Hello, brides-to-be! Welcome to the wedding dress shopping journey. As how fun and exciting searching for “THE ONE”can be, it can be a bit overwhelming if you are not prepared. Knowing the basic terminology will help you sort through all the different styles and silhouettes out there. Here is a quick and easy guide to breakdown the various wedding dress silhouettes and help you find the right one for your body shape.
Ball Gown/Princess Style
This regal silhouette is recommended if you’ve always dreamed of feeling like a fairy tale princess on the big day. A ball gown has a fitted bodice with a full wide skirt which is often achieved with a petticoat or multiple tulle layers. Corset is another classic feature of ball gowns. This silhouette is flattering for most body shapes, except for those with petite frames. You may be swallowed up by the voluminous skirt.
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Ball Gown Corset-back Dress
Ball Gown Long Tulle Dress
Mermaid/Trumpet Style
The mermaid style is undoubtedly the sexiest wedding dress silhouette to show off your curves. The elongated bodice hugs the bust, hips and thighs, and flares out from or below the knee. It is ideal for hourglass shaped brides. However, it can restrict your movement since your knees have to stay close together.
If you plan to dance the night away on your wedding, the trumpet silhouette is more suitable. While still accentuating the curves around chest to waist, it is more forgiving though hips and thighs, and gently flares out above the knee, creating more freedom for your legs. It is a modified mermaid cut. Mermaid and trumpet look best on hourglass figures. You may want to avoid them if you have apple or boxy body shape.
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Bateau Neck Wedding Dress
Mermaid Lace Wedding Dress
Sheath/Column Style
The sheath silhouette follows the natural shape and does not flare out. It falls close to your body but not hugging it, not dramatic at all. This slim style is best for sleek figures, and also great for adding length to petite brides. Ladies with pear shape may want to avoid this silhouette because it will make you look unbalanced. Moreover, the sheath cut often comes fuss free, without many embellishments and long trains. So it is highly recommended for brides who want a simple, modern look.
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Long Lace Wedding Gown
Elegant Satin Wedding Gown
A-Line Style
This silhouette is very self-explanatory. It has fitted bodice through top and waist, and then extends out along the skirt in the shape of an “A”. It is the universally-loved wedding gown silhouette, flattering for all body types and heights. The cut is easy to wear and adapts for nearly all the wedding themes and occasions. If you are not sure of which silhouette to choose, A-line is a safe choice to start from.
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Bohemian A-line Wedding Gown
Lovely Lace Wedding Dress
Empire Style
The empire silhouette has a very high waistline just under the bust, and then flows all the way down. This feature helps elongate the body figure, so it works best for petite brides who want to look taller. And this is the most suitable cut for pregnant brides since it is very loose around your body, causing no pressure to the growing belly.
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A-line Long Chiffon Dress
V-neck Appliqued Wedding Dress
Thanks for taking the time and effort to learn so much more about wedding dresses. It is time to start your searching now. Check all our wedding dresses HERE!
