Last updated:May 16, 2009 at 05:29 AM

      Wedding Gown and customized prom dress sizes can be deceiving. If you normally wear a size 8 in clothing, you will most likely wear a size 10, or even a size 12, in a wedding gown. This is industry wide. Don’t ask us how they got the sizing, it really makes no sense. Someone got a wild idea to make wedding gowns run somewhat on a European size chart. So all of here in the U.S. get confused as to what size we wear in a wedding gown. Don’t even compare what you wear in clothing to what you would order in a gown, there really is no correlation. Go by your won measurements!

• Always take your measurements and double check a size chart, especially with buying online. Measurements are a MUST!!
• Don’t be stuck on the size number. Just because you are a size 6 in normal clothing, you will NOT be a size 6 in a wedding dress.
• If you fall between sizes on the size chart, go with the larger size; it is easier to alter a dress down than to add more material. You may be depressed now by ordering a size larger, but think about how you’ll feel when you get the dress and it’s too small.
• Many dress stores use Women’s sizes (i.e., 18W, 20W, etc.). These are not the same as a regular size 18 or 20. A size 20W is equivalent to a size 22. Clothing companies try to make women feel better by giving us vanity sizes by adding a W to them. Some people think it means “Wide.” No, it means "Women's” But the W on the end just adds more confusion. Am I a 20W or a 22? Did I try on a 16 or a 16W? Yet another reason to rely on measurements and a size chart!
• No woman’s body is perfect, no matter how much we wish for it, so most gowns will need a nip and a tuck here or there. Alterations are to be expected.
• Most wedding gowns or prom dresses are made to a certain height, so make sure you double check with the store on what height the gown is made for. Dressilyme makes their gowns based on your personal Alternation, so just perfect for you.