Thread: Dress is too short...ideas?

Hi everyone! I just got this beautiful dress and it fits perfect everywhere except the length. It is too short. I usually dance in heels so I like my costumes to be a little longer. It hits right above my ankles. Ideas for lengthening? I was thinking maybe a ruffle that starts at the top of the slit and down along the hem? But would that take away from the design?

Got any other ideas for me?

Oh you should just donate it to me - you know as a charitable gift. LOL I LOVE that dress!!! No a ruffle is a perfect idea.

Thats a shame...really nice dress. What would happen if the straps were longer?

I was hoping you two would chime in.

Eshta - You don't think the ruffle would be too cutesy for it? What material? Chiffon?

Anala - if I make the straps longer my "girls" will be out an about. lol

Seperate bra from dress, add matching /contasting faric to torso? reunite bra with dress? Gotta pick the addition...bottom or top!

I aint no ruffly kinda chick (read old)...so I couldnt go that route. Depends on how you dance. I would be a little too tounge in cheek "grandma" to get away with it. I dont own a ruffle in my mundane closet do you?

what about adding a partial underskirt that has a slit like the dress but in the lighter blue color that appears in the beading areas? A slim underskirt in see-through silk or chiffon or mesh?

To me a ruffle would appear like a patch-job. You could add a sleeve with a ruffle if you wanted to pull the look together a bit. Ruffles do not appeal to me.

My first choice would be 4" silver Egyptian beaded fringe around the lower hem. I would also add 3 to 5 strands of varying lengths of beads to the top of the leg opening. It would add elegance, movement, bling and a plush addition. If you could obtain fringe in a color blue compatible with the body of the dress that would be another option. I would prefer blue so it would be a continuation of the fabric base but sometimes silver is easier to locate.

Pix when you finish whatever you decide to do, please.

I am going to go with the idea Ezma has - a modesty panel at the slit and a 2" boarder around the bottom to create the illusion of a seperate straight underskirt.

Or send it to me. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

I think both the faux underskirt and the fringe ideas both have merit. But whatever you decide, I sure hope you find a way because that dress is HAWT on you!

Originally Posted by mahira-michelle

Hi everyone! I just got this beautiful dress and it fits perfect everywhere except the length. It is too short. I usually dance in heels so I like my costumes to be a little longer. It hits right above my ankles. Ideas for lengthening? I was thinking maybe a ruffle that starts at the top of the slit and down along the hem? But would that take away from the design?

Got any other ideas for me?

Wow, you weren't kidding when you said it was a perfect fit except the length!!! You lucky girl..g.:

Yes, My compliments! I'm glad this beauty found a good home!

definately not a ruffle it would ruin the dress

I have a similar dress in green, and I added a chiffon modesty panel which looks great. I reckon if you exended the panel around the hem it would look like it was meant to be part of the design. Please post a picture!

PS ... the white/teal/copper set I bought from you earlier this year is so pretty - I removed the pastic silver beads and replaced them with crystals, took hours but soooo sparkly!

My first thought was "ruffle", but then the second thought kicked in "It needs to be sleeker than a ruffle". And then I thought "whatever you add to the bottom, you've also got to add to the top, or else it will look unbalanced".

So, I'm veering towards chiffon modesty panel, with fake underskirt effect, but maybe with a chiffon shoulder drape or upper armlets, to tie the whole dress together.

would it be possible to add an inche or two at the hip where the fringe would cover the seams? I've shortened a dress that way and would think it would work in reverse.

I like Ezma's underskirt suggestion.

One additional thought is that you could cut the dress in half just above the beading at the hip line and add a nude mesh panel that matches the nude mesh already on the costume. Make the mesh panel go all around the costume and sew the bottom half back on. It would also be an easy alteration to undo when you decide to sell it. Anyone wanting it shorter could just remove the mesh part and put it back together like the original design.

I don't really like the idea of adding length to the torso, because right now the dress fits you around the hips and making that part lower would change the fit. I vote for something that wouldn't change the fit...and honestly, I like the ruffle idea. I feel like the dress needs more balance between the top and bottom... Looks great though!

If it were me, I would go with the glass bead fringe idea, and I would take a 4-5" fringe not only around the bottom edge of the skirt but up along the sides of the slit, again with a section of long strands at the top of the slit. Well yes, that's a lot of fringe, but if you could do it, I think the effect would be fabulous.
Rosette

I like the idea of making a coordinating modesty panel, and extending the bottom hem with the same material. You can tie it all in together, by maybe adding beading/sequening/trim along the edge that coordinates with the detailing already on the dress.

I would make an armband, headband, or wristlet or something that had the new fabric in it as well, to tie the look together.

Originally Posted by mahira-michelle

I was hoping you two would chime in.

Eshta - You don't think the ruffle would be too cutesy for it? What material? Chiffon?

Anala - if I make the straps longer my "girls" will be out an about. lol

Make the ruffle out of the same blue velvet and edge it in sequins/beads. You need to make it a loose long ruffle - not super gathered. If you add chiffon or fringe it is going to look like it was too short and you decided to add something as a fix. If you make a blue velvet ruffle you should have armbands with a ruffle also.
If you get stuck send it to me I can do it for you easy as pie

Another thing - don't cut it in half whatever you do! I have done this many times and it never looks right. The trick is to make it look like it was meant to be a part of the costume. So the ruffle needs to be edged in that turquoise and silver to match the other decorations. It will balance out nicely because the dress is so sleek and cutout based. If this dress was covered in fringe then the ruffle wouldn't work at all.

How are you going to get an exact color match?

If I can't find an exact match in color what if I went a shade darker and extend the bottom with a very loose drapey kind of ruffle and incorporated that same material in the openings of the dress in the torso?

I hope you find an answer because that costume is awesome! And awesome on you as well.

Have you tried soaking it in water and hanging it dry, some times I can get 2 more inches out of it that way.

No I haven't. I didn't even think of that. What about all the sequins and decorations? I don't want the torso to stretch, that part fits perfect.

crap...the torso will stretch...water never hurt any of my stuff...but I have been told that sometimes rhinestones will darken if left in water too long. My climate is so dry that it all evaporates to bone dry in 30 minutes

i was going to suggest you cut the bottom off, at about the knee, and add a whole bottom part of the skirt + in the slit out of light blue chiffon or something.... but seeing all the beading the bottom has you probably wouldn't want to do that..
would it be possible to cut around each "patch" of beading and sew it applique-style onto the 'new' bottom of the skirt (around the knee-ish area... would have to stay on the velvet, considering it's probably too heavy for the chiffon.

something like this

(but prettier -- supper's ready so had to hurry lol)
and you could make velvet armbands with chiffon drapes or something....

check this...the lovely Monica of Bhuz