A train is made for the aisle. On the dance floor it gathers grass, sand and the occasional stray foot. A bustle lifts it after the ceremony, so the gown keeps its line and you move freely for the rest of the night.
How a bustle works
Small hooks, buttons, loops or ribbons are sewn into the skirt. After the ceremony, the train is lifted and fastened at those points so the skirt sits at floor length. The fastenings are placed with care, so while the train is down for the ceremony they all but disappear.
The main styles
Over bustle
The train is lifted and fastened to the outside of the skirt, usually at the back of the waist. It creates soft gathers over the skirt and often suits lighter fabrics, lace and gowns with a defined waist.
French bustle (under bustle)
The train is folded up underneath the skirt and tied with numbered ribbons inside. It gives a full, cascading back and often suits heavier fabrics such as satin, and full A-line or ball gown skirts.
Ballroom bustle
The train is tucked up under the skirt at several points so the gown reads as a clean floor-length silhouette, with no train at all. It suits full skirts with plenty of layers to hide the fastenings.
The right style depends on your fabric, the length and weight of the train, and the line you want. It is chosen with the gown on you.
Questions to ask
- Which bustle styles suit my fabric and train?
- How many fastening points will it need, and will they show during the ceremony?
- Can I see it done up, and move and sit down in it, before the day?
- Who should learn to do it up? Bring them along to a fitting.
On the day
Choose one or two people, a bridesmaid or your mother, to bustle your gown after the ceremony. Have them practise at your final fitting and take photos of each step on their phone. Bustling usually happens between the ceremony and the reception, so build a few quiet minutes into the plan.
Bustles are part of Corina’s bridal work, and every gown is priced at its fitting. Read about bridal alterations or book a fitting.