Antique Lace Plus Size Dress

Finding an Antique Lace Plus Size Dress

Lace was a very popular fabric for wedding clothes from the early 19th century and through the 1920s. During the Great Depression, it was too expensive for most people to indulge in, and the intricate work involved in making good lace was not something anyone could undertake during World War I. However, in the early years of the 20th century, lace was very commonly seen on day dresses and wedding wear. Many of these clothes were well-preserved and so can be found in high-end vintage shops. The good news for the plus sized woman is that the average woman at that time was larger than is the style today, so that most of the antique dresses you find are likely to fit. You must bear in mind, however, that the women of the day wore heavy foundation garments so that the dress would hang properly. An Edwardian dress can be very flattering, especially to an apple shape, but you will have to wear a corset so that it will look right.

Whether you want an actual vintage dress, a reproduction or a dress trimmed with antique lace, it is something you want to try on and work with, not something you want to buy online. However, this may not be practical for you. Allow yourself a lot of time to shop and become familiar with what is available and what you really want. Some good Web sites to look at to get a sense of styles are:

• Posh Girl Vintage
• Antique Dress
• The Vintage Wedding Dress Company

Once you know what you want, you may be happier with a dress that is purely a reproduction, in which case look at Vintage Wedding, a company that does beautiful reproductions, knows how to do them in plus sizes, and makes good use of lace, all for startlingly low prices.

Modern Antique Lace Plus Size Dresses

Antique lace doesn’t have to mean it’s vintage. The term also refers to modern lace in a color and style that looks like hand-tatted lace of yore. This can be preferable in a good dress, because it’s a lot less likely to shred. Or, if it does, you’re a lot less likely to lose your sanity when that happens! Especially if this is your wedding dress, you have enough to worry about while wearing it without protecting something so delicate.

A beautiful and reasonably priced dress can be found at House of Brides, which offers the Adele by Mon Cheri Couture. It is a strapless dress made of silk satin, antique lace and French tulle. Sizes are from 16W to 28W, so you can definitely indulge your inner princess.

Making Antique Lace Plus Size Dresses

To actually sew an antique lace plus size dress, you need to be an experienced seamstress. However, you can design your own dress and have someone trim it with lace that you find on eBay, or at any vintage shop. It can be easier to find vintage textiles in good condition than the clothes themselves. Since so few people sew nowadays, you can find a whole spool of antique lace trim for under $10. Carefully draped trim on a dark velvet dress can make an already lovely gown striking and give it a retro look. If you find a few yards of antique lace, the tailor with whom you’re working to fit your wedding dress will be able to integrate it into the gown. It may be enough for your veil and train, with a bit left over to add as detailing on the bodice. Wind a bit of lace around your bouquet and you will be an old-fashioned vision with a modern sensibility.