The best plus size modest wedding dress is one that was never a standard size to begin with. A gown sewn to your own measurements fits the bust, the waist, the upper arm and the length as they actually are, rather than as a size chart assumed they would be together, and that is the difference between a plus size gown that looks altered and one that looks made. This guide explains why sizing up fails on covered gowns in particular, what made to measure changes, which silhouettes and fabrics work best on a fuller figure, what to look for in the sleeves and the neckline, and how to measure at home so the gown arrives right.
Why sizing up fails on modest wedding dresses
A standard-size gown is cut to a set of proportions: a bust, a waist and a hip that go together on a fit model, scaled up and down the size range. Almost nobody is that model at any size, and the further from the middle of the range, the less the proportions hold. On a strapless gown this shows at the waist and the hip, which a tailor can take in. On a covered gown it shows in five more places that a tailor cannot easily fix: the upper arm, where a fitted sleeve binds or pulls; the sleeve length, which comes long or short with the size rather than with your arm; the shoulder width, which on a high-neck gown decides whether the collar sits or gapes; the shoulder-to-waist length, which decides whether the waist seam lands at your waist; and the dress length, which is cut for an average height at each size. A plus size bride buying a standard covered gown is usually buying the size that fits her bust and then paying to alter the other nine measurements. Sometimes that works. Often the sleeves are still wrong, because a sleeve cannot be made wider than the fabric it was cut from.
What does made to measure change?
Everything above. A made-to-measure gown is cut from your ten measurements, so the sleeve is as wide as your upper arm needs and as long as your arm is, the shoulder seam sits on your shoulder, the collar closes at your neck, the waist seam lands at your waist and the hem meets the floor in the shoes you will wear. There is no size on the label because there is no size; there is a pattern drawn for you. It also means the gown's proportions are yours: a fuller bust with a narrow back, long arms with a short torso, a high waist, broad shoulders, any of the combinations a size chart cannot hold, are simply the numbers the seamstress works from. Every gown we make is sewn this way, whether the bride is a size 6 or a size 26. We also offer standard sizes from XS to XXL, but for a plus size bride the custom measurements are the better route, and the price is the same either way.
Which silhouettes suit a plus size bride?
The A-line
Fitted through the bodice, then falling away from the natural waist in a gentle A. It defines the waist without holding the hips, it moves well, and it is the most forgiving silhouette for a bride who wants to sit, dance and eat. Most of our white gowns are A-lines: the Ayah ($1,600), Husna ($1,750), Khadija ($850) and Maryam ($1,600).
The empire line
The waist seam sits just under the bust, and the skirt falls from there. It lengthens the body, it takes the eye away from the midsection entirely, and it is the most comfortable silhouette to wear for a long day. The Rana ($499) has a gathered empire bodice in satin with full bishop sleeves.
The ball gown with a hoop
Counter-intuitively, one of the best silhouettes for a fuller figure, because a full skirt makes the waist read small by comparison and a hoop holds the skirt away from the body. It needs a fitted bodice and a defined waist to work. The Asma ($2,200) is a full ball gown with the hoop skirt included and a short capelet over the shoulders.
The soft column with a cape
A straighter gown in a fluid fabric with a cape behind it. The cape gives the silhouette its width so the gown itself can fall straight, which is slimming, and the fabric moves rather than clings if it is lined. The Bushra ($980) is built this way, with the beadwork running in two trails down the skirt so the detail follows the line rather than the body.
What to avoid: a mermaid or trumpet cut unless you love it, since it holds the hips and thighs and needs perfect fit to sit well; a drop waist, which lengthens the torso and shortens the legs; and a heavy, unlined fabric, which clings in the wrong places and shows every line underneath.
What sleeves and neckline work best?
Sleeves are where a plus size covered gown succeeds or fails, and the answer is fit rather than style. A fitted long sleeve looks elegant on any arm if it is cut to that arm, with ease at the upper arm and the elbow; it looks tight and creased if it was cut for a smaller one, which is what happens with standard sizes. A bishop sleeve, full through the arm and gathered at the wrist, gives room without looking loose and is the most comfortable sleeve to wear; the Rana, the Fatima and the Ayah have them. Sheer sleeve panels or a cape over a fitted sleeve add movement at the shoulder and take the eye off the upper arm. Avoid a cap sleeve or a puff that ends at the fullest part of the arm, and avoid an unlined sheer sleeve if you do not want the arm visible.
For the neckline, a high neck with a defined waist is more flattering on a fuller bust than a high neck over an undefined bodice, which can read as a single block from collar to hip. A beaded collar or a yoke draws the eye up to the face; a V-shaped panel of beading down the front, as on the Zehra, lengthens the torso. Keep the heaviest embellishment above the bust or below the hip, not at the waist.
Which fabrics?
Lined chiffon, satin with a lining, crepe, and lace over an opaque base. Lined chiffon is the most forgiving: it falls in soft folds, it moves, and it does not cling. Satin is smooth and structured but shows every line underneath, so it needs a good lining and good undergarments; a satin A-line with a fitted bodice is beautiful on a fuller figure, a satin column less so. Lace over lining adds texture that breaks up a large expanse of fabric. Avoid stiff tulle in volume, which adds width without shape, and stretch fabrics, which cling.
How do you measure for a plus size wedding dress at home?
The same way as any bride, with more care at three points. Take the bust measurement over the bra you will wear on the day, because the gown is cut to it. Take the upper arm at its fullest point with the arm relaxed, not flexed, and if you are between numbers choose the larger one; a sleeve with a little room is comfortable, a sleeve without any is not. And take the waist at its narrowest point rather than where your clothes sit, then add a note if you would like more ease through the hips. Our measurement form asks for ten measurements plus your height, weight and heel height, and has a notes field for exactly this kind of instruction: broad shoulders, more room in the hips, a preference for a looser sleeve. The full walk-through is in our guide to measuring for a wedding dress at home, and the measuring guide has the photographs.
How much does a plus size modest wedding dress cost?
The same as any other size, if it is made to measure. We do not charge more for larger measurements; the price on the product page is the price, from $499 for the Rana to $2,800 for the Aleena. Standard-size gowns from large catalogue stores often add a plus size or custom size surcharge and then need alterations on top, which is where a $300 gown becomes a $700 one. Our guide to what a Muslim wedding dress costs covers the tiers.
Ordering
Choose the gown, send the ten measurements from the guide with your height, weight and heel height, add any notes about fit, and the gown is sewn to them in 8 to 10 weeks, with express and rush options at checkout. It ships free in the US and also to Canada, Australia, the UK, Ireland and 14 countries in Europe (any import duties or VAT are paid by the buyer on delivery). Every gown in the Muslim wedding dresses collection is available this way; the hijab wedding dresses and cape wedding dresses collections are where the A-lines, empire lines and cape gowns described above live.