Helen Miller 'Gravity'

The Helen Miller Gravity dress was perfect for my Seattle area outdoor Memorial Day weekend wedding, and I am certain it will be your dream dress in any setting as well! The dress is ivory, synthetic chiffon, floor length, A-line cut, strapless with a modest neckline cut straight across the bust. The back is a corset closure which is exposed above the waist and hidden by a panel that snaps over it below the waist.

The corset is closed with a white ribbon which matches the white ribbon belt that gives some nice visual separation to the upper and lower sections of the dress in the front. (Ribbon could easily be removed or switched out for a colored ribbon). On the left front waist there is a silver/gray flower with some crystal and pearl details and white chiffon (easily removed by your seamstress). The upper part of the dress (bust) is overlapping pieces of chiffon crossing from top right to bottom left. The skirt of the dress is gorgeous flowing panels of chiffon. You should see this thing move!

I think there are a couple huge advantages for this dress.

1. The skirt. The A-line cut was by far the most flattering on my figure (hourglass but definitely bottom heavy; size 8 on top and size 10 on bottom). I loved that there was structure and some beautiful flow to the skirt, but it was much less full than a lot of the ballgowns I had tried on, making it easier to sit, walk, and just generally function on my wedding day. There are some layers of mesh underneath the chiffon to give it some shape and body. These could also be removed by a wedding dress seamstress if you would like it to lay flatter. The movement of the overlapping chiffon flaps on the skirt when you walk is amazing. I thought this gown fit nicely in an outdoor setting with its organic lines, but it would also look amazing twirling around a dance floor! It is probably not the first dress I would think of for a very formal and traditional setting. It is certainly unique, and I think
2. The neckline. I had an intimate wedding with a lot of children. I did not want any cleavage or accidental boob exposure!
3. The corset closure. The only alterations I performed on the dress were a hemline and adding one bustle. I think I got away with that due to the forgiving corset closure. I was not pregnant when I tried the dress on, but I was 8 weeks pregnant for my wedding! I am usually a 34C bust size (Victoria Secret), and the bust fit fine when I tried the dress on. Somehow, it also fit my 8-week pregnant bust which was noticeably bigger! Per the seamstresses at Hellen Miller in San Francisco, it would be easy for a wedding gown seamstress to alter the bust if needed for you. I had my sister cinch the corset quite tightly for the pictures, then let it out a bit for the reception.

Blemishes: 

• I scoured the hemline after a professional cleaning. I found one remaining grass stain as pictured. This would not be visible at all without digging for it. (Won't show in pictures or to your guests).
• Frayed hemline. The edges of all the chiffon layers on this dress are purposefully the selvage edge (I think I'm using that term correctly). Basically, they are purposefully unhemmed and almost look raw with exposed thread. See close-up below. The effect is to give the dress a very natural look. However, some of these edges certainly frayed over the course of my wedding day (see close-up of most extreme example below). These could be trimmed down to emulate the original look by your seamstress.