What I've Learned so Far

I have now altered approximately 20 dresses for modesty (not including all the alterations posted on the "Makeovers" section of ModestProm.com). And now I'm coming to some conclusions about the whole process. Here are my thoughts on modesty solutions, from most to least easiest.

Buy or sew a modest dress. It's really easiest and best if you can just find or sew a dress with a full bodice and sleeves in the first place. Obviously, it's less work. But there are fewer fit and coverage issues, too. Altering a dress by adding something to it, can be a tricky business. The wide straps I've been showing in these posts are harder to fit than you'd think. They almost have to be draped right on the individual girl, because the shoulder slope and shoulder width have a great effect on how they fit. They aren't a bad solution, but they still have the issue of not providing full under-arm coverage.

Buy a bolero. I think the next easiest solution, for a strapless or spaghetti strap dress, is if you can buy a bolero that works with the dress. Boleros are usually inexpensive, they come in many styles, and they have almost no fit issues. If it's the right style, it has almost no modesty issues (just have to be sure it's long enough, and that the cut in front is such that it won't show bra straps). This past formal dance that my son went to, I noticed that a lot of the girls were wearing boleros. A lot of those boleros were black. (Note: I just created a web site dedicated to black boleros, you can see it at www.boleroblack.com.)

Sew a bolero. The next easiest solution would be to make a bolero. Boleros are very easy to sew and to fit. You just have to be sure (as mentioned above) that the bolero is long enough and that it's cut right in the front, to provide the coverage needed for the dress.

Alter the dress itself. A final solution is to alter the dress itself - add sleeves, a wide strap, an inset, etc. (see examples on www.modestprom.com, under the "makeovers" section). The biggest challenge here is to find matching/coordinating cloth. (You don't have as much leeway cloth-wise as you do with a bolero, because the addition will be an actual part of the dress.) Additions right on the dress, take more skill (both design and sewing wise) than boleros do. But they can work pretty well if you can sew, and you're willing to take the time and trouble.