I got this dress on clearance at Downeast this summer. Unfortunately, they didn’t have my size, but I knew it would be about a 30 minute project to make it fit perfectly since I know how to take in a dress. So I snagged it for a great deal and went for it! In the past, I have recommended taking in a dress by just taking in the sides of the bodice. After sewing more and learning more, I have realized that method of how to take in a dress doesn’t always work well. If the dress is a very large A-line, and you only take in the bodice, you risk having excess fabric on both sides of the skirt that may result in being longer than the rest of the skirt.

However, this issue is pretty easy to remedy.  I find it works best to separate the skirt from the bodice first.  Then, you can take in the sides of the bodice on i’s own.  Next, take the skirt and gather it again.  This will make the skirt a bit fuller, but will evenly distribute that fullness instead of having it compiled on the sides.  Once the gathering is in place, reattach the bodice to the skirt and you are done!

Here’s what I think works best for how to take in a dress.

Honestly, it’s a pretty easy alteration once you get your head around the process. I totally think a beginner could pull this off! And it makes such a difference to the fit and look of your dress.

Shoes: Similar

Dress: DownEast Basics, but sold out, similar look here

Sunglasses: similar here

If you have any tips for taking in dress, please leave them in the comments! I’ve gotten some of my best sewing advice from you guys; so please don’t hesitate to share!