Dress Silhouettes
You’re finally ready to find your dream dress, and you might even have some ideas already about the style and fit you want. But sometimes you don’t, or you’ve decided to go into this with an open mind. Whatever your approach, it’s a good idea to have a basic understanding of the various style options that will be presented to you. We’ve kept it simple with five of the basic dress silhouettes. But do keep this in mind—It’s your dress, and if it makes you feel like a queen, it’s the one!
A-Line: Possibly the most popular style on our list due to its forgiving shape and overall comfort, A-line gowns flow from the neckline down to a full skirt. For a more fitted style throughout the bodice, but still creating that “A” shaped silhouette, look for a modified A-line.
Ball Gown: Creating a classic hourglass shape with a skirt full of volume, the ballgown is perfect for those who’ve dreamed of floating down the aisle like a princess!
Column: A sleek, straight skirt with no waist that loosely skims over your figure, creating a sophisticated and chic silhouette.
Fit & Flare: this style skims the lines of the body throughout the bodice, waist and hips, with either a dramatic or gradually flared skirt that starts at the bottom of the hips or knees. Mermaid and trumpet gowns both fall under this silhouette.
Straight: hugging the body from neckline to hem, usually with no defined waist, but some are modified to create the illusion of a waist. Straight gowns fit slightly looser than their sister dress, the sheath.
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