Getting down to the dress basics

So here’s one that every newly engaged girl wants to know because most of our minds go straight to THE DRESS!!! So here are a few things that can help you along the way and learning the vocabulary means you won’t be surprised when the lovely ladies fitting you mention them. We are talking cuts and silhouettes, necklines, and trains. It’s helpful when you find the pictures you like and can explain in the proper “dress lingo” what you love about them!

 

Dress Cuts and Silhouettes:

Even though there are so many variations on gown silhouettes, there are only five basic ones and most of these you will be more than familiar with;

A-line –  This is the most popular silhouette. It is universally flattering and comes with many shapes from a subtle modified A-line to full circle silhouette. The top of the dress gracefully hugs the natural curves of your upper body and then it flares out into an “A” shape as it falls.

Sheath – This silhouette is favoured by brides who do not what bulky wedding gowns and have the body type for it. It either contours the body from top to bottom, closely following the line of the body (called constructed sheaths) or falls nearly straight down from the shoulders to hem (called soft sheaths).

Ball gown – The ball gown silhouette is similar to the A-Line; only it has a much fuller skirt that flows to the floor.  There are “flat-front ball gowns,” which have skirts that are smooth and seamless in front and fully pleated in the back or a dropped-waist ball gown, where the bodice is fitted through the hips. 

Trumpet or Mermaid –  These are form-fitting silhouettes that flare to the floor usually from the knee (mermaid silhouette) or mid-thigh (trumpet silhouette)

Empire – The Empire silhouette has a high waist look, often with a seam under the bust line and typically a slimmer skirt,

 

Necklines:

Necklines on your wedding dress can be the defining feature on your day. How to choose a right neckline for your wedding dress? Think about the clothes you wear daily and what looks best on you and what you are most comfortable in. Remember to experiment and try on different necklines, you never know until you try, you might just surprise yourself!

 

Trains:

With trains it’s important to think about your ceremony and reception venue. If it’s outdoor will you be okay with getting some dirt on the bottom? Do you want to add some drama because trains are a great way to add it!

Sweep/brush – If you like the idea of a train but you want something that’s not too formal then a sweep or brush train could be for you. It extends around one-and-a-half feet from the waist to the end of the dress.

Watteau – Lovely and simple, a soft train that sits at the shoulder and falls to where the dress ends.

Court – Just like the sweep train the court train is about a feet long and is attached at the waist.

Chapel – A very popular train, the chapel train is between three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half feet from the waist.

Cathedral – Traditional and formal the cathedral train extends six-and-a-half to seven-and-a-half feet from the waist and has a very dramatic effect

Panel – Great for the indecisive bride, the panel train is just a panel of fabric, around a foot wide and can be as long or short as a court of chapel train. Usually it’s detachable too.

Monarch/Royal – A show-stopping train, the monarch or royal train can be 12 feet or longer from the waist. Because of its length you will need page boys or flower girls to hold it when you walk – but that all adds to the drama!

 

Trust me we can go on and on about the wedding dress, but for today we are just going to keep it simple and go with the basics. Once we get the lingo down we will head into fitting a dress and some recent trends!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.