Wedding Dresses

Even though you may dream of having a long flowing train on your wedding dress or of a slender, sheath style dress, it’s important to find a gown that’s flattering to the basic shape of your body. Chances are, you’ll look at hundreds of wedding gown pictures in bridal magazines before you start shopping. Study the different types of gowns available and the body shapes of the models that are wearing them to get a basic gown shape in mind. This will help you save time by eliminating less suitable designs from your search.

Height considerations

Long, slender dresses can make you look taller, while full ballroom-style gowns can help to balance out a taller figure. Regardless of your body shape, it’s important to choose a dress length that suits your height. For another example, if you’re very tall, you may want to have a gown with a longer train to help you look more proportionate. On the other hand, if you’re short, it may be best to have a short hemline in the front and shorter train in the back so that you aren’t overpowered by your dress.

An hourglass form

If you’re proud of your figure, you’ll want to show it off on your wedding day. You may want to choose a gown with bare shoulders and no back, as well as a dress form that hugs your waist. You may also want to use a lower neckline, and reduce the number of decorations and patterns on the dress fabric to emphasize your natural beauty.

Upper body concerns

Puffed sleeves and shoulder pads can help compensate for narrow shoulders, while a gown with a low waistline may help balance out a large bust. This will help make it look like you’re taller, and therefore, make your figure look more balanced. It may also be helpful to choose a wider or fuller skirt to make your hips look wider.

On the other hand, if you’d like to minimize the appearance of large arms or wide shoulders, consider a strapless dress with a halter-style top or a sweetheart neckline. While this may seem counterintuitive – after all, it seems like you’d want to cover up larger arms – tightly stretched sleeve fabrics only highlights the size of your arms.

Lower body concerns

For the most part, if your legs are short in comparison to your hip width, you can compensate by wearing high heels. That said, if your legs are also very heavy, it’s best to choose a full skirt rather than a narrow one. Using a wide sash at the waist may also help create an extra sense of height. If you want to draw attention upward, you can choose a neckline or sleeves that will help draw attention away from the skirt.

Wedding dresses come in all shapes and styles – if you do your research, you’ll find that one style of gown suits your needs better than others. Even if you already have a specific gown type in mind, you may decide to choose one that’s more suitable for your body shape. Choosing the dress type that’s most flattering to your body can also help you save some money. If you plan ahead, you can watch for sales and other discounts based on dress type. Regardless of whether you’re planning to rent or buy a wedding dress, you can also save time and travel expenses by calling to ask if they have a specific type of dress in stock.

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Like every bride, you’ll want to look beautiful on your wedding day – to do this, you need to enhance the good qualities of you figure and face, while drawing attention away from your problem areas. In addition to carefully selecting the shape of your wedding gown, you can use various accents to draw attention to or away from certain body areas. For the most part, you’ll find that you can create an enormous amount of difference with just some minor changes in accents and fabric styles.

Necklines

When choosing a neckline for your gown, it’s important to take your shoulder width and face shape into consideration. For example, if you have narrow shoulders, it may help to use a broader neckline to balance out parts of your lower body. On the other hand, if this doesn’t work with your face shape, you might also want to try wearing shoulder pads or puffed sleeves to add bulk to your top half.

If you have a square or rounded face, it’s best to wear a V-neck or scooped neckline. If you have a classic heart shaped face, or an oval shape, you’re lucky – you can wear a gown with almost any neckline. That said, if the gown you’re looking at doesn’t have an ideal neckline, check to see if you can have it altered. One option is to select a strapless gown and have a lace bodice fitted over it in order to create an appropriate neckline.

Body Shape and Fabric Designs

If you want to draw attention to a specific body area, the easiest way to do it is with lace or satin accents. For example, if you have beautiful legs, you may want to wear a satin sheath dress or select a lace pattern and a narrow skirt. Similarly, if your hips are heavy, you may want to use beads, rhinestones or other accents on the bodice instead. Depending on the time of year, you may also be able to use sheer fabrics to create the impression of longer sleeves or other minor stylistic adjustments. However, if you plan to include any of these alterations, it’s best to seek the assistance of a professional seamstress.

Sleeve Designs and Bodice Patterns

Arms can be a trouble spot for many women, so you find it difficult to choose the best sleeve shape for your body. If your shoulders are narrow but your upper body is large, you’ll run into a problem when selecting sleeves. While shoulder pads and a less decorative bodice might help, you may also want to see what you can do to improve your figure. The sooner you start planning your wedding, the longer you’ll have to spend time at the gym or pursue other weight loss and toning options.

Realistically, not every woman has a perfect hourglass figure – although it may seem to you that all wedding gowns are designed for this ideal. However, it is possible to select a gown that helps you to look your best and enhances the more ideal aspects of your figure and face. Even if you’re limited by gown color and style, you may still be able to use fabric and other decorative accents to your advantage. In particular, the placement of lace, satin compliments, and other decorative fabrics can help hide problem areas and highlight the appearance of ideal ones.

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If you’re planning a traditional wedding, the last thing you’ll want is to have your bridesmaids show up wearing all different colors and styles of dresses. However, at the same time, it may be difficult to find affordable gowns – let alone a design that’s flattering for every member of your wedding party. Fortunately, there are still some things you can do to minimize the cost of the gowns.

Wholesale Dress Outlets

If you’re going to have a large number of bridesmaids, you’ll want to find a store that offers you a wide selection of gowns at affordable prices. Before you go to a dedicated bridal shop, you may want to try wholesale dress outlets and more conventional clothing stores. If you don’t see anything that works for you, ask if there are any additional designs and colors available for purchase through the designer’s catalogs. If you spend a little time searching, you’re bound to come across at least one merchant that has some type of discount program, or closeout items available for purchase.

Rental Stores

As with wedding gowns and prom dresses, you may be able to rent gowns for your bridesmaids. If there’s a rental shop in your area, you’ll have access to all the latest fashions, without having to spend an enormous amount of money on the gowns. In addition, if there are enough members in the wedding party, you may receive a special discount to rent your wedding gown. Depending on the time of year, you may also find that the store will provide a free tuxedo for the groom if enough groomsmen rent tuxes through the same store.

Make Your Own

Without question, if you want a specific design for your bridesmaids, this is the most affordable way to achieve it. Of course, cheap doesn’t always mean easy, so you’ll need to set aside enough time to sew each dress yourself, or spend a little extra to hire a seamstress for the task. You’ll also need to keep an eye on the cost of the fabrics and decorations you choose – the cost of silks and designer fabrics can add up quickly, and adding extra decorations can quickly put you over the cost of buying a new dress!

Finding Previous Season Fashions

Even though wedding fashions change from season to season, you may be able to find older fashions at a significant discount. Rental stores may have older items in stock, or you may be able to find these dresses for purchase in used clothing stores or boutiques that buy closeout merchandise. Double check to make sure that the gowns are in good condition and make sure there are enough for each member of your party.

When you’re planning a wedding, it’s not always easy to ask members of the wedding party to shoulder the expense associated with the ceremony and reception. On the other hand, it’s likely that you will want each bridesmaid to wear the same style and color of dress. In either case, it’s best to do what you can to make paying for the gowns as affordable as possible.

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