Plus Size Vintage Wedding Dresses: How to Shop by Era and Get the Fit

The easiest way to get a plus size vintage wedding dress is to buy vintage-inspired and made to measure, because true vintage gowns were cut much smaller than what we wear today. Pick your era first, then pick a maker who sews to your measurements. That is the whole game.

I have been hunting plus size bridal fashion since 2011, and vintage is the look that never leaves. Tea length skirts. Lace sleeves. A waist that says hello. Sis, every one of those works on a curvy body. You just have to know where to look and what to ask for.

True vintage means the dress was made in the era. It is one of a kind, and it is the hardest route in extended sizes. Bridal dealer Jane Bourvis told Country and Town House that the measurements on older gowns were historically much smaller. Gaya Guiragossian of Vestiaire Collective says the same thing in plainer words: vintage sizing does not match modern sizing.

 

Vintage-inspired means a new dress cut in an old silhouette. This is where plus size brides win. You get the 1950s skirt or the Victorian collar, in your size, in fresh fabric, with a maker you can email.

My honest take? If you find a true vintage gown that fits, grab it. If you do not, stop scrolling and go made to measure. You are not settling. You are getting the look without the stress.

Every decade has a shape. Find the one that sounds like you, then search that exact phrase.

Think dropped waist, loose straight lines, beading and soft fringe. Kleinfeld describes the 1920s look as fluid and skimming, not clinging. If you hate anything tight at the waist, this is your decade.

Floor length, close to the body, in silk, satin or rayon, often with a puffed sleeve. Old Hollywood on your wedding day. Look for a maker who will add a little stretch or a corset back so the fit is forgiving.

Clean seams, modest necklines and a tailored, hourglass line. This one photographs beautifully at a courthouse or a small ceremony.

The big one. A fitted bodice, a nipped waist and a full skirt that ends at the calf. Lulus lists sweetheart necklines, long lace sleeves and tea length or ballerina hems as the signatures of the decade. Add a petticoat and a bold lip and you have rockabilly.

A slim A-line, a bateau neckline, long sleeves and covered buttons. Hemlines came up. Perfect if you want vintage without the volume.

Flowing sleeves, airy chiffon, soft lace and a relaxed fit. If comfort is the top of your list, start here.

High necklines, detailed collars, big sleeves and a worked bodice. A corseted jacket over a full skirt gives you the look and lets you adjust the fit through the day.

Three places to start. Search your era plus your size, then shop by measurements.

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Still deciding on an era? Save ideas from my vintage wedding board on Pinterest before you shop.

Ignore the tag. Guiragossian gives this example: a 1960s UK size 12 is roughly a modern UK 8. That is two sizes of difference from the label alone.

Get these numbers before you shop:

Then compare your numbers to the dress, not to a size chart from a different brand. Between sizes? Size up. Guiragossian says it is much easier for a tailor to take a dress in than to let it out.

Book a tailor who has worked on vintage before. Bourvis says alterations usually take a couple of weeks, and longer if the tailor has to match fabric to add room. Ask about a corset back, added side panels or a matching jacket. Those are the usual ways to add room to a vintage shape.

Build your look from the inside out too. The right foundation changes how a fitted bodice sits. Start with our plus size bridal lingerie picks, and if you want to try gowns on in person, read about a plus size bridal salon made for curvy brides.

EveryBODY deserves the dress she has been picturing. Pick your decade and go get it.