Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress for Your Shape
Shape it up for the perfect wedding day silhouette, with this guide to finding the right wedding dress to fit your shape...
The biggest day of your life: you have been thinking, planning and dreaming about what you will wear since you were a little lady, but how do you know whether it will actually work in the flesh? In your head it fits perfectly and you look like a princess but in reality it might look awful. In my head I look like I have the figure of Kate Moss but when I try clothes on I realise that unfortunately that's not true!
The most important thing is to go for a dress that flatters and suits your body shape as no matter the style and colour, if the fit is perfect you will look amazing.
If you are an hour glass figure - your hips and shoulders are in line with a nipped in waist - you want to work with your curves, celebrate your shape. It is all about balance so a fitted waist will highlight your smallest asset then balance out the hips and shoulders. Most women's smallest bit is underneath the bust so go high-waisted, fitted and/or empire line. The 1950's silhouette is perfect for that classic hour glass shape. Depending on your size, bust and height there are many styles that you can wear but just remember curves are a good thing. All other body shapes are trying to create the illusion of the hour glass so you are lucky.
The pear shape is when your hips are wider than your shoulders, not your bust. I have so many clients that come to me thinking they are pear shaped as they have a small bust and a bigger bum or hips. But more often than not they are hour glassed. If you are actually pear shaped it really doesn't take many tricks to give the illusion of an hour glass figure, creating a balance by adding width to the shoulders. Avoid halter-neck dresses and anything with a strappy top. An a-line skirt will hide the hips/bottom and nobody will be able to see where anything begins and ends; if you go pencil it will accentuate the width of the bottom half. Don't add detail on the lower part of the dress, have all of the attention on the bust and shoulder area. The 1930's shape with bias cut and wide shoulders can look great.
For a straight up and down figure - hips and shoulders are in line but there is no definition in the waist - you need to create a shape. Go for a dress that nips in at the waist and then balances out the shoulder and hips. An a-line skirt will create hips and going for a wide neck-line or detail/statement jewellery on the neckline will draw out the shoulders. Many people with a straight up and down figure have a smaller bust so either a halter neck or a corset shape that creates a bust will look great. The 1920's silhouette is made for the straight figure so give it a go - you are the only shape that can wear it.
Whether you are a size 8 or 18, it doesn't matter - the principles are the same, getting both the balance and the proportions right is essential.
Article by Wedding Stylist Zoe Lem
Images Courtesy of London Fashion Shop My Sugarland
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