So you are thinking of altering or resizing your bandage dress, and you’re wondering if it’s possible; well it is totally doable, but you need to keep a few things at the back of your mind. First off, bandage dresses have unique and complicated materials and so easy to sew.
Bandaged dresses are made with a mix of rayon, nylon, and spandex fabrics that I meant to hug the body and show your natural course. You can read more about that here.
The types of material that bandage dresses are made of, cannot easily be sewn smoothly by every machine, so it becomes difficult when you try to alter and adjust bandage dresses since it requires a special kind of sewing machine, an expensive one at that.
If you’re not into tailoring it will be difficult to try to do this yourself. However, if you have a sewing machine that can handle bondage materials you’re good to go.
Related article: What Are Bandage Dresses and Why Are They So Popular?
what to consider when altering bandage dress
We’ll talk about how to alter a bandage dress yourself much later; in this article, but for now, let’s look at a few things you need to consider when altering your bandage dress:
1. Find the Right Tailor: When are thinking of altering your address you want to go for a tailor who has experience in sewing bandage dresses or stretchy materials. This is very important because not all tailors have machines that can sew stretchy materials or know the techniques to sew bandage dresses.
2. Make realistic Alterations: Minor alterations and changes to the dress are okay, and you have a high chance of having a dress, perfectly well, but with major changes, you might have to rethink it.
For instance, if you’re just shortening the dress or nipping the dress in a little bit at the waist, you won’t have a problemwith that.
But if you are thinking of major changes like redesigning or remodeling, the entire silhouette like the entire shape and design of the dress; Then you’ve got yourself in trouble there, and trust me it will cost you less to get a new dress.
Read this: How To Choose The Perfect Bandage Dress For Your Body Type
3. The Fabric Factor: Bandage dresses are stretchy, so when altering one you need to make sure it still stretches in all the right ways afterward. This can be tricky, which is another reason why you should get the right tailor to alter the dress for you. Otherwise, you risk losing the entire shape of the dress.
4. Cost Considerations: so I would say if the price you’re going to spend to make changes to the dress is high within the range of 50% to 70% dress cost price of buying a new one; then I will ask why stress yourself with alteration when can easily get a new dress.
However, if all you will be spending is a fraction like 5% or 20% of the original cost of the dress, then makes sense to proceed with the alteration.
How to alter a bandage dress with sleeves and all sleeve length.
Altering a bandage dress on your own can be a bit of a challenge, but it is totally doable with patience and precision. Here’s how to alter a bandage dress from the comfort of your home:
Required Tools
You’ll need a few essentials:
- Scissors
- A tape
- Fabric chalk or marker
- Straight pins
- A sewing machine that can sew stretchy material
- Dress Color Matching thread
- A seam ripper, a dress that needs one
Step 1: Put On the Dress
Start by wearing the dress and standing in front of the mirror to identify where you wanna adjust. Use chalk or the fabric marker to make a note of the place if possible, ask someone to help you mark the spot.
Step 2: Take Your Measurements
Now take off the dress and lay it on a plain flat surface, using the measuring tape try to get the precise measurements based on the marks you’ve made earlier. Don’t forget to give a little space so you don’t go overboard in cutting out too much of the material beyond the necessary. It is always best to give room for extra adjustment if need be
Step 3: Pinning
Turn the dress inside out and pin along the lines where you’ll be sewing. For taking in the sides, pin along the existing seam to ensure everything stays even. If you’re shortening it, make a new hemline. Try the dress on again (carefully, to avoid pricking yourself!) to make sure the adjustments look right.
Step 4: Sewing
Set your sewing machine to a stretch stitch setting. This is crucial because bandage dress material needs to retain its stretchiness after sewing. Slowly sew along the pinned lines, removing pins as you go. For hemming, fold the fabric inward to the desired length and sew around.
Step 5: Fitting
Once you’ve made your adjustments, turn the dress right side out and try it on again to check the fit and make sure you’re happy with the alterations.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
If everything looks good, trim any excess fabric from the seams or hem, leaving about half an inch for seam allowance. If you’ve sewn new seams, press them flat with an iron on a low heat setting to give your dress a nice clean finish.
So, can bandage dresses be altered, my answer is yes, your bandage dress can be altered with the right skills and tools. Just remember to weigh your skill if you are DIYing it and choose the right tailor with experience in making stretchy dresses if you are going to hire one. If your changes are about making sure the dress fits more snuggly, then you’re on the right track. But if you’re thinking of a style overhaul and total redesign for the dress, please save yourself. From the stress and get a new dress that meets all your needs. Be sure to check out our Cute Bandage dress collection here
