What is ruching and why is it so popular in wedding gowns? Gowns these days are all fitted, so depending on which end of the size spectrum you fall into, you may be excited or terrified at the prospect.
If you are the latter (or somewhere in-between), there is some good news on the horizon:
Ruching (ROO-shing) is pleating of the fabric, and when the gathers are around the bodice, they do a marvellous job of skimming over the not-perfectly-smooth bits with a little extra material. Not only that, the patterns do wonders for drawing the eye away from the less-fabulous bits and — depending on the pattern — calling attention to the fabulous bits. Ruching is an optical illusion of the highest order!
Compare the dress in the top row with the dress in the bottom row. (Click on a pic to enlarge.) The same client tried on both dresses, which are the same size but fit differently. The bodices in both dresses need alteration, but you can see what a difference the lines and fabric make. The top row dress is two-piece, and the bodice lines are quite flattering — vertical and with a Basque waist (a V-shape). Once altered it would look amazing. The dress on the bottom row is one-piece with a Basque waist, too, but it achieves the same effect (and more) without the bulk of all the extra boning in the top dress. Also, the diagonal lines make our client’s waist look even smaller and narrower, blending into a skirt that is less A-line because of the side-ruching.
Ruching is your friend, and you can find ruching at The Brides’ Project — just ask!
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