Wedding dress bustle types, explained
American, French, Austrian, ballroom and detachable trains: what each one does and which skirts they suit.
American, train down for the ceremony.
American
Also called: Over-bustle, pickup bustle
The train is lifted and hooked onto the back of the skirt, so it falls in soft poufs over the top.
- Typical points:
- 2 to 7 points (3 in this drawing)
- Best for:
- Most skirts. It is the workhorse and the one I use most often.
- Fabric:
- Works on almost anything. Heavy satins hold the folds crisply; very soft chiffon can look limp.
Hook on topTied underneathWhich way it’s pulled
A bustle is how your train comes up off the floor after the ceremony so you can walk and dance without carrying it. There is no single correct type. The right one depends on the weight of the skirt, the length of the train, and what the back of the dress looks like.
I decide the bustle at the first fitting, with the dress on you, because a style that works beautifully on one skirt will drag or bunch on another. If you have a preference, tell me, and I will tell you honestly whether the dress will take it.
Whoever is bustling you on the day should come to the final fitting. It takes five minutes to learn and it is much easier in a quiet room than in a hallway at the reception.
Questions this did not answer? Send me a request.