Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Baby Got Back

Today's entry is a tip for all of you brides who decide that, in order to look your best, you should step up a gym routine and begin a workout regimen. Obviously toning your body will help you achieve that photo-ready physique you long for. But did you know that too much exercise, or the wrong kinds of exercise can render your wedding gown too small?

It's true. Many brides have arrived in my dressing room to try on their beautiful gown that has just arrived only to discover that it will not zip. They are stymied because they have been working out with a pesonal trainer and have lost 10 pounds. So I take the bride's measurements around her back and bust and compare to the measurements from the day she ordered her gown only to discover that she has gained an inch or two.

I remember a particular bride who bought a dress from me. When she ordered her gown, the sample size fit perfectly, so I took her measurements and ordered her dress the same size as the sample. About three months later she came in to look at veils and I put her back into the same sample she had had on. It no longer zipped in the back, but rather was open about 2"! We determined that it wasn't her cycle (which can cause a growth thru the bust) but that in her bridal boot camp she was doing too much weight lifting and aerobic activity that had caused growth in her back muscles and an expansion in her lung cavity.

So here are the tips:
1. Do not roly solely on mega-workouts. A sensible diet and excercise routine work best.
2. Less weight and more reps for less muscle bulk.
3. If you are able to engage the use of a trainer, let her know that you need to fit into a dress already ordered. She'll take your measurements and montitor your progress, adjusting as needed if you begin to bulk up across your back.
4. If you have not yet ordered your gown, consider a corset or lace-up back to help adjust for the possibility of small figure changes either direction.

The bride mentioned above had a happy ending. When her dress arrived in the store a few months later, she had adjusted her workout and her back/bust measurement had gone back down. Her dress fit her beautifully!

Remember, people have a tendency to use the number on the scale as their progress marker - it is really your measurements around that matter in how you look and how your beautiful gown fits you!