(although
we guess you could do that, if you wanted). More this type:
Bustles
exist to prevent anyone (including the bride) from traipsing on or tripping
over the train on a dress. Usually, the selection of what type of bustle to
prepare a dress to hold depends on the shape of the dress, gown’s fabric and
bride’s taste. Typically, the seamstress provides advice about what type of
bustle will work best.
Historically,
bustles were worn all the time and shaped by a framework of metal or wood tied
around a woman’s waist. Being able to wear a bustle indicated wealth due to
being able to 1) afford extra fabric to trail after a woman and 2) afford the
contraption to hold that extra fabric away from the woman’s feet.
Today,
bustles exist solely to avoid tripping. Unlike their historical counterparts,
moreover, they are shaped by an intricate pattern of hooks, buttons and ties
sewn into a bride’s dress. Because they are created out of these sewn-in designs,
they are referred to as a separate entity from a bride’s dress.
Now,
to the specifics:
A
single-hook overbustle is one in which a button or hook is affixed at the height
where the bride desires the topmost portion of the bustle to lay and a loop is affixed
a few inches from the edge of the train. The hook is the positioned over the
button or hook and - voila! - a bustled created. Although extremely simple, this
bustle-type has its downsides: 1) it usually displays the underside of the fabric
of the dress and 2) often slips apart when created on satin or other
heavy-fabric gowns.
A
three-hook overbustle has the same concept as a single-hook bustle, but uses a
triangular shape of hooks to create the bustle. This style eliminates the
slippage described in item #2 in the previous paragraph.
The
underbustle uses a single tie underneath the dress to pull up the extra fabric.
It creates a drape-like appearance and is usually pretty secure, provided that
the seamstress does not use a satin string to connect the ties.
The
French bustle uses a series of ties and hooks underneath the topmost layers of
a gown’s fabric to pull up the dress at several points. The number of hooks and
span of their placement depends on the gown’s fabric and shape and are usually
determined by the seamstress. This bustle can also be created in double and
triple form, in which multiple layers of full ruffles appear on the back of the
dress.
The
Australian bustle is extremely structurally complex, but pretty basic to
implement. This bustle is created by pulling a pair of strings that scrunch up
a gown’s extra fabric in a corset-style shape. The visible effect is similar to
ruching on the back of the gown.
The
ballgown bustle - perhaps the most traditional American bustle - is created
when points on a gown’s train are lifted up and attached using buttons or hooks
to the exterior of the gown’s waistline. This bustle, which is best suited for
gowns with extremely long trains, creates a full-looking gown with an even
hemline.
So…which
bustle will you choose? When selecting your bustle, consider your dress’s
fabric and overall shape. And, no matter what, remember that most bustles
require someone crawling under your dress to create them…which is the point at which
you really get to know your planner!
