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 rat...