Cinderella Divine Floral Applique Mermaid Tulle Gown

The hem of this gown has horsehair braid sewn into it, and that one detail decides whether the flare stands or collapses. The Cinderella Divine Floral Applique Mermaid Tulle Gown holds its skirt open because a stiff woven band runs around the bottom edge, and without it a layered tulle mermaid simply hangs against the leg.

What a Horsehair Hem Does

Horsehair braid is a firm open weave stitched inside the hem. It is invisible from outside and it gives the edge of the skirt enough backbone to push outward instead of falling straight down.

Every mermaid faces the same problem. The flare is cut into the pattern, but cloth has no memory, so something has to hold the shape once the gown is on a body and moving. On a satin gown it is the weight of the fabric. On a light tulle one it is this braid, and there is no substitute for it.

Applique Rising off the Surface

The floral work is dimensional rather than flat, meaning the motifs stand away from the ground rather than lying against it. They run from the bodice to the hem, so the gown is textured over its whole length.

Underneath, the bodice is sheer and bonded, which is a construction that gets its structure from fused layers instead of from boning. It closes with a lace-up keyhole back, so the ribcage adjusts by several inches where a zip would give none.

Prom and Formal Photography

Blue and lavender are both light shades and both let the dimensional work read, which puts this gown at prom, a quinceanera or any evening where it will be photographed close up as well as across a room.

Wear the hair up or the back of the gown is lost. The lace-up keyhole is the second half of the design and hair worn down covers it entirely, along with the adjustment that makes the gown worth ordering early.

Two Bands Two Colors

Both colors are cut in the bands offered.

Every figure above is in inches and is taken on the body rather than on the finished garment, so measure the fullest part of the bust, the narrowest part of the waist an inch or two above the navel, and the fullest part of the hips.

The laces widen the working range of both bands, so the larger of two is the safer order here. Cording releases as well as tightens across the ribs, which is why a laced gown is the one to choose when the event is still months away. Read the hip figure first, since a mermaid is narrowest between the hip and the knee.

Hems, Laces and Storage

Can a horsehair hem be shortened? Yes, and it must be done by someone who will reset the braid into the new edge. A hem taken up without replacing the braid removes the flare, which is the reason to own this gown at all.

How much does the lace-up back adjust? Several inches across the ribcage, which is far more range than a zip closure allows. It is also why the keyhole has to stay visible for the gown to make sense.

What can be worn under a sheer bonded bodice? Adhesive cups. The bodice is bonded rather than lined, so it is designed to be seen through, and a lace-up back leaves cording rather than fabric across the spine.

How should layered tulle be stored? Hanging, with the skirt free and nothing pressing on the applique. Dimensional motifs flatten under weight and a horsehair hem creases if the skirt is folded against itself.