👰 Your Complete Guide to Wedding Dress Bustles

By Emma Jayne Bridal

If your wedding gown has a train, you’ll need a way to lift it for your reception - so you can move, dance, and celebrate without getting tangled up or risking a guest stepping on it. This is where a bustle comes in!

A bustle is a custom alteration that lifts and secures your train to the gown, creating a floor-length look while preserving the beauty and structure of your dress. There’s no universal style; the right bustle depends on your dress design, train length, fabric type, and personal preferences.

Here’s a complete guide to the most popular bustle types - including how we do them at Emma Jayne Bridal, what they work best with, and the pros and cons of each.

✨ Traditional Bustle

Also called: Overbustle or American Bustle

In a Traditional Bustle, the train is lifted over the skirt and secured with one or more fastenings on the outside of the gown. The train cascades down from the pickup point, creating a soft draped look.

💡 Best suited for:

• Soft, flowing fabrics like chiffon, georgette, soft tulle or flowy satin

• Unstructured skirts (not pleated or stiff)

• A-line, sheath, or fit-and-flare gowns

  
  

✔️ Pros:

• Visually romantic and natural, mimics the original skirt flow

• Easier to fasten than an underbustle

• Usually requires fewer bustle points

  
  

⚠️ Considerations:

• Can hide decorative back details

• May be visible from the outside - especially on minimalist dresses

• Can look bulky or stick out on stiff fabrics like mikado or duchess satin

  
  

🧵 How we secure it:

At Emma Jayne Bridal, I use small white metal hooks and strong, discreet thread loops, often hidden in lace motifs or seams. I avoid relying on standard covered buttons with plastic shanks, as they can break under pressure.

Examples of Traditional Bustles:

💕 French Bustle

Also called: Underbustle

A French Bustle lifts the train under the skirt, securing it to the inside of the gown. This creates soft, puffed folds that blend beautifully into the shape of the skirt.

💡 Best suited for:

• Structured or stiffer fabrics like satin, mikado, taffeta, or brocade

• Pleated or gathered skirts at the waist where an overbustle would add bulk

• Dresses with decorative backs or lace you don’t want to cover

• Brides who prefer a clean look without visible hooks or buttons

  
  

✔️ Pros:

• No visible fasteners - perfect for clean or minimalist designs

• Maintains waist pleats, upper skirt detail and hem detail

• Provides secure support for heavier skirts

• Beautiful, puffed folds add elegance to the skirt

  
  

⚠️ Considerations:

• Slightly more time-consuming to bustle

• May require 3+ bustle points, depending on train size and weight

  
  

🧵 How we secure it:

I typically use white fur hooks for French Bustles - discreet, easy to fasten, and durable. The hooks are stitched underneath the dress, keeping the structure invisible from the outside.

Examples of French Bustles:

💃 Ballroom Bustle

Also called: Train Flip Bustle

The Ballroom Bustle flips the entire train underneath the gown, creating a clean, floor-length silhouette as if the dress never had a train. It’s ideal for dancing and gives a striking transformation between ceremony and reception looks.

💡 Best suited for:

• Ballgowns or dresses with wide trains

• Dresses without lace, scalloped edges, or decorative trim along the hem

• Brides who want maximum mobility at the reception

  
  

✔️ Pros:

• Train is completely hidden - no visible folds or flounces

• Hemline becomes perfectly level and easy to walk/dance in

• Clean, transformed silhouette for your reception

  
  

⚠️ Considerations:

• Requires more time to install and bustle up

• Usually needs 10–20 points of attachment

• Not suitable for dresses with decorative hems

  
  

🧵 How we secure it:

Depending on weight, I use a mix of white fur hooks, metal hooks, or snaps. Snaps work for lightweight skirts, while fur hooks offer better hold for heavier gowns.

Examples of Ballroom Bustles:

🎀 Bow Bustle

A Bow Bustle is a traditional overbustle disguised under a decorative bow—adding a stylish element while keeping the bustle point hidden.

💡 Best suited for:

• Gowns that already feature a sash or bow

• Brides wanting a fun, feminine detail

• Medium-length trains that don’t require heavy-duty support

  
  

  ✨ In some cases, if your dress requires a stronger bustle, sturdier fasteners (like metal hooks) can be hidden under the bow. Just keep in mind - you’ll need to keep the bow on all day to keep those fasteners hidden.

  
  

✔️ Pros:

• Visually stylish and polished

• Hides the bustle point while adding a design element

• Simple to attach and remove

  
  

⚠️ Considerations:

• Not ideal for very long or heavy trains unless reinforced with additional support

• For heavier trains, you may need to keep the bow on throughout the day to conceal the structure beneath

  
  

🧵 How we secure it:

Usually with a metal hook or loop, hidden behind the bow for a seamless look.

Examples of Bow Bustles:

🔀 Combination Bustle

Some dresses need a little of everything. Combination Bustles use more than one bustle style to achieve the best result - especially with multi-layered skirts, lace overlays, or dresses with complex constructions.

For example, the main train might be secured with a French Bustle, while a lace overlay is lifted with an Overbustle to keep its pattern visible.

💡 Best suited for:

• Gowns with multiple skirt layers

• Dresses with a lace or tulle overlay

• Trains that are too complex for one method

  
  

✔️ Pros:

• Fully customized to your gown

• Balances functionality and beauty

• Ensures every fabric layer is supported appropriately

  
  

⚠️ Considerations:

• More time-intensive to design and install

• May require multiple types of fasteners

  
  

🧵 How we secure it:

I use a mix of hooks, loops, fur hooks, snaps, or even hidden ribbons - always tailored to your gown's structure and weight.

Examples of Combination Bustles:

🤍 Wrist Loop (Bonus: No Bustle Option)

If you prefer not to bustle your gown, or your train is short enough to carry, we can add a Wrist Loop - but beware:

❗That loop already sewn onto the underside of your train? That’s a hanging loop for storage—not a wrist loop!

✔️ Our custom Wrist Loops:

• Are placed where the dress will naturally hang and balance

• Can be invisible - tucked away when not in use

• Allow you to carry the train gracefully when walking or dancing

  
  

⚠️ Considerations:

• Not suitable for very long or wide trains

• Not recommended for heavy trains - your arm will get tired quickly!

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A Wrist Loop can be a great alternative for elopements or brides who want to skip the bustle but still manage their train comfortably.

Examples of Wrist Loops:

🧷 Final Fitting = Bustle Bootcamp

At your final fitting, we’ll:

• Practice bustling your gown with whoever will help you on the day

• Adjust or mark each bustle point if needed

• Provide a diagram or video tutorial  if you'd like a visual reminder

• For more complex Ballroom or French bustles, I’ll often add colour-coded threads to guide you - making it easy to match up the right loops and hooks quickly

  
  

We aim to make your bustle secure, simple, and elegant - with fastening types chosen specifically for your fabric and style. Whether that’s fur hooks, metal hooks and loops, snaps, or hidden threads, every bustle is built to last the night.

👗 Not Sure What You Need?

No worries! When you come in for your first fitting, I’ll assess your dress, train, fabric, and plans for the day - then recommend the best bustle type for you. You’ll never be left guessing.

📅 Planning tip: Book your first consultation once you have your dress. Alterations usually begin 8–10 weeks before your wedding day, and we finalize your bustle at the final progress fitting.