Hollow Hem: for Plaidscarf and ILikeYourWigJanice
I had no clue what a hollow hem was until Saturday. My dress is completely lace. Wedding dresses are made at a standard length and some companies can custom cut the length of the dress if necessary. Since they can't hem lace from the bottom like a standard dress, they take an alternate measurement so the dress is cut specifically for your height (if needed). If you cut lace and try and hem like a standard dress, clearly you'd ruin the lace. This measurement is from the hollow of your neck between your collar bone to the ground (accounting for the fullness of the bottom with shoes on). This is also the approximately length the gown needs to be that you're wearing wearing shoes. Standard gown length is 59" and I was measuring 59", but the sample gown I had on was measuring 61". Since the dress was going to have to be custom cut to my height, I was PRAYING the dress was manufactured to 59" normally, rather than have to have the custom hollow hem for $200. Turns out that lace stretches and that's what it was measuring an extra 2".
For reference, I'm about 5'6" and I had on a 3 1/4" heel.