Personally, I have to disagree with top to bottom on two principles. Number one, tight at the top and loose at the bottom will make her silhoutte look goofy and squish everything. And, number two, if the dress is tight around her midsection it won't be as prone to sliding down because the bulk of the dress (the foofy part at the bottom) will be supported by the corset top resting on her hips.
If it was me I'd have her wear the dress around the house for an hour laced one way, then another hour laced another way, and see what works best for her
That said, the dress is SUPER pretty
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Sage knows our mythic history, King Arthur's and Sir Caradoc's
She answers hard acrostics, has a pretty taste for paradox
She quotes in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus
In conics she can floor peculiarities parabolous
-C'hi