Trying on wedding dresses is meant to be magical — but for many brides, that first appointment can come with unexpected nerves. One of the most common questions we hear in the boutique is about sample size.

If you’ve ever worried about whether a gown will fit, what it means if it doesn’t zip up, or how to picture the final result, you’re not alone. Here’s what brides should really know about sample sizes — and why they matter far less than you might think.

What Is a Sample Gown, Really?

Sample gowns are not designed to fit every bride perfectly — and they’re not meant to.

In a bridal boutique, sample gowns exist to showcase the design, fabric, silhouette, and craftsmanship of each dress. They allow you to experience how a gown moves, feels, and photographs, rather than how it fits straight off the rack.

At Anna Campbell, our samples are designed to be pinned, clipped, and styled during your appointment so you can focus on how the gown makes you feel, not the number on the label.

Why Do We Only Carry Sample Sizes?

Every Anna Campbell gown is made to order, crafted individually for each bride rather than produced in bulk. This thoughtful approach means we don’t carry every style in every size — and that’s entirely intentional.

By creating one sample per style, we’re able to:

Reduce unnecessary production and fabric waste
Avoid mass manufacturing
Focus on craftsmanship, quality, and longevity

This more sustainable approach is central to how we design and produce our gowns. Because of this, the dress you try on in the boutique may not be your exact size — and that’s completely normal in a made-to-order bridal experience.

A Considered Range, Designed for Visualisation

While we don’t stock every size in every design, we’re proud to offer a wide and considered range of sample sizes across our collections. This ensures brides can experience how different silhouettes, fabrics, and styles work on their body.

Your appointment is about discovering what resonates with you — the shape, the movement, the feeling — rather than achieving a perfect fit on the spot.

If It Doesn’t Zip… That’s Okay

One of the biggest misconceptions in bridal shopping is that the gown should fit perfectly in the mirror. In reality, it’s rare for a sample to do so.

A gown not closing doesn’t mean it’s the wrong dress — it simply means the sample isn’t your size. During your appointment, your stylist will carefully pin and clip the gown, use modesty panels where needed, and adjust straps or necklines to help you visualise how the gown will look once it’s made in your size.

This process brings the gown as close as possible to its final form — without needing it to fit perfectly on the day.

Alterations Are Where the Magic Happens

The gown you fall in love with in the boutique is just the beginning.

Once your dress is made, achieving the perfect fit happens through alterations — refining the bodice, adjusting the hem, and perfecting every detail. This is when the gown truly becomes yours.

For Melbourne brides, alterations take place privately at our Design Studio. For interstate and international brides, gowns are sent ready-to-tailor, with hems and straps unattached to allow local specialists to achieve the best possible fit.

A Gentle Reminder for Brides

Your body is not the problem — and it never was.

Sample gowns are simply a starting point, not a reflection of how you’ll look on your wedding day. The right dress isn’t the one that fits off the rack; it’s the one that feels like you when it’s made just for you.

Trust the process. Trust your stylist. And most importantly, trust how the gown makes you feel.

Final Thought

The moment you say yes won’t be about zips, sizes, or mirrors — it will be about that quiet feeling in your gut that says this is it.

And that feeling? It fits perfectly.

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Sample Size: What Brides Should Really Know Before Trying On Gowns