Your Gown, Your Silhouette

Hello, Brides!

Let’s get down to business! I’ll be starting with the term Silhouette. There are so many variations of wedding dress silhouettes, however, Randy only mentions the ones he considers the most popular.

A-line

There is the simple and traditional A-line dress, this silhouette refers to a gown that has a skirt which resembles the letter A. The fullness of the skirt in this silhouette can vary from slim to full. Mr. Fenoli considers this the silhouette that works for almost any body type.

Ball Gown

Now let’s consider my all-time favorite silhouette, the ball gown. This silhouette has a dramatic puffy skirt that typically has a natural or dropped waist. I don’t know about you but ever since I was a little girl I was fascinated with what I used to call princess* dresses. The full ball gowns are gorgeous and perfect for a fairytale wedding. However, Randy doesn’t mention this, but from experience I’ve known that petite girls usually look smaller, or get lost in the fullness of the gown. A common misconception that many people have is that the big skirts make curvaceous girls look bigger, on the contrary the full skirts bring in their waists and make it look smaller.

Fit-to-Flare

Next is the fit-to-flare silhouette. This shape is also recognized as the modified A-line, this silhouette is formfitting to the upper thighs and then slightly flares out at the bottom. It is snug more closely than an A-line, but flows out more gradually than a mermaid or trumpet.

Mermaid

Fourth in line is the sexy mermaid!  The mermaid cut is a close-fitting gown with a horizontal seam directly above the knee that flares out with a very full bottom. If you want to show of your curves this is the dress to choose. No matter your size or shape if you want to flaunt it then I say, do it! I've seen girls of all body types wear this silhouette and when they wear it with confidence they look stunning.

Sheath

Following the sexy mermaid is the sheath silhouette. This is a slim gown that hugs the body with a straight shape all the way to the toes. If this gown is tailored too much from the knees down it can be difficult to walk and especially dance in it.

Trumpet

Finally we get to the trumpet silhouette. This is a snug gown that is similar to a mermaid, but gently flares out at the bottom. Its gradual flare is usually made with princess* seams instead of the seam above the knee.

*A smart key note that Randy points out: Princess is a term that people often confuse with the shape of the dress, but it actually refers to vertical seams on a dress and not necessarily the silhouette. You can have princess seams on almost any of the dress silhouettes.

I hope you find this information helpful and instructive. Till next time, lovely brides!

Jackie S. of Sposa Mia Couture