let’s talk bridal sizing!

i’m sure you’ve heard about the ridiculousness that is wedding dress sizing. a friend or family member may have talked about how they had to order a dress that was 3 sizes higher than what they normally wear, or you’ve experienced it yourself when ordering a bridesmaid’s dress for a wedding you are standing up in. unfortunately, that is the reality of bridal sizing, which is why we always say not to pay attention to the number on the tag. you may be asking yourself “why would designers do this and what's the reasoning behind it? do designers have an evil agenda to make brides feel less than?”

we’re here to tell you that is not the case and that there is an explanation as to why bridal sizing is the way it is. most bridal designers base their size charts on european sizing. there is a big difference between european sizing and US sizing. for instance, a size 18 in US sizing is equivalent to a size 22 in european sizing. this is because the US has adopted what is called vanity sizing over the years. vanity sizing started around the 1950s and has slowly changed how sizing works in the US for example a size 8 in the 1950’s would be a size 00 today.

on top of a european sizing, most bridal designers have completely different size charts. that’s why in one designer you could wear a size 20 and in another you wear a size 24. this is exactly why we always take a bride's measurements and match them up to the designer's size chart when ordering them their dress. the accuracy of the measurements taken are the most important factor, not the number they equate to. whatever number your dress ends up being is just that, a number. it is meaningless and absolutely does not determine your worth!

because each designer has their own size chart, we made sure to carry designers that are size inclusive. while the majority of our dresses have an unlimited size chart, some do have limitations. some designers go up to a 28 while others go up to a 32. we understand that bridal sizing runs very different and can be confusing, so we are here to help and will always welcome questions you may have before your appointment.

at the end of the day, you fall in love with the dress, not the number written on a tag inside. so say it with me one more time… the size of your dress does NOT determine your worth!