The Perfect Wedding Dress Guide
Every girl knows that the wedding dress is the most important thing about the wedding – second to your man to be, obviously! But still, it’s a huge decision and one that can take ages to get right. Somewhere around you’re 40th trip to the dressmakers and the 100th odd dress you’ve tried on you’ll find it and when you’ve found the one, much like your man, you’ll know. But until then here is a quick guide to finding the perfect wedding dress.
Getting the basic shape is a great place to start the quest for the perfect wedding dress. There are shapes that will flatter you and there are shapes that will make you look like an inflatable marshmallow on legs. So making an informed decision is going to help take the heart ache out of it. Here are the basic shapes and how they suit different figures.
A-line – as the name suggests a dress that hugs the body and flares out neatly from the waist (or from a lowered waist for shorter bodies.) This shape will suit most types because the slightly less full skirt won’t make your hips and bottom look huge. Perfect for petite or full figured brides. Not so great for thick waists or apples. If you’re hourglass you can wear this but it may not do your gorgeous figure the justice it deserves.
Ballgown/full skirt – the classic fairy tale wedding dress with a fitted bodice and waist and a full skirt. But although we all dream of the perfect princess dress when we’re girls, it might not suit a women’s shape. If you’re tall and thin, rectangle, slightly pear shaped or a slim hourglass then this will look great on you. But steer well clear if you’re petite (It’ll swamp you) or have a pronounced pear shape.
Column/straight – A slim silhouetted dress that hugs your natural curves and may or may not have a waist seam. This dress is beautiful, classic and sleek if you’re a slim, tall rectangular shape or if you’re an inverted triangle. As it shows every curve and contour its worth avoiding for curvy, full figured or pear shape brides and not great if you’ve a shorter stature.
Empire line – The empire line is a classic roman shape, with a detailed waist line beneath the bust, with the skirt flowing freely. This wedding dress works beautifully to compliment smaller figures, larger waists or small busts. But it doesn’t do a great deal for hourglasses or full figures and although it’s a common said that it’ll hide your hips, you only need to put one on to realise the effect can be quite the opposite.
Fish tail – These wedding dresses are like sheath or column dresses to the knees they hug the figure and show off all your beautiful curves but after the knee they flare out, noticeably at the back, to create the ‘fish’ or ‘mermaid’ tale. For hourglasses who celebrate their blessed curves this is a perfect little number while pear shapes and full figures should steer clear.
Princess – this wedding dress has a fuller skirt then an A-line but less so then the ball gown. The key to the princess dress is that it shouldn’t have a seamed waist so that the fabric is one continuous line or in panels. Making you look classical and romantic. Great for slim hourglasses or slight pear shapes, if you’re slim and tall you’ve nothing to fear but try and avoid if you’ve a pronounced pear shape or that apple tum.