Melody 88511

How Melody 88511 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.

Melody 88511 is listed under Basque as well, because a basque waist drops to a V below the natural waist before the skirt begins. That V does two things at once: it lengthens the whole body above it, and it gives the eye a vertical line rather than a horizontal one.

The neckline on this one is cat eye. 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.

Satin has a soft lustre and enough weight to fall properly rather than cling. It photographs beautifully in low light, and it wants a smooth foundation underneath because the surface shows everything.

Trying Melody 88511 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 Melody 88511 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.

Justin Alexander is classic done properly. Clean lines, beautiful fabrics and the kind of gown that will not date in your photographs. See the rest of the Justin Alexander gowns we carry.

Ordering and alterations

Melody 88511 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.