Many people love weddings because they are surrounded by all things beautiful; but let’s face it, no matter how gorgeous the table settings are or how extravagant the flowers are, your guests are not going to remember any of those after a week. However, one thing that always seems to be the topic of the year will be your oh-so-charming or not-so-charming wedding dress.
From the minute you walk down the aisle, all eyes are on you for the entire day. As much as your family and friends adore you, they will watch you like a hawk and act as a fashion police on that very day as well. Whether you’re wearing a simple flowy empire waist chiffon dress or a luxurious satin beaded embroidery gown with cathedral train, you will receive a lot of “ooos” and “ahhhs” in front of you or “ewwws” and “ughhhs” behind your back.
Most tech savvy brides nowadays do a lot of online research and get themselves familiarize with some wedding dress lingo before the gown shopping begins. However, by knowing the brand names, materials and styles does not necessarily mean you know what is best for your body shape.
Most girls have dreamed about their magical wedding dress ever since they were 12. They have a clear vision of how the wedding dress is going to be like, and not a single soul can alter this sacred decision. However, that’s where problem usually starts to arise: the once 12 year old girl cannot foresee how tall, petite, curvy or slim one maybe 15 years down the road. Your dream wedding dress might not flatter your figure anymore, or what you see fabulous on a model might look disastrous on you!!! That’s exactly why all brides should keep an open mind to try on many different styles of dresses in order to find the best one that can hide the flaws and show off the best features.
Here are the general rules of thumb you should consider for finding the perfect dress for yourself:
- A-line or Princess – slim fitting with vertical seams from shoulders to hem that creates an A shape. It’s pretty much a fool proof cut which fits all body types.
- Ballgown – fitted bodice and waist followed with a full pouffy skirt. It’s best for full figures, pear shapes and tall slim figures.
- Basque – somewhat similar to a ballgown style with fitted bodice, but it dips below the natural waistline and forms a V shape. It’s suitable for pear shape bodies.
- Dropped – the line goes below the natural waistline and sits on the hip. It looks really good on hourglass figures.
- Empire – a small bodice and a high waistline that sits right under the bust with a slender skirt. It’s for figures with an extra few inches of waists.
- Mermaid – fitted from bodice to the knee and then flared out. Tall slim bodies look fantastic on mermaids.
- Sheath – what I call a bandage on the body, this style hugs tightly to the bust, waist and hip. Tall slim builds and/or petite figures can go for this.
After knowing your style and body shape, you are now a lot closer to finding your most perfect dress. Next week, we will talk about some great saving tips for gown shopping!
