Are there any quick, easy lifestyle changes I can make to help the dress fit better?
I second the shapewear (“girdle”) suggestion. If you truly are happy with your body and it seems like you are eating thoughtfully, then shapewear can really help hold everything in. It’s not the most comfortable thing in the world, but if you find the right one, you can easily make it through a whole day/evening of events. I wore one at my friend’s wedding for precisely the reason you are in your situation – the salesperson at David’s Bridal encouraged all of the bridesmaids to order a size smaller because that dress “ran large”. When we got our dresses (a week before the wedding – but that’s another story…) none of our dresses fit. Many of the bridesmaids were able to swap dresses but since I was one of the smaller women in the wedding, there was no one for me to swap with (since no one could wear mine). I just went to JC Penney and got a “tummy tuck” shapewear. It helped a ton, as did r
