Wedding Dress Bustle Ideas

Over-Bustle

• As the simplest and least expensive style, the over-bustle involves securing part of the train to the back of the gown, at bodice level, thereby drawing the hem of the train up to floor length. This may be a one-point or three-point bustle, depending on your preference, the length of the train and weight of the material. One-point bustling involves securing the train at one point on the waist in back. Three-point bustles are secured at the waist and at points on each side. The three-point style suits heavier fabric and spreads the train open to reveal its design instead of concealing it in folds.
  
  

Ballroom Bustle

• A more complex version of over-bustle, the ballroom bustle is fastened subtly to create the appearance of a generous floor-length gown instead of a gown with an obviously bustled train. The material is secured at multiple points to hold the train open and wide, producing a bell shape with a regally pronounced behind. The ballroom bustle tends to be very secure and is suitable for heavier trains.
  
  

Under-Bustle

• To create an under-bustle, a fold of the train is secured to a point on the underside of the dress's skirt, either at the waistline or lower, which draws the hem of the train up to floor length. More secure than over-bustles, under-bustles are fastened with hidden ties.
  
  

French Bustle

• Technically an under-bustle, the French bustle involves securing the train beneath the dress at several points to create a tier of material over the hem. Ribbons securing it are color-coded or paired in some other way so the bride's attendants know which ribbons to knot together. In other variations, the double and triple French bustles are secured similarly, but creating two and three tiers of fabric over the hem.
  
  

Austrian Bustle

• Much simpler than other bustles, the Austrian bustle employs a mechanism similar to raising a window shade. Pull the string and the train rises, bunching along a line in the back, just below the bodice.