You want to look absolutely breathtaking on your wedding day, so choosing the right wedding dress is key. Whether you are going for a traditional white gown or for an alternative style, you want a dress that suits you and showcases your beauty. Many women feel overwhelmed at the prospect of picking out a dress. With so many styles and widely varying prices, it can seem daunting to find that perfect dress for you. Like with many things for your wedding, choosing the right dress involves careful planning, consideration of your individual taste and limits, and patience while you look for that special dress that makes you shine.
Choose an A-line fit for a pear-shape or apple-shape.
One of the most important aspects of the dress is the fit. Before you go shopping, you should figure out what fit you are looking for. If you have a small bust and shapely thighs and hips, think about an A-line fit.[1]
- A-lines usually have a fitted bodice with a skirt that flares gently from the waist to form an “A” shape. They work for most body types and are a particularly good choice for pear shapes, or someone who does not want a tight fit on their lower body.
- You can accentuate your waist further by picking a dress with a decorative element like a sash or beading around the waist of the dress.
- Avoid a dress that is bunchy or overly embellished on the bottom half. This will make your hips and thighs look larger than they are.
Choose a supportive dress for a busty body type.
If you have a large bust, you will want a fit that is supportive on top. You should consider a dress with boning or with a built-in corset. This kind of fit will give you the shape you want and will prevent any mishaps on your wedding day!
- Many busty women feel they can’t wear strapless dresses. You can still wear a strapless dress, but to make yourself feel more comfortable on the day, make sure it fits to a tee.
- A square-neck dress is a great option for busty women because it shows off your assets without showing too much.
Pick an empire dress for a plus-sized body type.
An empire dress is similar to an A-line dress, except that it cinches under the bust and flows out to make a floor-length A-line. This fit is very flattering on most body types, and is a good option if you don’t want to wear a tight-fitting dress.
- Though empire dresses are flowy, don’t pick one that is too large or has a lot of excess fabric. You still want to accentuate your figure.
Pick a dress that creates verticality for petite body types.
Avoid any dresses that have any kind of horizontal detailing like beading or striping. Focus instead on finding a dress that has vertical elements like a plunging neckline, vertical paneling or vertical embellishments.
- An empire fit can also flatter a petite body type by accentuating the bust and creating the appearance of long legs.
Choose a sheath or flared dress for long and lean body types. If you are thin and tall, you may either want to highlight your statuesque physique, or you may want to choose a dress that creates curves. Depending on how you feel individually, pick either a sheath dress that follows the long straight form of your body, or a flared dress like a mermaid cut that creates curves and breaks up your body.
- A sheath dress isn’t necessarily tight, but it won’t conceal the shape of your body. If you feel especially self-conscious about a certain part of your body, consider a different fit.
Remember that you know yourself best.
There are a lot of conventions about which dress looks best on which body type, and generally they are great places to start from. But you want to be careful that you don’t pick a fit you don’t like or are not comfortable with.
- A great way to figure out what fit is best for you individually is to look at the dresses you already own. Although they are much less formal than your wedding dress will be, figure out what fit you generally wear and feel comfortable in.
- Another way to find the best cut is to think about your favorite feature and find a way to flaunt it. For example, if you have toned arms, find a sleeveless dress so that you can show them off.
- Accentuating a body part doesn’t necessarily mean exposing it. Be careful of showing too much leg or cleavage, as showing too much skin can make your dress look less formal.
Researching Dress Styles
Look at bridal magazines.
Bridal magazines are a great way to get a fuller sense of what kinds of dresses are on the market. Even though you may have an idea of what kind of fit you’re looking for, there are still many other factors to choosing the perfect dress.
Narrow down the characteristics of your ideal dress.
Apart from fit, there are also several other elements that are important to narrow down what style of dress you want. Picking out how you want your ideal dress to look mostly has to do with personal preference and style.
- Think about the neckline of your dress. Do you prefer a high neck, a scoop neck, a V-neck, or another kind of neckline?
- Consider whether you prefer the look of gauzy, flowy dresses or ones that are more fitted.
- Think about the color of your ideal dress. Is it a traditional white dress or another color? If you like white dresses, think about whether you like pure white or a shade of off-white.
- Think about what length you would like, and what would suit you.
- Also consider what amount of detailing you want for your dress. While some brides like intricate beading and embellishments, some prefer unembellished gowns where the fabric and the cut make the statement.
Use the Internet to individualize your research. The Internet is another great resource to turn to. Not only are there thousands of great sites that have wedding dress picture galleries, but you can also search for your preference in dresses. Now that you have narrowed down the unique characteristics of your dress, do a Google search of these elements for inspiration.
- You can Google phrases like “glittery wedding gown” or “V neck wedding dress” if you have a sense of what you want your dress to look like beyond its fit.
Make a collage of your favorite styles.
Take images that you have collected of your favorite wedding dresses and styles. You can print them out to make a physical collage, or you can make a Pinterest board so you can access the pictures from your computer.
- Sometimes making a collage or board can make sense of what kind of dresses you like. You may not really know why you like a dress when you look at it individually, but if you put pictures together of different dresses you like, you may start to see similarities in style.
Consolidate your research. Before you go shopping for dresses, you want to make sure that you have all your research with you. This can make the whole process of shopping easier, and it will help whoever is fitting you know what you want. Make sure to consolidate your research, whether it be pictures, collages or notes.
- You can even create a kind of “mission statement” from your research, something like “I am looking for an off-white floor-length empire dress.”