How does the overall budget compare for separates vs. one-piece dresses?
Let’s say that you chose a strapless, a-line cocktail dress for your attendant’s dress in your wedding that has a base price of $260. Once you add the sash that you like, the price is now $30 more at $290. Let’s say your Maid-of-Honor (MOH) needs a Size 8 — dresses require ALL 4 STANDARD bust, waist, hip and height measurements. Your MOH ends up spending $45 to alter the hem on the dress and $35 to alter the bust so that the strapless portion of the dress fits properly. Before taxes & shipping, the total is $370, more than $100 above the sticker price that you originally looked at on the dress. – Compare that to buying a skirt and a top that look like the dress you selected above. The strapless top is $148 plus $20 for the sash and your MOH only needs a Size 4 in the top. The A-line cocktail length skirt is $174. Your MOH gets a Size Small (which fits a 2-8) and needs no alterations. Thus, even though the base price of the skirt and top are slightly above the base price of the straple
