Bernadine

How Bernadine is cut

An A-line is the shape most brides try first, and a good number stop there. It sits close through the bodice and then falls away from the hip in a clean line, so it skims rather than grips. That makes it forgiving over the tummy and hips without hiding your shape, and it is the easiest silhouette to move and dance in.

It works on almost every figure, which is why we always have several on the rails. If you are petite it lengthens you; if you are curvier it gives the hip somewhere to go.

The neckline on this one is plunge. Necklines are the fastest way to tell whether a gown is yours, so it is worth trying two very different ones side by side before you decide.

Lace is the detail people come close to look at. Where it sits over an illusion base it reads as though it is resting on the skin, and the pattern can be moved or extended at alteration to sit exactly where you want it.

Trying Bernadine on in Cleveleys

Our samples run from about a UK 8 to a UK 24, and we clip and pad at the back so you can see a gown as it will look made to your measurements. Ask us which size the Bernadine sample is when you book and we will check the rail before you travel.

Appointments are private and the fitting suite is yours for the whole visit, so there is no queue for the mirror and nobody else's party in the room. Bring whoever you actually want an opinion from, and shoes at roughly the heel height you are planning. Find us at 112 Victoria Road West, Cleveleys.

Rebecca Ingram is the label to look at if you want a designer gown without a designer number. Same house as Maggie Sottero, simpler construction, noticeably kinder prices. See the rest of the Rebecca Ingram gowns we carry.

Ordering and alterations

Bernadine is made to order once you say yes, and the makers we work with generally take six to eight months. Add roughly two months for alterations on top, which is why most of our brides book their first appointment nine to twelve months before the wedding. If your date is sooner than that, say so early: rush orders exist, and our outlet rail carries sample gowns you can take away.

Almost every gown needs altering, and that is normal rather than a sign anything is wrong. A hem, a bustle for the evening and a nip through the bodice are the usual three. Alterations are arranged separately and priced once we can see what your gown needs, so nobody quotes you for work you may not need.