How to Bustle a Wedding Dress

Last Updated: February 16, 2022 References Approved

Even though most wedding dresses don't come with a bustle automatically, it's important to bustle a wedding dress after the ceremony. A bustle pulls the back of the dress off the ground so it doesn't get soiled, it allows the bride to move around after the ceremony with ease, and it alleviates some of the fear of tripping over a long train. There are several types of bustles, each looks a bit different but benefits the wearer of the dress in the same basic way. Here are a few options for adding a bustle to your wedding dress.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Regular (or Traditional) Bustle

1
Decide whether you like the look of a regular bustle. With a regular bustle, the end of the train is folded up under the back of the dress. This creates the look of a bubble hem and a fuller back to the skirt.^{[1]
X
Research source} A regular bustle may not even be noticeable to others, as it will just be assumed that your dress has just has no train and a full skirt.
- Regular bustles are usually easier to create on a skirt that is full but does not have a ton of tulle underneath, as the tulle would make it more difficult for the dress to fall naturally when it is bustled.
2
Attach a tie on the underside of the skirt. The tie should be positioned so that when your bustle is completed, your skirt hem will be just off the floor.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Kpoene Kofi-Bruce
Couture Bridal Designer
Expert Interview. 28 January 2021.} You, or your seamstress, can sew this into the seam of the skirt so that it is not visible from the outside.

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3
Sew an eye hook to the end of the train. The eye hook should be concealed as well as possible. There are many that look like lace or decorative beading, so don't settle for an eye hook that is too obvious.
- Remember that the eye hook needs to be sturdy enough to hold up the train of your dress, so if your train is really heavy, be sure to attach a sturdy eye hook.
4
Tuck the back of the skirt up and under your dress. You will probably need someone to help you with this. Attach the eye hook to the tie on the underside. This will make your hem bubble and your skirt look fuller. Straighten out your dress, making sure that the back of it is lying as it should.
- You may need to have more than one point of attachment to make the bustled hem look natural. If in doubt, hire an experienced seamstress to make this bustle.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Creating a French (or Under) Bustle

1
Decide whether you like the look of a French bustle. With a French bustle the loop and the button are both located under the skirt.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Kpoene Kofi-Bruce
Couture Bridal Designer
Expert Interview. 28 January 2021.} When connected, the finished look will have a puff in the middle of the back of your skirt with the lower half of the skirt lying straight down. This kind of bustle is very visible, creating a layer, or more, on the back of the dress that is full and puffy.
2
Attach a tie on the inside of the skirt, almost all the way up to the waist. The position of this tie will depend on where you would like the bustle puff on the back of the skirt of your dress. Just remember that the top of the puffy area will be where you attach the tie.
- If you are planning on having multiple points of attachment, for instance if your train is really long or you just like the look of multiple sections of full puffy bustle, then you will need to attach several ties at the top of the inside of your skirt.
3
Attach another tie on the underside of the skirt, this time further down the skirt from the first tie. This tie should be high enough to hold the skirt off the ground but far enough away from the first tie that when they are tied together is creates a pleasant puffy area. You may need more than one tie, depending on how long your train is.
- When using multiple ties, use different color ribbons to color code which ties go together. This will make the job much easier and will also make the ties easier to see under all the layers of tulle and skirting. If you are afraid that the different colors could show through your fabric, just number the ends so that they correspond with the tie you will attach in the next step.^{[4]
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  Research source}
4
Fasten the two ties together. Make sure that they are secure and then fluff the back of your dress until it appears just right. If you have multiple ties, make sure they are connected to the correct corresponding tie.
- It will be important to have someone help you with this kind of bustle. Assign someone to help bustle your dress for you on your wedding day. You will normally bustle your skirt between the wedding and reception. Have this designated person attend your dress fittings so they can learn how to properly bustle your dress. Generally, this person is the maid of honor or another member of the bridal party.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating an Over Bustle

