Weddingbee Blog

I’m thinking about getting a crinoline just because my dress is a teeny bit too long.
When I started looking for dresses I didn’t want a poofy dress, but every poofy dress I tried on, I fell in love with. I figure there will never be another time when it will be acceptable to wear a ballgown, so I better take my chance if I want it

I am wearing a crinoline. I actually tried a dress on with just a regular slip instead of a crinoline, and it made it too clingy (i.e. not in a hot way). So as hard as I was trying to be sort of an anti-bride, it looked silly without it.

I would recommend trying both options when you go back for your fitting.

I’m not sure–my gown is quite similar to yours, Miss Kiwi, and I tried it on without anything extra. It looked fine with only its own internal puffing. It had some, but I really can’t remember how much. Anyway, I guess I’ll see when it comes in. I’m sure the bridal salon will try to sell me one, so I’ll get to see. Poor bridal salon, I got the dress at a very low price (they matched RK Bridal’s) and I hope to get away with no alterations and my mom creating the bustle! Heh heh heh…

Lol, pooth = poof. Who knows how that came out wrong.

If you want to know officially (two seasons at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, and a degree in Textiles and Costume) a crinoline is a wire or bamboo cage used to create a rounded circular shape (think Queen Victoria) to create the enormous circular skirts with a lightweight means to hold out the volume without the need for thousands of petticoat layers.
In bridal and eveningwear terms, a petticoat is a skirt (usually lining material or calico) with multiple layers of tulle from mid-calf to ankle to hold out the skirt in a much softer fashion. This is the net petticoat that most of you will have and that you would recognise (in a shorter version) of peeking out underneath skirts in Grease.
Crinolines tend to be used these days for period costume and for very large skirts (Bo Peep styles) and can make you look a bit ‘bell’ shaped as the skirt will swing from side to side. Petticoats come in thousands of variations of weight, poof and stiffness. Some may be necessary just to hold the a-line out slightly (preventing cling or falling between your legs) or to create the ‘meringue’ (for want of a better term) shape for the ever-popular strapless, large skirted style.
I’ve seen these styles go down the aisle without a petticoat, and to be honest, they just look a bit silly. They rely on the volume that the petticoat provides to get the proportions right, and also you will have been fitted (most likely) with a petticoat and thus the hem will rely on the right amount of lift to keep it at the right height.
Ask to try on various styles with your chosen dress and make sure you walk around (and SIT DOWN!) in it to see how you like the feel and can navigate obstacles!
Hope that helps xx