The Basics of Bridal Design: A Guide to Silhouette, Necklines, and Sleeves

Most brides are familiar with the basics of bridal gowns, but knowing the names for the styles that you love can help you to describe the dress of your dreams. The more you know, the better you can explain what you want, and the better we can help you achieve your dream dress. Though there are so many styles of dresses, it is can be simplified by breaking it down into silhouette, neckline, and sleeve styles. These categories can also help you to know what will best flatter your body, and therefore the styles that you can focus on for your bridal gown.

Silhouettes- One of the most important elements of the dress is the overall shape, and how it is going to flatter your body. Silhouettes not only change the way our bodies look, they can change the way we feel.

Ball gown: The most iconic of all silhouettes, this look is for the cinderella bride. Flattering on almost all body types, the full skirt emphasizes the waist, giving a slimming effect. Ball gown dresses are a perfect traditional look, but can be played up depending on the amount of tool, size, and shape of the skirt.

Sheath: This simple style is also a very flattering look on most bodies. These dresses are designed to slide against the body and hug in all the right areas. This style tends to be more modern, and can follow a more minimalist style. Although this silhouette lends itself to a more simplistic design, some designers are starting to use lace and embroidery to really glam these gowns up.

A-line: A line dresses are the happy medium between the ballgown and the sheath dress. This style of dress still has volume from the waist down, which creates a slim waistline. The A-line, however, tends to lend itself to a less dramatic look, as the proportion of the skirt is smaller than a ball gown. The A-line dress is slimming, and modern while remaining traditionally bridal.

Mermaid: This dramatic choice is a perfect compliment for a bride with a curvy body type. The style hugs the body from bust to knee, and then breaks out into a voluminous skirt at, or just above, the knee. This tight to the body style is a sexy choice, and is very fun and flirty for the modern bride.

Fit and flare: Like the mermaid, fit and flares hug the body at the top, and loosen toward the floor. The fit in flair tends to lay sunggly against the body instead of hug tightly. This is a very flattering look for all body types as it can flare anywhere below the hip, and flatter a multitude of waistlines.

Drop Waist: Gowns in this style hug the bust to hip, and typically meet a seam below the hip where the skirt dramatically flares out. This style is great for emphasising the waist, bust, and behind, making it another sexy choice. Drop waists typically have lots of volume in the skirt, making them an alternative to the ball gown.

Empire: These high waisted styles sit the skirt right below the bust, which is a flattering on our tall, slim brides. This style is easily incorporated into beach, or bohemian weddings. The drape that falls from the high waistline falls beautifully over the body, and makes for a soft and feminine silhouette. This style is simple, but very classic, and will leave you feeling royal.

Sleeve styles: This often overlooked element of bridal design can totally change the way your dress is perceived. The sleeve cna really compliment elements of design, and bring new aesthetics to your look.

Off the shoulder: This subtle, but sexy look can draw attention to the shoulders and neck, and is a perfect compliment for many styles of dress as there are many options for off the shoulder sleeves. From small sashes to full sleeves, many brides choose off the shoulder as it exposed a modest amount of skin.

Flutter/Butterfly Sleeves: These sleeves are soft and elegant, and look amazing on flowy, modern dresses. The fabric on this style of sleeve falls off of the shoulder into a draped sleeve. These sleeves are often draped in transparent fabrics and are a good choice for brides who want to maintain modesty in a dress for religious or other reasons.

Bell Sleeves: Strong and dramatic, this style of sleeve is fitted near the arm hole and widens greatly above the wrist and the hand. This style works well with mermaid gowns because of similar fit and flare proportions. Often in lasce, these sleeves can go from modern to romantically Renaissance inspired.

Cap Sleeves: Simple additions to any wedding gown, a cap sleeve is a small cover on the shoulder that covers just a little of the shoulder and sometimes the upper arm. This dainty addition has more of an aesthetic than a function purpose, but is a very popular sleeve choice.

Bishop Sleeve: This historically based sleeve brings some tradition to a wedding gown. The drape from armhole to the fullness that ends tightly at the wrist gives a romantic feeling to this style of sleeve. This style can be a modest choice for bridal gown sleeves as it covers the arm from shoulder tip to wrist.

Puff Sleeve: Voluminous sleeves like these could have you feeling like Cinderella on your wedding day. Though in the recent past they were considered outdated, designers now are using puff sleeves in new ways. They have over-sized them, and dramatized them to bring a unique and fun twist to the traditional sleeve.

Neckline Styles: Posible one of the most important elements to understand about your bridal gown is the neckline. Not only is this one of the basic design elements, but it is the closet part of the gown to our brides beautiful faces, and we want to compliment you in every way possible with your gown.

V-neck: The cut of this neckline allows the bride to show some skin, and feel sexy on their big day. Having a big space of open skin near the face draws the eye from the bride top to bottom, and accentuates the whole body and gown.

High neck: Modest, and sophisticated, this neckline comes up on the neck like a low turtleneck. It is a very modest look that will flatter brides of all ages. This look is good for brides who are getting married in cooler seasons, or locations.

Bateau: Necklines of this style are flattering to the neck and face because they sit low on the collarbone and lay high across the chest. This cut allows it to flatter an older bride as it shows peaks of skin across the chest, but remains subtly sexy.

One-shoulder: One shoulder dresses are fun and flirty. Typically most flattering on slim shouldered brides, these asymmetrical looks are unique. One-shoulder looks can have a loose toga reference, or can be sleek and simple for a more modern bride.

Halter: Wedding gowns with a halter neck have a open shoulder idea that is complimentary on women that want to show off their arms or back. Athletic brides look amazing in halter necks as it gives them the confidence to show off their strong feminine form.

Sweetheart: Most easily recognized by its name, everyone loves the sweetheart neckline. This traditionally look is always sexy as it open the chest up, and shows more cleavage than some of the other necklines. This neckline is a suitable options for so many body types, which makes it one of the more popular.

Illusion: An illusion neckline is one that is made up of a transparent mesh that rises above a lace that finishes around the bust. This style often fakes a strapless gown while providing the structure and support of shoulders and a neck.