Strapless Wedding Gown
On your wedding day, you plan to do more than glow, you want to light up the aisle like a sparkling star. For that you’ll need more than a wedding-gown, you’ll need the wedding gown.
The gown that knows your every curve, line, and nuance; that lights your complexion to exactly the right tone, and photographs like a dream. You suspect that in your heart you know what you want, but will you know it when you see it?
You, like many brides, may find that finding the perfect dress is more complicated, even, than finding the perfect man. It’s hardly like the dress will come knock on your door, pour you a champagne cocktail and introduce itself as the gown of your dream. Rather, it’s likely you’ll turn over every couture stone seeking it out. You’ll flip through magazines, surf sites, and talk to every bridal expert and planner in town regarding your gown.
Fashionistas know that dressing best means line; silhouette and construction are key.. Understand those, and you’ll be well on your way to finding the one and only gown of your dreams. Don’t worry. It’s easier than you think. And we’re here to help. Before you know it, you’ll be walking down the aisle in style.
History of Wedding Dresses
The Victorians had some freaky notions, and the white wedding dress is one of them. Before Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress, women married in whatever color they chose. But the fad caught on, and by 1849, Godey’s Lady’s Book advised, “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one.”
Though it’s still a nice day for a White Wedding, we’ve come a long way since 1849. Modernized factories and machinery made it possible to make more than one of a particular gown quicker, more easily and cheaper than ever before. And the good kept coming, synthetic fabrics opened up a wide range of more affordable options that often hold shape, resist damage, and remain colorfast better than natural fabrics could.
Silhouette Styles for Your Wedding Gown…
A line Wedding Gown
Welcome to the cheat sheet of a lifetime! This quick tour of classic styles and the figures they flatter will have you armed and ready to navigate forests of tulle and lace like a pro. Remember: You’re looking to feature them on your gorgeous self!
A Line / Princess Line: This is the image most of us flash to immediately when we think wedding gown. The princess line gown is the “go-to” style of storybook illustrations and royalty time and time again because it works so well for most body types. If “fairy princess” or “princess bride” is your go-to wedding day fantasy-the perfect gown train stops here for you!
With a fitted, often strapless bodice and a full skirt this style flatters figures with a slim waistline and is very forgiving of wider hips. This style of gown tends to draw attention to the bust line. If your bust is significantly smaller or larger than you would like it to be, this style might leave you feeling a bit conspicuous, but for most figures this line tops the A-List.
Ball Gown: You’ll know a ball gown when you see one: they’re generally more fitted on top with a fuller skirt. The distinguishing characteristic is that the fitted bodice extends below the waist to hug the hips and flair just above the thigh. This lovely, body-conscious, line is perfect for those with a beautifully balanced figure. It’s a less workable choice for brides with fuller hips, or an abundant bust. If you’ve a slight waist and a bodacious bust this line is a go-to for waltzing down the aisle.
Mermaid Wedding Gown
Mermaid: As romantic on a bride as on the mythical-creature for which it is named, this line is a glamorous and even more figure-conscious then the traditional princess line. This sexy look will work best for brides with a slender, hourglass figure, and exceptional posture.
Empire Waist: This tradition of the Regency period carries into current fashion with an elegant flair. While design treatments range from Jane Austen-like elegance to Marilyn Monroe-style glamour, the lines of the silhouette endure. With a fitted bust, a high waistline, and a less-full skirt this line flatters almost all figures, and is especially flattering for brides who’d rather not highlight the natural waistline.
Sheath: Taking your Camelot Kennedy-style with a twist? The simplicity of the sheath dress is the picture of elegance and has long been the hallmark of style for fashion icons like Jacqueline Kennedy and Lilly Pulitzer. Perfect for a slender bride with smaller hips this style is able to accommodate a variety of bust lines beautifully. Simple. Classy. Beautiful.
Bridal Dress Neckline/Sleeve
Halter Wedding Gown
Halter: A scoop or “v” neckline extending into straps joined behind the neck the halter bodice is a shapely and supportive design element flattering to most figures.
Long Sleeve: From leg-of-mutton to poet’s ruffles longer sleeves add a graceful and lady-like touch. Practical and lovely for weddings held in cooler months and a godsend for brides wishing to obscure a tattoo.
Portrait or Bateau Necklines: Portrait and Bateau necklines flatter figures with fuller arms and are a more modest alternative to the strapless gown.
Short Sleeve: Cap sleeves, three-quarters sleeves, puffs and flirty ruffles offer summer and spring brides beautifully feminine options.
Popular Wedding Dress Designers:
Vera Wang Wedding Gown
Vera Wang: Vera Wang has for many years been the reigning matriarch of bridal couture. Known for sleek, modern styling and the highest quality fabrics, laces and trims her gowns, and subsequent related products, have been the first stop of society brides for quite some time.
Monique Lhuillier: Following in the tradition of designers like Wang, Monique Lhuillier’s bridal confections, and daywear, are the current favorite of many brides. Many will remember, her signature colored sashes, but this is just one of the many couture innovations she brings to her designs. Her boutiques are a destination for brides the world over.
Amsale Abbera: Elegant, understated, clean and modern lines are the hallmarks of Amsale Aberra wedding dresses. This Ethiopian-born designer’s Madison Avenue flagship store is a destination for the chic bride in search of simple lines.
Reem Acra: With a special affinity for the finest fabrics and hand-detailing Reem Acra bridal gowns are a natural choice for a glamorous, sophisticated bride.
Melissa Sweet: This fashion-forward, whimsical arm of the Pricilla of Boston bridal group offers quality, flattering, gowns for brides and their attendants.
Pronovias Group: Direct from Barcelona Pronovias bridal gowns offer heirloom-quality and European craftsmanship making every bride look radiant.
