About the Dress

This is the lovely Carmel dress from Tara Lauren in the shade Ivory.

I had detachable sleeves made for this dress, using the same overlay lace used on the dress. These are attached / detached using button on sleeves, which marry up with elasticated loops inside the strap.

These sleeves do not need to be worn and the elastic track inside the straps can easily be removed. I had these made to have a change of look mid way through my wedding day.

There is a rip in the overlay mesh, on the bottom of the skirt as shown in photos - this has been snagged at some point and I didn’t realise until after I had it dry cleaned. There is also a small hole near this as shown in photos.

This dress has been altered for my height which is 5”5 inches plus the 4-5” heels that I wore on my wedding day. If you are shorter than this then this rip and hole could be adjusted out and I still think a seamstress could fix / disguise this in some way.

The neckline is square and the bodice has beautiful visible boning detail which is really unique and looks super feminine. The back of the dress is low with a subtle V shape. There was originally some padding in the dress which was perfectly fine alone, but I had some extra D-Cup padding stitched in for some extra support as I wasn’t wearing a bra with this - this can be easily unpicked without the help of a seamstress.

The dress is a size 10 and I am usually a size 10 in regular clothing. The skirt is quite straight fit however it’s not tight / perfectly up and down. It allows for hips and curves etc and tapers nicely into a straight skirt, slightly wider at the lower skirt to allow for good movement.

The back of the dress is a zip fastening which makes it much easier to get on and off. The straps are lovely and thick which are very flattering. There is also a button sewn onto the lower part of the dress, which allows the skirt to be held up during the evening.

The dress has been dry cleaned but still shows some slight marks on the hemline and straps / arm holes of the dress. There is some wear and fraying on the hemline but again if you need any length taking off this would be removed.

The train is beautiful and bunches up a bit and looks gorgeous and ethereal in photographs. The lace overlay features delicate modern lace made up of flowers, leaves, appliqué/embroidery. It is not overbearing and catches the light beautifully. The lace overlay also makes the dress even more forgiving on the body and made me feel very secure on the day.

The cost of this dress was £2,500 brand new in 2023. I also paid an additional £350 for the sleeves to be made and alterations, and an extra £100 for a metre of the lace fabric from Tara Lauren to have the sleeves made.

The listing price takes into consideration all flaws. I am based in Manchester and would be happy for you to visit my home and try the dress on before buying it.

If you have any questions or want to see more photos then please message me.

Thank you :)

Chloe

Alterations

As mentioned in above description, sleeves have been added as optional.

Length, waist, shortening of straps as they were super long when I bought it, and some tapering in of skirt