1
Decide whether you like the look of an over bustle. An over bustle is perhaps the simplest type of bustle. It is created by simply attaching the mid point of your train to a button on the upper part of the back of the skirt of your dress, all on the outside of the dress. This can be done with one point of connection, especially on dresses that are light and do not have a long train, or through multiple points, for a heavier fabric or longer train.^{[5]
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Research source}
- This is the best bustle if your train has a lot of details or embroidery, because it will all still be visible once bustled.
- This is also known as an American bustle.^{[6]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Kpoene Kofi-Bruce
  Couture Bridal Designer
  Expert Interview. 28 January 2021.}
2
Attach an eye hook or button on the outside of your wedding dress. It should be attached high up on the train, near your lower back. A good one will be hidden in seams with creative decoration.^{[7]
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Research source}
3
Attach the lower tie about halfway down the back of the skirt. Ribbons are not usually used for an over bustle, as they would be very visible. Instead people tend to use hook and eye systems.
4
Connect the hook and eye you have attached. Once connected, the underside of the skirt should be off the floor completely. Straighten out the train, making sure that any details on the tail of the train are arranged pleasingly.
5
Attach more sets of hooks and eyes if desired. The skirt may have several bustles to lift the back of the dress to display any decorative work on the train. If that is the case, you must tuck in each of the folds so that with the final tie the dress will be neatly layered.

Expert Q&A

Question

Should you bustle the layers of a wedding dress separately?

Kpoene Kofi-Bruce
Couture Bridal Designer
Kpoene Kofi-Bruce is a tailor, couture wedding gown designer, and the Creative Director of Mignonette Bridal and Ette the Wedding Tailor in Chicago, Illinois. With nearly two decades of experience as a wedding gown designer, small business owner, and vintage sewing enthusiast, Kpoene specializes in wedding gown design and the social history of wedding dresses. She received a BA in Creative Writing from Middlebury College and studied the business of fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program and the Chicago Fashion Incubator and has written about wedding fashion for Jezebel, Catalyst, the Sun Times, and XO Jane.

Kpoene Kofi-Bruce

Couture Bridal Designer

Expert Answer

Yes, they often do. Lining layers can be very heavy and are sometimes even a different shape than the dress, so you want to get those out of the way first, and then your top layers can be bustled in a way that is more attractive.
Question

What type of bustle should I choose?

Kpoene Kofi-Bruce
Couture Bridal Designer
Kpoene Kofi-Bruce is a tailor, couture wedding gown designer, and the Creative Director of Mignonette Bridal and Ette the Wedding Tailor in Chicago, Illinois. With nearly two decades of experience as a wedding gown designer, small business owner, and vintage sewing enthusiast, Kpoene specializes in wedding gown design and the social history of wedding dresses. She received a BA in Creative Writing from Middlebury College and studied the business of fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program and the Chicago Fashion Incubator and has written about wedding fashion for Jezebel, Catalyst, the Sun Times, and XO Jane.

Kpoene Kofi-Bruce

Couture Bridal Designer

Expert Answer

The main two types of bustle are the American, which folds up on top of the gown, and the French, which tucks under. Which bustle you choose, and where you choose to place it (like at the waist, in the middle of the skirt, or at the hem) depends on the shape and construction of the gown. The right answer is always whatever gets the fabric out from underneath the bride's feet.
Question

What kind/size of hook and eye should be used for a full train that is lots of tulle? How do I attach it so it will not show?

Tj Armstrong

Community Answer

If you are talking about bringing it up for moving about more easily after the ceremony, put an elastic cuff dead center of the train about 6 to 12 inches up on the inside that can be wrapped around the bride's lower arm to carry the train to the side off the floor for the most part. It does not show when the train is down, and is not particularly difficult to locate when she needs to gather it up to carry, as it will be much too heavy for hook and eyes if very full at all. If not, make a waist strap to snap it into by adding a couple large snaps at an inconspicuous area under the arm near the waist and snaps inside the lower train.