Dress Wobbles - Sample Sizes and Actual Fit

Hi lovely Ladies,

Just wondering if I could pick your brains on something. I think i have found 'the one' dress I love, I keep thinking about it and comparing every other dress to it. Having major wobbles though after seeing a photo of myself in the sample. I am a size 16 (top) 14 (bottom) and the sample in the shop is a 10, so lots too small and gaping at the back. It's quite a full dress but the seamstress said the side seams would sit differently in my actual size, and the dress would fit a lot better. The bottom half is perfect, butI find it quite hard to imagine the whole picture, especially as the proportions of the bust are all wrong at the moment and stand away from my boobs. I tried other dresses in a larger sample size (14) which zipped up partly at the back and naturally fit a lot better, but I just love this one dress. I am just having real problems putting my faith (and money) in the word of a shop assistant, that it will look perfect once it's ordered in the right size.

What have your experiences been? I think it's a bit ridiculous that most shops have a sample in a 10 or 12, 14 at most, when 16 is quite an average size to be. Have tried to track down a sample in the right size but to no avail. Also, work is really full on for another 3 months at least, so can't really invest more time in chasing around the country for the right sample.

I personally wouldn't trust the word of a sales assistant, whose objectives are totally not the same as yours (commission versus perfect-fitting dress).

Of the other samples that you tried on, are they the same designer as 'your' dress? They probably use the same sizing/proportions so it could be ok, unless the design is significantly different. Remember that a seamstress can work wonders so even if it's not *perfect* they can tweak until it becomes so.

I haven't tried on many dresses but it's probably not a coincidence that the one I have liked the most is the one that has fitted the best!

If you have time and want to know more about what a seamstress can/cannot do, have a look at this website: http://www.leanna.com/Bridal/index.htm It has a Q&A section where people have written in about dress fitting issues - usually arising from sales assistants telling customers that the dress will 'fit perfectly' in a different size!