A bustle lifts your train off the floor after the ceremony, so you can move, eat and dance without carrying it. It's the alteration most brides have never heard of — and the one they're most grateful for by 9pm.
What a bustle actually does
Your train is beautiful walking down the aisle. It is considerably less beautiful being trodden on during your first dance. A bustle is a set of hidden fastenings — buttons, hooks or ribbons — that gathers the train up and secures it to the back of the gown, turning a floor-length train into a clean, finished hemline for the reception.
It's built into the dress permanently, but only used when you want it. One person can usually do it up in under a minute once they've been shown how, which is why we always walk your bridesmaid or your mum through it at the final fitting.
The three main types
Which bustle suits your gown depends on the weight of the fabric, the length of the train and the shape of the skirt. These are the three we fit most often:
- French bustle (under bustle). The train is tucked underneath the skirt and tied to ribbons on the inside, creating a soft, draped effect from behind. Nothing shows on the outside, which suits gowns where you don't want to interrupt the fabric or a beaded surface.
- American bustle (over bustle). The train is lifted over the top of the skirt and fastened with buttons or hooks. Because the fastenings sit on the outside they can be made a feature — covered buttons, a row of detail — which works beautifully on simpler gowns.
- Ballroom bustle. The train is drawn up so the hem sits level the whole way round, and the gown reads as a floor-length ball gown with no train at all. It gives the cleanest line of the three and suits long, full trains — it usually needs the most points to hold the weight evenly.
How many points does a train need?
A short train might need a single point. A long, heavy cathedral train can need several, spread across the back, so the weight is carried evenly and the fabric falls properly instead of dragging into one strained gather.
There's no universal answer, and it's not something to guess at — too few points on a heavy train will pull the gown out of shape across an evening. We work it out with the dress on you at your fitting, and we'll show you the options on your own gown rather than describing them in the abstract.
When to have it fitted
A bustle is fitted as part of your alterations, so it's covered by the same timeline as everything else — we recommend getting in touch as soon as your dress arrives, ideally 8–12 weeks before your day. Wedding season books up quickly.
Questions brides ask us.
What is a bustle on a wedding dress?
A bustle is a set of hidden buttons, hooks or ribbons sewn into a wedding dress that lifts the train up off the floor after the ceremony, so you can walk and dance freely at the reception without carrying it.
What's the difference between a French and American bustle?
A French bustle tucks the train underneath the skirt and ties it on the inside, so no fastenings are visible. An American bustle lifts the train over the top of the skirt and fastens it with buttons or hooks on the outside, where they can be made a decorative feature.
Do I need a bustle on my wedding dress?
If your gown has a train and you plan to dance, eat or move around at your reception, a bustle makes the evening far easier. Gowns without a train don't need one.
How long does it take to bustle a dress?
Once someone has been shown how, doing up a bustle usually takes under a minute. We walk whoever will be helping you — a bridesmaid, your mum — through it at your final fitting.
Your dress. Your fit. Your day.
Book your alterations consultation at the Sydenham studio — and see why brides travel from across the South Island to have their gowns finished here.