]

I think that this dress may be the one but it is £1300. I have seen it on a selling page for £250 but it is a 16 and I am between a 10 and 12. Would it work do you think?

Not sure I would chance it

I’m not much of a seamstress, but 3 sizes is a lot to alter a dress by, and I am not sure it would ever be quite right. It’s a big gamble on £250. Are you prepared to potentially lose £250 + alteration costs?

Is it actually three sizes though? Or is a 16 a “wedding dress 16” which is more like a large 12? I thought if in doubt size up on dresses?

You could buy it and see if it can be altered. If it can't you can sell it on again.

The rule is usually 2 sizes maximum. I'd keep looking OP, I can guarantee it won't look as good as it's supposed to, seen so many horror stories of this type of thing.

OP, have you tried it on in a shop? If not, do that and you'll get an idea of the true size of the dress. My daughter is a VERY slender/willowy size 6...(yes, I hate her too 😂) but when we were shopping for wedding dresses, the sizes were obviously not the same as Top Shop! A size 10 in wedding dresses was 'snug' so we were advised to size up and then alter. We ordered a 12 and had that altered to fit.

Good luck 👍

I am a bridal seamstress and alter dresses like that by several sizes all summer.

Find a good local seamstress who specialises in bridal wear and ask her. Your alterations may cost more than the dress though!

Bear in mind wedding dress sizes bear absolutely no resemblance to real sizes. I was a 14 but my wedding dress was an 18 and fit perfectly. My dress maker advised me that the general rule was that a dress could be taken in a couple of sizes but any more and you lose the shape and structure of the dress (although it depends on the original dress of course).

The other thing I found is that the dresses I thought would be perfect for me were nowhere near what actually looked right on me in the end.

As pp have said, I'd try it on in a shop before you buy, but if you try it on and love it, I would not be surprised if a 16 could be successfully altered for you, it's probably more like a 14 or 12 anyway.

I'm a 14/16 and my wedding dress had to be a 20 and then taken in.

Don't waste your money!