Wedding Dress Sizing Guide: What Bridal Size Am I?

As you start the journey to find your dream wedding dress, a key first step in the shopping process is answering this question: What wedding dress size am I? The last thing you want to do is play the guessing game and end up with a costly tailor bill—or worse, having to resell the dress on your own (if it can’t be returned) and get the right size. Fortunately for you, there’s a lot you can do on your own to navigate the world of wedding dress sizes! In this wedding dress sizing guide, you'll learn the difference between wedding dress sizes vs. regular sizes, learn how to do your own measuring for a wedding dress, and feel confident choosing your wedding dress size. Let's start by exploring the sizing differences within the bridal industry.

Are Wedding Dress Sizes Different Than Regular Dress Sizes?

Brides often ask if wedding dresses are true to size, and the reality is that they are NOT true to the sizes you typically wear. No, this is not a super secret conspiracy to confuse us or tap into our insecurities! There are two things that strongly affect wedding dress sizes vs. regular dress sizes. First is the fact that bridal sizing is traditionally based off of European sizing, but not even modern day size charts in Europe. Believe it or not, wedding dress sizes actually come from European size charts from the 1940s! This means that wedding dresses are generally two to four sizes smaller than the sizes you might wear for other formal dresses or even your daily clothes.

The second reason wedding dress sizing can be tricky to figure out is that each designer brand has some variation in sizing. This is because designers sometimes create and use their own size charts for their works. So, just because you fit perfectly in a size 14 from one designer does not mean that you are guaranteed to be a size 14 in all wedding dresses.

But don’t despair! Just because wedding dress sizes are different than regular dress sizes does not mean you can’t figure out the right size for you! The best way to start narrowing your options (other than trying on ALL the dresses, which would be super exhausting) is to measure yourself. Let’s check out some tips and tricks on measuring for your wedding dress.

How Do I Size Myself for a Wedding Dress?

Ready to size yourself to figure out your wedding dress size? You just need a flexible tape measure, a way to note down each measurement, and someone you trust. Could you do it yourself? Yes, you can manage measuring yourself solo if necessary, but the measurements are more likely to be accurate if you have a loved one holding the tape measure straight and steady. Let’s get started!

How to Measure for a Wedding Dress

For proper wedding dress sizing, you just need a few key measurements. There are four important wedding dress measurements required to get the perfect size:

• Full Body (Hollow to Hem): This measurement determines how long you’ll need your wedding dress to be. Take this measurement by standing straight up with your feet slightly apart. Have your helper place one end of the measuring tape between your collarbones (this is known as your hollow). You can hold it in place while your helper takes the other end of the tape down the floor. It's important that you wear shoes similar to the height of those you'll be wearing on the big day for the most accurate hollow-to-hem measurement.
• Bust: This measurement is taken at the fullest part of the bust wearing only a bra or a very thin fabric over a bra. To get the most accurate measurement, lift your arms and extend them out from your shoulders. Your helper will then need to drape the tape measure around your back and across the widest part of your bust.
• Waist: The waist measurement is taken a little differently from how you might expect, and it is most commonly the one that many brides (and their helpers) get wrong because the "natural waistline" can be tricky to identify. To figure out where your natural waistline is, bend slightly to one side and place the measuring tape where your waist creases, which is usually a few inches higher than the level of your belly button. Do not place the tape where you normally wear the waist of your clothing because many clothes are cut with a slightly raised or dropped waist (above, at, or below belly button level), which is different from your true waist size. Measure around your waist at this "natural waistline" point only. Make sure the measurement is not too tight or too loose.
• Hip: Start by standing with your feet comfortably shoulder-width apart. Then measure around the fullest/widest part of your hip. This measurement is usually taken 7 to 9 inches below the point you measured your true waist.

If you need a little help picturing how to take each of these measurements, we’ve got your back! Check out a visual walkthrough of measuring for a wedding dress with this Size Guide Video from Avery Austin. The video shows you exactly how to take these wedding dress measurements accurately. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind when you’re measuring for wedding dresses:

• Wear the same shoes and undergarments you plan to wear with your gown. This same advice applies when you try on wedding dresses because you’ll end up with the same look, feel, and measurements as you likely will have on your wedding day.
• When in doubt, ask an expert. While you can certainly get by with the help of someone you trust, you can get your wedding dress measurements taken by a professional if you have any worries about accuracy.

Now that you have your measurements, it’s time to use them to figure out wedding dress sizing!

How to Choose the Right Size for Your Wedding Dress

The final step in this wedding dress sizing guide is finding your actual bridal size, which will be based on the wedding dress size chart of your chosen gown/designer. This is a simple process, especially when you are doing your wedding dress shopping online! Generally, designers will post their size charts showing the approximate measurements they use to make each size, or on bridal shop websites, you can find a specific size chart or guide available for each dress. Compare your measurements to the size chart of your chosen dress to determine the correct size. Easy as that! Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you compare your body measurements to the wedding dress size charts:

• Check EVERY size chart. It’s never a good idea to assume that all the bridal gowns you’re looking at are by the same designer or use the same size chart, so before you click “Add to Bag,” make sure you’ve given the size chart for that specific style a close check.
• Avoid using general bridal size charts online. While Google can be a great resource for all things bridal, a generic bridal sizing chart is not a guarantee that the wedding dress sizing will be the same for the gown you’re looking at on another website. Only follow the unique wedding dress sizing guide provided for each dress.
• When in doubt, stick with your largest measurement. Most of us won’t fit the size chart measurements exactly for bust, waist, and hips on a given size. If you are finding that you cannot find a wedding gown that perfectly matches all of your measurements, our advice is to order according to the largest measurement. The reason is that a seamstress can usually take your garment in pretty easily but cannot always take a garment out or "add size" to it. This is based on seam allowances, which are very slim in most cases.
• Sizing up is usually the safest bet. Brides often ask if it Is better to size up or down in a wedding dress, and like in the point above, a seamstress can only do so much if you size down and the dress is too small. Even if you’re planning a weight loss journey between now and your wedding day, it’s still easier for a seamstress to work with a style that is slightly bigger. If you’re expecting, however, you may want to consider a size that provides enough wiggle room in the waist and hip area for your body’s big changes over the following months.

Now that we’ve explored all the tips and tricks you’ll need to measure yourself successfully for finding your bridal size, you probably have a good idea why it’s so important to try to get the perfect wedding dress size the first time around. It’s the best way to save yourself time and money, especially with alterations. Of course, the reality is that even if you pay close attention to the details throughout this wedding dress sizing guide, you may still need to make slight alterations at a tailor or seamstress near you. That's because bridal sizing rarely works out perfectly since the gowns often run a little small and, since brides often choose their wedding dresses months before the big day, weight may fluctuate before the wedding. At least by following the tips above, you can do your best to ensure you don’t order a dress that's multiple sizes too small or too big.

We hope this resource answered the question you came here with: What wedding dress size am I? Maybe you even found answers to other questions about bridal sizing in general that you didn’t even realize you had! But, if this in-depth wedding dress sizing guide still leaves you with bridal sizing concerns, don’t stress. Just reach out to one of our bridal stylists and we'll talk you through the process so you can feel confident in your next steps. Our experts can even help you talk through flattering styles by your body type or set up your very own Try at Home Box to bring the bridal salon experience right to your door. We can't wait to play a small role in your big day!