Tea length, Knee and Short Wedding dresses

Whether it’s a fifties flirt or a demure tea-length wedding dress, shorter dresses have had a real come-back recently. It makes a change from always dealing with full length and trains! Here is a selection of dresses I have made where the bride has opted to show off her pretty ankles – or more!

Examples of tea length and shorter wedding dresses from my archive

A Titanic inspired wedding dress. Common features from that period were empire waistlines and square necklines. This particular era was a lot more relaxed and bohemian compared to previous decades, which had been much more restrictive.

Photography by Darren Kirwan⁠

short wedding dress and veil made to measure
aine19 silhouette kiss short knee length wedding dress

1950’s Wedding Dress for Aine: Aine commissioned a 1950s style wedding dress made up in white taffeta. The flared, knee length skirt has soft white tulle peeking out below.

Wedding photography by Michael Dillon

angela 10 bride with friends shirt wedding dress wrap over jacket
angela 15 fitted jacket and skirt with peplum and fan pleat detail custom made


Oyster satin Wedding Dress and Jacket for Angela. Wedding dress with knee length pencil skirt with kick pleats in oyster silk duchess satin and chantilly lace.

Photography by www.christellephoto.com

Tea length wedding dress for Clare. Clare commissioned a flamboyant 1950’s style dress made in burnt orange satin and ivory chiffon. Beaded lace and sequin chiffon were perfect for her Florida wedding.

Official wedding photographs by www.gingermidgett.com

ivory silk satin wiggle dress with peplum

Photoshoot: City Burlesque Wedding. I designed a tea length wedding dress in ivory duchess silk satin. It had a fit and flare skirt that was graduated to show off the purple and teal petticoats.

Photography by Jessica Partridge

candler 10 1950's knee short midi tea length wedding dress bespoke
candler 4 autumn fall wedding ornage silk dupion short full skirt dress petticoat

Autumn colour Wedding Dress for Rebecca. I made a beautiful 1950’s style short wedding dress with delicate cream lace over Autumnal golden-orange silk. The skirt is a tea length full circle over many layers of ivory netting, each edged with orange satin ribbon.

Photography by Gregg Brown, http://www.greggbrownweddings.com

lace applique to customise wedding dress

Vintage Wedding Dress Upcycle for Madelie: I used the skirt from her mother’s 1970’s wedding dress and created a new bodice and lace detailing for Madelie’s upcycled wedding dress.

lou 6 buttermilk silk crepe satin bow sash wedding dress
lou 1 informal kimono inspired short pale gold silk wedding dress

Informal Wedding Dress for Lou. Lou commissioned a simple Kimono style dress in soft sand-coloured silk satin to wear for her wedding day. The short dress has a midi/tea-length skirt. I made the design with a high boat-neckline and is loose fitting but pulled in at the waist by a sash.

Wedding Dress by Felicity Westmacott, Angie's wedding day, standing by a fireplace
Wedding Dress by Felicity Westmacott, Angie's wedding day, before the ceremony

Blue halter neck wedding Dress and Veil for Angie. Angie wanted something really different for her wedding, as an older bride she wanted to feel extravagant special without wearing a long white dress. Together we created the design for this tea length dress in torn layers or lace and muslin. I also added lace details to her shoes and gloves for the finishing touch.

alternative wedding dress tufor inspired red velvet fit and flare skirt

Red Velvet Wedding Dress for Tracey: I designed a two piece ensemble made in deep red silk velvet. This alternative wedding dress has tea length skirt and a firmly boned bodice cut in a ‘Tudor’ style with a ‘flat front’. The pencil skirt is fitted to the knee then flaring to mid-calf and supported by ivory netting.

Halloween theme wedding dress in white and purple by Felicity Westmacott
Halloween theme wedding dress in white and purple by Felicity Westmacott
Halloween theme wedding dress in white and purple by Felicity Westmacott

Halloween Wedding Dress for Ellie: Gorgeous Ellie was married in Vegas on Halloween. Her short wedding dress was a wonderful mixture of fifties shape, modern styling and subtle Halloween detail.

knee length informal wedding dress with shrug made to measure

Brown and pink tea length wedding dress for Suzanne. I designed this short wedding dress in shot taffeta and brown chiffon, suitable and pretty for a mature bride. A matching bolero and swarovski pearl beading finished the ensemble.

pale blue cocktail wedding dress with scalloped lace overlay

Pale blue cocktail wedding dress for Isabelle. This cute, short wedding dress has a tiered lace skirt and pale blue lining.

Photography by  Miranda Virgo 

bride and her sons custom wedding dress

Rose pink tea length wedding dress for Clare. Clare was a mature bride who asked me for a sophisticated and pretty wedding dress with a touch of lace. The tea length skirt is straight in front with flirty flared panels behind.

To talk about your ideas for a bespoke tea length or short wedding dress just get in touch.

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Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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One final little sneak peek before I show the fabulous photos from this fabulous day!

1 sewing machine
2 bride outfits
3 bridesmaid dresses
21 talented wedding suppliers
and lots of stage smoke!

Make sure you're following me to see what I'm so excited to share. Photos coming this weekend!

~
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“My detachable skirt was the best. So many people were very impressed with your work. Thank you so very much, I LOVE MY SKIRT!”⁠
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For real bride Christina, I created one of my iconic dip dye overskirts. Christina went for a beautiful monochromatic ombre, going from bright sky blue, all the way down to a deep, rich navy.⁠
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Whether it's matching your bouquet, your groom's pocket square or your bridesmaids, having an overskirt really helps tie the colour palette of wedding together.⁠
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If you want to add some colour to your wedding, but don't quite feel brave enough to dye directly onto your wedding dress, then a dip dye overskirt is the perfect solution. Have a look at my Etsy (link in the bio) to find out more.⁠
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What colours would you pick?
Sometimes dressmaking lingo can feel a bit overwhelming, so I like to spend time breaking down various elements of a wedding dress I've made in... Anatomy of a Dress!⁠
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▫️for the fabric I used a beautiful, ivory floral lace (layered on top of silk dupion)⁠
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▫️the back of dress has a keyhole opening, secured with covered buttons at the top⁠
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▫️the corset bodice is fully boned with visible boning channels⁠
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▫️the dress fastens with a lace-up back, with ribbon and eyelets, and a modesty panel behind (so no skin shows through beneath the lacing)⁠
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▫️the skirt is cut straight with a very slight flare near the hem and scalloped edging used all around, including onto the small train⁠
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Did you find this little breakdown helpful? Hopefully it means that when it comes to your bridal outfit, you have a better idea of how to talk about what you want 🥰⁠
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If you want to see what this dress looked like on the day of the wedding, have a look at this week's earlier post.
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in