Maggie Sottero: Celebrating curves one bride at a time.

We hear you. Enough of those skinny 14 year old models in fashion. The average American woman is a size 14 and getting married in her late twenties. We sent a few questions to Diana of Maggie Sottero addressing this concern that you all have. We were also trying to find out why Maggie Sottero is brides with curves favorite brand. Here is our exclusive Maggie Sottero interview.

Lots of women with real bodies pick a Maggie Sottero dress on their wedding day. Why is that?

We believe it’s because of the impeccable styling and incomparable fit of our gowns, a result of meticulous attention to the details of construction including the pattern design which determines where seams, boning, and embellishments are placed (you’d be surprised how easily a ½ inch to the left or right can add pounds to the unsuspecting bride), the quality of the boning material and fabrications, the integration of the lace-up corset back closure, and  the minimum five-fittings-per-gown approval process.  Simply put, Maggie Sottero will not compromise to hurry a new design out the door.  It’s the secret to our success and the reputation we’ve earned.  It creates the “Maggie Magic”.

Real bride in Florencia by Maggie Sottero

Why do you think the fashion and bridal industry still uses unrealistic models for ads and runway shows, when the average American woman is a size 14?

It’s simply what sells on the runway and in the magazines.  Buyers look for designs that will accommodate all sizes, but actually write orders for more gowns when they’re displayed on smaller models.  And the media gives editorial preference to smaller size models because, for all the talk of real size women, consumers typically respond more favorably to ads featuring smaller sizes.

Lena Dunham is this one woman’s revolution who dares to show a realistic body-shape on TV. We love her. She is pear-shaped, which wedding dress would you recommend for her?

For Lena, our fashion-forward Samantha gown would be stunning!  The illusion sweetheart neckline would accentuate the bust while the ribbon detail at the natural waist and the soft ball gown skirt would convince the eye her figure is a perfect hourglass silhouette.  Lena has shown she’s willing to take risks and show leg, thus, the frothy layered organza skirt and the daring slit.

We also love Melissa McCarthy. She is a gorgeous plus size role model. She is married yet which dress would you recommend for her body-shape?

Fiona would be stunning on Melissa.  She seems to favor V-necklines and A-line silhouettes which are exactly the choices we’d advise for her body shape. The beautiful lace bodice of the Fiona gown would not only flatter, but provide support for Melissa’s bust while the ruched waist and soft asymmetrical draping in the skirt would gently slenderize her curves.

Adele is very tall with gorgeous curves. She got secretly married last year. If you had dressed her, which Maggie Sottero dress would look the best on her?

Our Keilani dress would be a fabulous choice for Adele.  The A-line silhouette would flatter her curvy figure and accentuate her waist, while the sweetheart neckline would draw the eye to her lovely décolleté.  The gorgeous, vintage motif at the hip is perfect for Adele’s classic-vintage style slant.

Our readers are complaining that most bridal stores only carry a size 6 or 8 for them to try on. Why is that?

This isn’t the case at most authorized Maggie Sottero retailers. While brides may find size 6 samples during a trunk show (keep in mind trunk show samples are the same samples used in the runway shows), our retailers typically carry a variety of sample sizes from 6 to 16.  They understand brides of all sizes are walking through their doors and naturally, their best opportunity to sell a dress is to display it in a size that accommodates the greatest number of brides.  A size 14 Maggie Sottero gown can accommodate almost any bride.  A sales associate simply tightens the lace-up back closure for a smaller bride or, if necessary, loosens the lace-up closure to allow a fuller bride to slip in.  One of our retailers orders all of their samples in size 14 and is experiencing tremendous success.

Real bride in Geneva by Maggie Sottero

They also complain that they can’t see themselves in dresses featured on ads with models, even if the dress they see is available in their size. Any tips for them?

We invite brides to visit the Maggie Brides page of our website where they can see brides of all sizes wearing Maggie Sottero gowns in every silhouette and stylization.  Through Maggie Brides we celebrate all that’s unique about every beautiful bride.

Any Maggie Sottero news for girls with curves?

Yes, both our Spring 2013 collection and our newest designs, yet to be unveiled, tout more ball gowns and A-line silhouettes than we’ve featured during the past two years.  This is exciting news for girls with curves.  Of course, for those curvy brides who wish to show-off their fuller figure, there’s plenty of body-hugging silhouettes to choose from, as well.

Photo courtesy of maggiesottero.com
Lena Dunham: Photo courtesy of HBO
Melissa McCarthy: Photo courtesy of CBS
Adele: Photo courtesy of HufffingtonPost 

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