An A-line silhouette always works. Not just for a wedding dress. A-line dresses and skirts borrow their name from the letter A, because they are similar in shape to that letter – narrow at the top and gradually becoming wider toward the bottom.
A-line skirts and dresses are very flattering because they disguise a large derriere or heavy thighs. Unlike pencil skirts, which draw attention to your bottom part and generally only slim women can pull off, A-line silhouettes are universally flattering.
Obviously, this is true for wedding gowns as well. It really depends on your figure, and if you prefer an allover tight dress that’s fine of course, but for most of us, an A-line wedding gown is very flattering, especially when paired with a strapless bodice. This really draws the eyes to your best parts – your shoulders, your chest and your waist, and camouflages what most women consider as problem areas.
The “Angela” wedding dress by Anya Bridal, an Atlanta wedding dress warehouse, shown above, is a great example of a dress that beautifully camouflages the bride’s bottom while drawing attention to the top.
An A-line wedding dress doesn’t have to include a very full skirt, although many brides like the look of a fitted bodice and a full skirt. An A-line can be more subtle and still look great.
“Brittany” by Anya Bridal is a good example of a very gentle A line – note that the skirt in this dress is not full at all – but it still has enough of a gentle draping and flowing at the bottom to conceal any problem areas. Gorgeous!
Traditionally, black was not an option when it came to the wedding guests. Black used to be associated with mourning and so deemed as highly inappropriate for a joyous occasion such as a wedding.
However, just like countless other fashion rules (“no white after labor day” comes to mind), the “never wear black to a wedding” rule has become outdated.
Black is a classic. It is chic, slimming and elegant and can be worn with anything and for any occasion. While your grandmother may still insist that “black is for funerals,” for the vast majority of people, wearing black has nothing to do with mourning.
A little black dress is a wonderful option for almost any occasion, and a wedding is no exception. In fact, these days even the bridesmaids sometimes wear black – it creates a nice contrast to the bride’s white wedding gown.
Of course, you can accessorize your black outfit with colorful accessories such as a wrap, shoes or a handbag. It’s a great way to make sure your outfit looks joyful rather than mournful. Wearing a black dress with colorful details (such as the dress above from Bluefly.com) is another option.
If you’re still worried about offending the bride, just call her to ask if she objects to people wearing black to her wedding. Chances are, she wouldn’t mind at all.
Using lace when designing a wedding dress makes a lot of sense, and designers know it. Lace is pretty and feminine, and today’s lace has stretch which makes it far more comfortable than lace fabrics used in the past, which were often stiff and scratchy.
Lace in wedding gowns can be used in many ways. Some wedding dresses are tailored as a simple white slip with a full lace overlay. Others use lace as an accent or for decoration. Yet others feature lace accessories such as collars, and others have buttons wrapped in lace. Some wedding dresses have lace sleeves, and of course many wedding veils are made of lace.
There are even wedding invitations that are decorated with lace! Obviously, lace is considered very appropriate for weddings.
A couple of my favorite wedding gowns that use lace are offered by Anya Bridal, an Atlanta wedding dress store.
The Alexis wedding gown is a gorgeous strapless gown with a slight sweetheart neckline, ribbon sash with broach detail, tulle trumpet skirt, and a beautiful lace overlay:
Another wedding dress that uses lace beautifully is the April dress. This is also a strapless bridal gown with scalloped edge neckline, zip-back with sash detail, broach, a gorgeous lace overlay, and chapel train.
Lace creates a decidedly feminine, romantic look and is appropriate for most weddings, regardless of how formal or informal they are.
