Long gone have the days when women had only a few options in wedding dresses and they didn’t have to choose between tons of choices. Nowadays, when brides to be go for their wedding dress shopping they are welcomed by a number of different styles of wedding dresses and tailoring options, and you can even modify and customize dresses into styles that are perfect for you. It goes without saying that picking the right dress for your body type is extremely important and it is something you can’t ignore. Therefore we have put together this guide to help you understand what wedding dress style goes well with which body type. How to choose the dress that best suits you is one of the things that many women don’t pay attention to when picking their wedding gown. But choosing the right dress for your body type will not only make you feel comfortable on your wedding day but you will also be able to carry it effortlessly.
So read on and by the end of this article, you should be able to decide what wedding dress style is ideal for your body shape.
1. Sleeved Wedding Dresses
These types of bridal gowns are considered a classic and as the name suggests they come with full or sometimes shorter sleeves.
Suitable for: Triangle body shape
If you have a triangular body shape, then sleeved wedding gown should do the trick for you. A triangular body shape means that your shoulders and chest are wider than your hips. The easiest way to tell if you have a triangle body shape is that your body will be wider at the top and your hips will be narrower than your shoulders.
Sleeved wedding dresses are ideal for covering up wider shoulders and give your body a more uniform look. But not only are these types of dresses stylish they are very practical as well if you are planning a winter wedding. If you combine a V neck style with your sleeved wedding dress it will balance out your wider shoulders with the rest of your body even more perfectly.
Tips：You can make your sleeved wedding dress even more graceful by adding small touches such as embroidery and bows near the middle and bottom of the dress. Adding some extra details to the middle part of the dress will help in highlighting the lower part of your body.
2. Ball gowns
Also known as Prom wedding dresses this style is popular in many brides these days because they have a fitted bodice and a full skirt that perfectly fits your waist and hips. Ball gown style dresses come with a natural-looking waist bodice a skirt which is always a very neat looking combination. This magical dress seems like it is straight out of a Disney movie so no wonder that many women dream of wearing this dress on special days.
Suitable for: Pear body shape
The pear-shaped body usually means that your hips are wider than your shoulders and chest giving your body the appearance of a pear. As we mentioned above that a prom style dress comes with a skirt and its silhouette has a fitted bodice and a natural-looking waist. This feature of prom dress helps women with Pear-shaped bodies in achieving a more balanced look. This striking wedding dress will highlight your lower body and its bodice will help shape up and enhance your waist.
But most importantly the skirt flares up from the hips and thighs section and makes you feel like a princess.
Suitable for: The Boyish body shape
Boyish figured women are normally thin and taller than average height for women. But the most prominent feature of boyish body type is that the hips and chest of women with this body type are narrower.
Since prom style dresses are known for their fullness this makes them the perfect option for women with a boyish body type as they can help them look curvier with their flared up skirt and tighter waist. The ball gowns dress will also fit you, since it defines the waist and the skirt skims over the hip section making you look a lot fuller. You will fall in love with the look this dress gives your body but make sure that it is stitched precisely according to your body measurements.
Not suitable for: Petite body type
If the bride is on the petite side meaning she is under 5 feet and 4 inches in height than it will be a good idea to avoid wearing this dress for her wedding. The reason for that is a shorter bride will seem like she is being “swallowed up” by a super-voluminous dress as ball gowns tend to flare up quite a bit. Ball Gown Wedding Dresses are a stunning choice for most brides, but they can overwhelm a petite frame.
Not suitable for: Apple body shape
Just like the fruit this body shape is named after women with, apple shape has fuller breasts, and carry some weight around the waist area. Since ball gowns tend to be tighter in the waist area women with apple body shape should avoid wearing ball gowns.
3. Two-piece wedding gowns
As you can probably guess from the name of this dress is that it usually comes in two separate pieces of clothing. The first piece is obviously the top and you can match a voluminous bridal skirt along with it to complete your bridal look.
Suitable for: Hourglass body shape
If your bust, shoulders, and hips are roughly the same size but your waist is smaller than your hips, then you belong to the hourglass figure family. Good news is that this type of body is often considered as a body shape that can make any clothing style look good on it. Since women with an hourglass figure have perfectly balanced and defined top and bottom halves are perfectly balanced, with a very defined waist it’s best to go with the two-piece gown as your wedding outfit. Because a 2 pieces wedding gown will further enhance your hourglass figure by showing off your perfectly toned waist.
