Friend needs prom dress help, ASAP?

you can easily get a prom dress tailored within a week. I know, because my prom dress had to be taken down 4 sizes and it was done in less than a week.

Best bet is just to hit up the bridal stores and call every tailor you can find.

@SpatzieLover: No offense, but since SHE isn’t living in a tent city, I think she and her parents have the right to spend their money how they want. If they want to spend their money on a prom dress, they’re allowed to do so without a guilt trip being put on them.

I would get second opinions on getting the dressed altered by another tailor, they may be able to fix it quickly.
Or, just go shopping for one!

@spatzielover i didn’t see any mention of money..

it’s just a dress and is just prom… 2 weeks to fit in, diet and excercise, too lazy to do it, get a new one…

She could make a new one.

(duct tape. amazing, right?)

im sure there are others who could fix it out there and for a reasonable price. from my knowlage of dresses and resizing they dont actually cut it they just like hem it. but what i know about dresses is incredibly small. and i bet she has dresses she has worn before that would do or her sister might have another dress… or even as a last resort another family member who is a woman o_O

Post her request on http://www.freecycle.org/
It’s very easy to register, and she will have multiple offers within one day of posting.

This is a cheap way to go as long as she stays away from sharp objects (they’re balloons).

A local church here has a sign up saying they have prom dresses for free. People spend hundreds of dollars (yes, hundreds) on a dress they only wear once. It’s nice that they will give them away.

You should tell her to stop freaking out about a dress :) It’s just a high school dance in which girls spend way too much money on dresses and create a ton of drama over

@nromstadt To us it’s just a high school dance, but to her it is apparently a very important thing. the question is not about judging the prom girl, it’s about helping her find a dress.

hahaaha Tell her yarnlady :)

I would take it to a dry cleaners that does alterations. Letting it out should be much easier than taking it in, and dry cleaners usually turn things around quickly.

@AlfredaPrufrock Letting an altered dress ‘out’ in not easier, but if the original was done properly, it can be done. One problem can be the stitching from the previous work might show.

@Yarnlady, True, it depends on the fabric and the style of the dress. Unless the dress is satin, the stitching should not show, and should press out with a steam cloth. I personally find letting out clothes that have been taken in to be easier than letting them out, for the very reason that it’s too easy to take in too much fabric, but when you let out you know you don’t need to let out the full amount, and any amount of easing will be an improvement to the fit. Generally, good alterations involving taking in dresses are done with a larger stitch, because the taking in is often a temporary alteration. For several years I sewed for a theater program, and have fitted a number of dresses.

@AlfredaPrufrock Interesting. I always hate trying to let out things because you can end up with not enough fabric, while taking in that never happens. It’s always nice to meet another costumer.

@Yarnlady, true, but in this case the dress went from too big to overaltered too small. Unless the alterations involved cutting the fabric, the dress can go back from too small to too big by undoing the stitching.

If a dress is too small in it’s unaltered state, it’s very difficult to make it larger, because women’s clothing generally does not have enough seam allowance to let the out fit out, and having to ease the fit out can be a real pain in the fanny.

@AlfredaPrufrock I have often found that alteration professionals actually cut off the extra fabric when they take dresses in, unlike theater costume alterations.

As long as the dress is only a bit snug you can easily solve this problem. She can watch what she eats for two weeks. I’m not saying don’t eat at all, but skip the pizza, fries, and soda. It’s not a big deal if she wants to look amazing. The second thing to do is get the proper undergarment. For about 40 or 50 bucks she can get a body shaper which helps suck everything in and smooth out her shape. This is much cheaper than buying a new dress and can be used over and over.

@elijahsuicide I wondered about that. If it is only “snug” then tight undergarments would help. However, a “corset” would probably cost more than a new dress. A totally liquid diet for several days, with her doctor’s permission might work.

@YARNLADY I’m thinking a corset would be too bulky. I’m suggesting something more along the lines of a lycra/spandex bodysuit, such as spanx.

@elijahsuicide good choice.

In a lot of places they have the “Princess Project” and that might be what the earlier poster was referring to as free dresses. Check out if there is one locally and ask to make an exchange, the dress that doesn’t fit for one of their’s that will.

Thanks for all the advice.. I’m the friend, by the way :) My mom had her friend help figure out how it was taken in on each side and so she just let out one side, and now it’s just a bit big.. But no complaints here!

Congrats! :-) But why did you say it was your friend in your question?

@toomuchcoffee911 Because I asked the question for her (she didn’t have fluther til last night).

@nromstadt, one common problem with fitting prom dresses is that they fit differently when you sit. She may be glad for that little extra room.

Oh! Oops, sorry, I got mixed up with names!

She should take that dress, go to an alteration place and make it fit.