Choose The Right Wedding Dress Style For Your Own Body Shape

Everyone thinks they know how to choose a wedding gown. What most women don’t realize is fabrics, style and measurements can influence the style of wedding dress that best complements a particular body type.This article will help you choose the right wedding dress style for your own body shape.

There are five popular styles of wedding dresses. All are beautiful, but choosing the right one can accentuate your best assets and hide any areas you're more conscious of, no matter your shape or size.

A-Line/Princess: Named after the shape the dress visually creates, this style is classic and simple. The A-line dress is fitted around the bodice and flows out to the ground. Its length can range from above the knee to full length that flows into a large train, and it can be made with everything from free-flowing silks to heavier fabrics such as satin. The princess cut version of the A-line dress is more dramatic and emphasizes this style’s clean lines by utilizing vertical panels that run from the neckline to the hem.

Who It Flatters: The A-line dress is a good general option for almost any bride. The full skirt of the A-line can hide a rounder lower body or create the illusion of curves on a narrow frame. If your main goal is to slim, the princess style is a great option that elongates lines creating a slimming effect as the eye naturally focuses on the length of the dress.

Empire: The empire dress is unique for its raised waistline that sits just below the bust, from which the rest of the dress flows down. Empire dresses can have varying sleeve lengths ranging from longer bell sleeves to sleeveless, along with different skirt cuts that can flow freely or contour to your body. Additionally, empire dresses are usually made from lighter fabrics, so this style of dress takes on a romantic feel.

Who It Flatters: An empire dress works well on most body types but is specifically flattering for a bride looking to enhance her bust. On the flip side, ladies with large busts also like empire dresses because the traditional square can better cover larger breasts. This dress is also ideal for pear-shaped figures, as it is forgiving of the legs and hips. Because of the room in the stomach area, this is also an ideal dress for pregnant brides.

Column/Sheath: As you can probably guess from its name, the column dress has a narrow shape that flows straight down from the top to the bottom. This dress, also referred to as a sheath, tends to hug the body and show any and all of your curves. A column dress can be a simple slip dress to a more contoured dress made of heavier fabrics such as damask.

Now that you know all about the different styles of wedding gowns, what about the sizing? Sizing can be a bit tricky as pretty much every wedding dress manufacturer has its own sizing chart. If you find a dress you're in love with, the first step to finding your perfect fit is to be properly measured with a vinyl measuring tape (cloth tapes can stretch) by a tailor at your bridal store. Once your measurements have been taken, check them against the wedding dress manufacturer's sizing chart to choose the dress that matches your largest measurements (usually if your dress shop is ordering for you, they'll take care of this step). Don’t be alarmed if your wedding dress size is different than your everyday non-wedding attire. It is quite common for dress sizes to be at least one or two sizes larger than the size you're used to wearing.

If you are planning to lose weight before the wedding, be very realistic about your size on your wedding day. It's better to err on the side of caution as you can always make a dress a little smaller, but it's near impossible to make a wedding dress larger. It's kind of like getting your hair cut: You can always cut more hair off, but once you cut it, it's gone for a while. And weeks before the wedding, who needs the added stress of trying to get those last few pounds off?

Almost every woman will need a little alteration when it comes to her wedding dress. Know that the entire sizing and fitting process will take four to six weeks (or even longer if your gown needs to be custom ordered) so don't put this off until the last minute. Also, remember to wear the same undergarments and shoes that you'll be wearing on your wedding day so that your tailor can get accurate measurements.

Your wedding dress is one of a hundred decisions you'll make during your wedding planning, but it’s a very important decision that will undoubtedly determine how you feel on your big day. So choose a dress that fits properly (snug so that it won't fall off, but not so tight that you can't enjoy that wedding cake!), flatters your figure and makes you feel like the beautiful bride that you are!

The Petite Bride

A-line wedding dresses are also flattering on petite women. As we stated earlier, this style lengthens the body. Sheaths seem to shorten a small body even more, so petite women should avoid sheath-style wedding dresses. Also steer clear of very full skirts, which will make you look ‘bottom heavy.’ You want to keep your wedding dress proportionate to your body.

Be careful with strapless gowns — a petite woman may have to lift her arms to reach up to her new husband (can you say ‘wardrobe malfunction’?). A cap sleeve gives the feeling of a strapless gown, and also serves the practical purpose of holding the gown in place.

The Large-Busted Bride

Off-the-shoulder gowns look wonderful on a full bust. It draws our attention upward, emphasizes the shoulders and minimizes the chest. Keep your skirt narrow. Wearing a full skirt will make you look large both on top and bottom.

The Bottom-Heavy Bride

Women who are larger through their hips and buttocks should look for a wedding dress that focuses on their upper body — preferably with a full skirt.

Show off your arms, back and bustline.

A corset-style bodice with lacing will highlight your upper body. We want to draw attention away from your hips. Avoid pleats or gathered fabric around the waist. An A-line skirted wedding dress always works the best for this body type.