Whether you have your heart set on buying or renting a wedding dress, the journey to the perfect bridal gown isn’t an easy one. While billed as an exciting adventure, the wedding dress shopping experience can be overwhelming, especially with the countless styles, shapes and silhouettes to choose from.
The key is finding a wedding dress that suits your style preferences and body shape, but where do you even begin? To help make the wedding dress shopping experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, we’re here to share a guide to the most popular wedding dress silhouettes and which body types they are best suited to.
The pear
The A-line silhouette is a classic and flattering choice for so many different sizes and body shapes. Whether the short or long sleeve wedding dress style, its fitted bodice flares from the waist to resemble that iconic ‘A’ shape.
While super versatile, A-line dresses are particularly great for pear shapes, with the style accentuating the waist and offering just the right amount of balance to wider hips.
The hourglass
With a fitted bodice and voluminous, princess-like skirt, the ball gown has been a popular silhouette amongst brides-to-be for as long as we can remember.
It’s a style that exudes elegance and grandeur, not to mention providing the perfect fit for those with hourglass or pear-shaped figures. The full skirt that most ball gowns boast is all you need to add drama and glamour. Its narrow waist completes the fairy-tale look to ensure a real showstopper, whatever the theme or colour scheme of your special day.
Ball gowns aren’t for everyone, however. Petite brides may want to steer clear of this voluminous cut for instance.
The rectangle
If you have an athletic figure or rectangle shape, you may want to create the illusion of curves with your wedding gown. Hugging the body from chest to knee before flaring out dramatically, mermaid dresses are made to do just that. They’re also ideal for brides with hourglass or curvier figures looking to accentuate the natural curves they already have.
The sheath silhouette is another form-fitting style that’s great for lean and slender figures. Brides explains more about this flattering shape and how it differs from other cuts:
“What differentiates a sheath dress from other styles is that it’s fitted through the bodice with a skirt that falls straight. Some sheath numbers have skirts that flare just a bit below the knee, but it is the straight skirt that really distinguishes them from a mermaid or fit-and-flare gown. This style is also perfect for the bride who isn’t into ball gowns, but still wants something that feels classic and timeless.”
While great for taller and shorter brides, the sheath style isn’t so flattering for apple shapes looking for more definition at the waist.
The apple
The empire silhouette features a high waistline just below the bust, with a flowing skirt that skims over the rest of the body, making the style perfect for brides with smaller busts or those looking to draw attention away from the waist and hips.
This silhouette is also a popular pick for pregnant brides, with comfort and elegance all a part of the package with empire wedding dresses.
