How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Dress For Your Body Type
Choosing the perfect wedding dress is crucial to preparing for your big day. Your Stylist can help you choose a dress that will flatter your body shape and highlight your best features.
If your hips and bust are close to equal in size with a defined waist, you’re an hourglass shape. Show off your curves in a fitted mermaid or fit-to-flare silhouette.
Pear Body Shape
Women with a pear body shape have a more significant lower portion, while their upper body is more petite. Hence, they look better in gowns, highlighting the upper part of the body or elongating the legs to balance their body proportion. They can also choose a dress with vertical folds that camouflage their bottom half and make them appear slimmer. Similarly, selecting a gown embellished with padded shoulders or volume sleeves is a good idea. Women should avoid form-fitting dresses as they can accentuate their hips and make them seem unbalanced. When you shop wedding dresses online, choosing the right size fit for your body is essential.
Brides with a petite pear shape can try out a tea-length gown that will give them an elegant look on their special day. This dress will elongate their legs and draw attention to their bodies’ upper parts, highlighting the decolletage and collar bones. Moreover, choosing a dress with a V neckline can also work wonders for these brides as it will elongate their neck and draw attention upwards.
Another option for petite pear-shaped brides is an A-line dress. This dress style is figure-hugging on the top and flares gently at the waist. This will help elongate the figure and highlight the narrow waist. The A-line shape of the dress will also skim over their hips and thighs, further concealing their heavier bottom half and making them look slimmer.
Hourglass Body Shape
You have an hourglass body shape if your hips and shoulders are around the same size with a defined waist. Brides with this curvy figure will benefit from dress styles that enhance their natural curves, such as fit-and-flare and mermaid silhouettes. These dress designs hug your body from the chest to the knee before flaring out, cinching in your waist, and accentuating your curves. Alternatively, an A-line or ball gown silhouette will also work wonders for brides with this shape, as they will add volume to your hips and torso area to balance out your proportions.
Regarding necklines, brides with this body type should avoid high neck or halter styles as they can draw attention to your bust and overwhelm the rest of your frame. Instead, a sweetheart or shallow v-neck will flatter your gorgeous figure and showcase your luscious curves.
Brides with an apple (or inverted triangle) body shape typically have a larger bust and narrower hips and legs. To elongate your figure, consider a sheath or A-line wedding dress silhouette. These dresses will hug your body from the chest to the knee, highlighting your slender legs and torso. Alternatively, try a chiffon gown with unbroken lines to accentuate your curves and add an element of drama to your look. For the final touches, a dramatic off-the-shoulder neckline will show off your shoulders and highlight your sexy décolletage.
Rectangle Body Shape
The rectangle body shape, or the banana or straight body shape, is characterized by equal proportions of the bust, waist, and hips. Typically tall and lean, this body type doesn’t have many curves, so creating or highlighting them as much as possible is essential.
Brides with a rectangular body shape should look for dresses that draw attention upwards to the neckline to create the illusion of a more curvy figure. A sweetheart neckline, which dips lower in the center to resemble the top of a heart, works well for this body type and highlights the decolletage. Gowns with a gathered or pleated neckline are also flattering as they visually add volume.
A halter or high-neck gown isn’t ideal for a rectangular body shape as it risks overwhelming the bustline. Instead, opt for a v-neck or scoop neck, which flatters the bust and shoulders. To emphasize a smaller bust line, brides with this body shape can choose a fitted dress with a padded bodice that adds dimension and helps define the bust’s shape.
Embellishments, such as pockets, plackets, and belt carriers, work well to broaden the shoulders and can be particularly effective if the trim is a patterned design, as it will help to add visual interest to this area. However, brides should avoid adding decoration that sits close to the waistline as this can accentuate their waist rather than elongate it.
Straight Body Shape
If you have a straight body shape or a ruler body, your shoulders, and hips are the same width with little waist definition. To balance this frame, choose a dress that emphasizes the decolletage and waistline to create the illusion of curves. Look for empire-style gowns, fit and flare dresses, or bias-cut dresses that play up the shape of your waist. You can also try mermaid or trumpet silhouettes to draw attention away from your fuller hips and thighs.
Brides with pear-shaped frames have narrower shoulders and broader hips. Opt for a fitted bodice with lace or other detailed embellishments to accentuate your hips and slim your torso. Avoid tiered or halter necklines, as they draw attention to your upper torso and make you appear top-heavy. A-line and princess-style dresses are flattering on this frame.
It’s important to remember that these are general guidelines and that every bride will fall into a combination of these categories. However, it’s also important to know that choosing a wedding dress should be based on what feels best and most flattering on your body, not what looks good on the mannequin or what your friends and family tell you. Half the fun of shopping for your wedding dress is trying on all sorts of styles and discovering what looks and feels fantastic on YOU!
