Vintage wedding dress back alteration

I asked http://ask.metafilter.com/229906/Breast-reduction-surgery-is-another-option-I-suppose some time ago. I went with the small triangular panels under the armpits. It fits like a dream and looks the way the designer wanted it to look (the panels blend in perfectly) - so glad I didn't go for a ribbon back.

Definitely not seeing eyelet/ribbon lace-up stuff on the back and yiiii... I don't know why that seemed like a good idea to the merchant, other than that maybe that's the standard way to get a too-small garment into people's hands. I think it's a lovely dress, beautiful in its simplicity -- and some sort of weird pseudo-corset back closure will not align well with that aesthetic. Lacing is to make things tight and while that is neatly tailored and form-fitting, it isn't and shouldn't be tight. ask about putting in side panels under the arms, and leaving the zipper as is ...yes, this, and all the rest of barnone's answer. That would also be better from a preservation approach; presumably you don't want this lovely old garment to die with you -- inserts can be removed and the original seams re-sewn and it can easily be taken back to its 1930s splendour. Not so much with eyelets.

Unless the in-house person is a professional tailor/seamstress, I wouldn't have them do it. Like, do they do this just for fun, are they 'experienced' like your mom, or are they really and truly a professional? Ask to see some samples of their work. You are under no obligation to have this work done by this person. It's your dress, it's your wedding (yes?), and if the work isn't done properly you are going to be very upset. You do have every right to ask these questions and as long as you're considerate about it, I don't think you'll have any issues. Have some names of other alterations businesses in your pocket (so to speak) if you don't get satisfactory answers from the person in the vintage shop.

If the shop has an in-house tailor who is hired specifically to alter vintage clothing to flatter modern women, I would trust that person's opinion on how to alter the back. I mean, that's his or her job. The tailor will tell you their ideas for how to do this alteration, and most likely will be able to put it in context in terms of why you might choose one over the other. For example, if you are buying the dress to wear to your wedding, you might make a different choice than you would if you were having it altered to just be a pretty summer white lace dress. I don't think you should take it upon yourself (or throw it to the Hive Mind) to brainstorm different ways to alter the dress. Again, it sounds like there's a professional on hand who does this for a living and will have thoughts about it. I don't understand why you want your mother there or why you think the professional tailor hired by the shop would not be up to the job.

I would try to let it out at the sides (I assume there's not a side zip.) and I like halogen's idea of a gusset in the armpit. You'll be able to do the YMCA dance! The dress reads 50s to me and I think a lace up back would look odd with that high neckline. (I think of corsetbacks as a feature of well, corset-style bodices.)

Another vote for that reading 1950s, and another vote for open back and not eyelet. You could fill in with a well-matched sheer, if you are not comfortable with an open back. Also: secure it to yourself with wig tape.

Great answers so far, thanks so much! I like the idea of armpit gussets or an open back, or a single wide ribbon instead of lacing. Just to clarify, I believe that when the shop owner said "eyelet" she actually meant a keyhole back. I just remembered the term and wanted to clear that up.

Sorry to threadsit, just wanted to clarify that I partially want my mom there because she wants to be part of the process and is super excited about it, which is sweet, and partially because I feel like since I know next to nothing about alterations, it would be helpful to have someone there who knows more technical stuff, and can picture how something would work/ook where maybe I couldn't. Also, this is my bad on the question, as I don't think I was clear enough, but I was partially asking the hive mind which style back they would think would look best with this dress. For example, my mom thinks that she's never seen an eyelet back with a non-structural skirt, and it would look weird. I didn't think so, but maybe I'm missing something, and the fashionable people of metafilter can clue me in.

Honey, the tailor is going to know lots of things about alterations, including technical stuff, and can picture how this will look. Altering stuff is that person's job. I say bring your mom, because wedding! And fun! And yay! And if the tailor presents you with different options, and answers all your questions, and you just can't make up your mind because they all sound pretty to you, then hey, you've got a second opinion. Unless there's something important you're not saying about who this tailor is or what kind of track record the shop has, I don't see any reason that you need to know about technical sewing stuff (or fashion, for that matter) in order for the tailor to do their job.