Not suitable for: Pear body shapes
Since two-piece wedding gowns don’t provide any support to the waist area and in most two-piece gowns waist section is normally open. That is why these dresses are not suitable for a pear-shaped figure.
4. A-Line Wedding Dress
An A-Line wedding dress literally makes the same of the English letter A when wore properly and we will tell you how. This type of dress hugs the waist as it is fitted in the waist section and then it gradually widens as it moves downwards. Modern brides love this style of wedding gowns as it gives a stunning look to the bride when tailored perfectly.
Suitable for: Petite figures
If you under 5’1” you’ve got a tiny frame its best to avoid ball gown and mermaid dress on your special day and go with A-Line dress because its contours without too much fabric will make you look taller. A narrower A-line dress is the best wedding dress style for short petite brides.
Suitable for: Apple body shapes
The A-line dress with a fitted waist looks great on the apple shape. Look for a dress with a narrow fitted top that fits around the waist. This creates a slender “A” shape that helps to lengthen your torso since apple-shaped body gives the illusion of a short torso. The A-line flared pants are not as voluminous as the skirts of the prom dresses, make your lower body even with your upper body, making it the ideal wedding dress for this body type.
Suitable for: Tall body type
An A-Line Wedding Dress is fitted through the waist and as it flows downwards it really compliments a taller frame of the bride. Since the skirt is less flared than a ball gown, A-Lines look lovely on all shapes and sizes, especially on tall girls. So if you are a tall bride to be you can consider A-line dress as a possible solution for you.
Tips: Because this silhouette works for every body type it’s one of the most popular skirt silhouettes—it’s super-flattering on almost everyone and allows tons of movement on the dance floor as well. But keep in mind that fitting is very important in an A-line dress and if you don’t get the dress properly fitted according to your measurements especially the waist.
5. Mermaid and Trumpet
The mermaid and trumpet wedding dress are almost the same things both of them hug the bride’s body fairly tightly. But the difference lies in the location where the flare of the dress starts. While the trumpet wedding dresses start to flare up just above the knee the mermaid dresses flare-up below the knee.
Suitable for: Curvy body type
If you’re on the curvier side and looking for a formfitting dress that’s still easy to move in? Then mermaid and trumpet style dress can be the best style for curvy figures.
Suitable for: Hourglass body shape
You can show off the hourglass figure with this tight-fitting wedding dress style. A fitted bodice at the knee or under the knee will highlight your waist and hips region that is iconic for hourglass body shaped women.
Not suitable for: Pear body shape
As a pear-shaped body is wider from the bottom but narrow on the top, therefore, the Mermaid and Trumpet dresses that are tighter from the top and lose from the bottom wouldn’t balance out your figure. And these dresses will draw attention to your bottom which isn’t a good thing if you have a narrower upper body.
Tips: Adding accessories, such as beads or crystal, is a great way to enhance the overall look of the mermaid dress. Especially when the beads are sewed starting from the corset to the flare of the skirt.
6. Empire wedding dresses
Empire wedding dress has distinct features with a high waist design, with a straight and elegant skirt, to create a simple and stylish classic bride style. The empire wedding dress complements the slim frame of women with a sporty physique, and can also be beautifully matched on the wide buttocks. It is the go-to choice of many brides.
Suitable for: Apple body shapes
An empire-line dress will draw attention away from your waist area as they have a high waist design giving you a leaner look and covering up a thicker waistline that’s iconic in Apple body shaped women.
Suitable body type: Pear-shaped bodies
As the empire dress can highlight the overall upper part of your body, they are a great choice for pear-shaped women with wider hips and narrow upper body.
Not suitable for: Taller body type
As your chest and hips are already balanced in a tall frame you don’t want to wear a high waist dress that would make your lower body look even longer.
7. Sheath Style Wedding Dress
The sheath or column wedding dress has a long, slim silhouette that follows the body’s natural line without flaring out.
Suitable for: Lean body shape
Women who have a lean body and a sleek figure find sheath style wedding dresses really useful as these dresses enhance your natural sleek and even body. This style will make you look classy in a refined way, making it the perfect wedding dress of lean and straight body type.
Tip: If you want to add the illusion of a curvy body without increasing the volume of the dress, then choose a tie belt to emphasize the curves in your waist area if you have a straight body. Whether it’s a decorative crystal or a simple ribbon, the belt can completely change your bridal look in a sheath dress.
I hope this article will give you some inspiration when you choose a wedding dress. My goal is to help you find the best dress to accompany you on the most important day of your life.