Adding sleeves or straps to a dress is a regular pastime for seamstresses up and down the country, and they can help to transform a standard, off the peg, bridesmaid dress into something more bespoke and amazing.
If you are planning to incorporate either straps or sleeves into the bridesmaid dress designs, you don’t need to worry too much about finding an exact material match; chiffon, either on its own or overlaid against a similar colour and material, in a complementary colour normally works wonders.
This article outlines the most common and suitable sleevs and straps that can be inccorporated into a bridesmaid dress.

|
Spaghetti
Thin (1cm) to very thin (4mm) straps either singularly or in pairs or threes. They can either sit on the shoulder in standard fashion or can used as part of the off the shoulder design where they would drape down prettily on the upper arm. Where a single strap is used they can be made to be adjustable with a bra-like adjuster to change the length. They can also be decorated with crystals, beads or pearls or be made to match one of your wedding colours. Spaghetti straps don’t work with sleeves. |

|
Standard Straps
Anything bigger than spaghetti straps (e.g. 1cm) is considered to be a standard strap. They can extend to around about 2 inches and can be used in conjunction with different sleeve options. These are less likely to be decorated ornately, or at least any differently to the rest of the bodice as they tend to be cut in a single panel with the bodice rather than added separately as for spaghetti straps. |

|
Cap Sleeves
A sleeve which basically covers the very upper arm and shoulder. They tend to be shaped from the under arm out in a curve to a point no more than 1.5inches below the tip of the shoulder. An ideal style for any junior bridesmaid. |
Page 1 of 2
[ First | Previous | 1 | 2 | Next | Last ]