9 Styles Of Wedding Gowns For Every Body

The search for the perfect wedding gown is one of those things that a lot of people have seemingly invested a lot of thought and emotion, years before the actual hunt begins. Even if you aren’t a dreamer, you might have still given some thought to the day or the idea of your wedding. Those of you who have daydreaming tendencies, where your imaginations sounds out this picture that you have in your head, will have certainly imagined yourself walking down the aisle at least once. And unless it’s one of those horrible nightmares where you suddenly find yourself in nothing but a veil and all the aisle row guests are your worst high-school bullies, you will have had certain rosy tinted images in your head. In today’s parlance, that would translate to having an instagram filter, I suppose. #Bride, as it were.

But when it gets down to actually looking for a dress, a lot of people seemingly have no idea of what is there in the market. Armed only with pop culture references and vague memories of old Disney movies, a lot of you will go marching to the shops with full confidence. We would advise you to hold your horses, you bridal carriage is getting waylaid by the common sense gang. Before you play the trumpet that will collect friends and other helpers to join you in your search, why not do some research on what kind of wedding gown you would want, and which one would be ideal for your body type.

Customarily, a bride would want to look her absolutely smashing best on her wedding day. Entirely apart from your face and what is sure to be a beatific smile, the other element that will attract a lot of attention and scrutiny is your wedding gown. As you will be in the limelight for the majority of the function, you will have a lot of eyes on you. If you are not sure of what wedding gown would go with your body type, then let’s get into a small discussion about the different types of gowns available. This is with an aim of better understanding the different silhouettes of the various gowns, so that we can know which one will suit your profile best. Scroll on for an easy breakdown of the different types.

1. Ballgown

Image: Shutterstock

Also referred to as the Fairy-tale wedding gown, and sometimes as the Cinderella Wedding Dress, the ball gown style of wedding gowns is a classic statement of old-world class and nobility. They are most often coupled with fitted bodices and usually flare outwards in a cloud of fabric from the hips. The extravagant look is bursting with a sense of drama and more than usual glamour. Pear shape body types especially love this type of gown, as it looks fabulous on them since they come with fitted waists, and hence hides the lower body. In fact, it looks good on most body types, except for smaller ones. Petite body types can possibly feel lost as their figure is overwhelmed by the billowing mass of fabric.

2. A-Line

Image: Varun-Suresh-Photography

A wonderful choice for most blushing brides, this fabulous style will suit almost anybody. A-Line wedding gowns are especially very flattering for those people with more top heavy frames. The natural shape of this gown always helps with concealing that bit of bulging tummy. The fitted bodice goes through the waist and then flows down to the ground level. The outline of the dress, and its profile resembles an ‘A’. An easy and approachable gown for most people, they look particularly good if your body shape is that of an inverted triangle. Also known as the Princess style wedding dress, it is an extremely adaptable style and is a wonderful choice for almost all brides.

3. Modified A-Line

Image: Shutterstock

The Modified A-Line is just a shade different from the normal A-Line gown, the fitted bodice hugs the stomach and the hips, beginning to gradually flare outwards toward the hem and thus forming the titular ‘A’ shape. The modified A-Line gown hugs the figure more than a normal one, the skirt fits closer to the figure. It is an ideal gown for all body types.

4. Mermaid

Image: Shutterstock

The Mermaid gown type is a dress that will leave you looking like some sylvan faerie creature that is flitting through underwater woods. It hugs the figure all the way from the chest, following the contours of your body, to the knee and then flares magnificently outwards. This is apparently the single hottest choice you could make for a wedding gown, if you aren’t afraid to show off your curves. Thus, it is the foremost choice for those with frames that are more slender, or for those who have those idealised hourglass figures. Sadly, it reportedly doesn’t go very well with the lines of apple body types and for women who are plus size.

5. Trumpet

Image: Shutterstock

Trumpet style wedding gowns are fitted to the body until mid-thigh and then flairs outward. The cut would fall between the modified A-Line and the mermaid style gowns. They are the best choice for brides with leaner frames that have small waists. Hourglass, petite and banana body types would look spectacular in this dress. Conversely, since it highlights the stomach and the hips, they are not as suitable for pear and apple body types.

6. Empire

Image: Shutterstock

Attire that has the crucially classic quality that so many others miss, Empire wedding gowns are extremely flattering for almost anybody and any body type. They traditionally tend to have high waistlines with the seams starting just underneath the line of the bust, with the rest of the fabric falling gracefully to the earth. As stated before, they are flattering for almost every type of body, but look particularly flattering on people with inverted triangle body types, apple and pear body types. Brides who are slimmer than usual will love it because of the cut and as they are also one of the most comfortable types of wedding gowns around.

7. Sheath

Image: Shutterstock

The Sheath wedding gown is also referred to sometimes as the Column dress. It is a long, vertically-inclined dress that goes the entire nubile length of the body. It does not flair out at all, going pretty much straight down from the shoulders to the floor. They have smaller hemlines unlike the more expansive ones of A-Line, Ballgown and Empire gowns. Body-hugging in the extreme, this style of wedding gown is usually best suited for those with slimmer bodies and for those with narrower frames. It works well with shorter and more petite brides as well, as it seems to elongate the frame. Almost knife-like in profile, it is sure to cut the tension while creating its own.

8. Tea-Length

Image: Shutterstock

Almost similar to an A-Line style gown, a Tea-Length wedding gown shares many of the same features. Fitted till the waist, it then starts to flair out at the hips, but there differs from the A-Line in that the hemline of the skirt falls between the knee and the ankle, and consequently it is an ideal choice for every type of body.

9. Mini

Image: Shutterstock

Mini wedding gowns usually hug the figure till the waist and then flair out, but as the name mini suggests, the skirts falls above the knee. Perfect if you have long statuesque legs that you like showing off, this dress will have you looking spectacular. It is also ideal for those with a banana body type and would also look good on more petite brides. This look is not suggested for plus size brides.

Wedding Gown Trains

Image: Shutterstock

Now that you have a better understanding of the different types of gowns out there, let’s go into the different kinds of trains that you can get for your gowns. Even if you don’t particularly like the idea of a train, you can at least see how it will go with your overall profile, after all it’s not like you get married every day. Trains always manage to add a dash of extra formality and majesty to any wedding function. Lending an ephemeral air to brides who wear them with their gowns, trains can help differentiate you from the rest of the masses. It is always good to take a bit of a walk or a lap up and down the aisle in practice to see how the fabric drapes and falls behind you, ensure that you feel comfortable with it on, you’re going to have to deal with it for at least a couple of hours. Even if you feel like throwing something at somebody, grin and bear with it, there are good things waiting in the wings. To give you larger picture, let’s go into a quick discussion of some of the more popular types of trains that you can have.

1. Sweep

Known as the brush, this train is a foot and a half long and barely touches the ground. Gaining in popularity in the 21^st century, it is the go-to choice for minimalist brides who want the pros of having a train without any of the hassle of something that is too overt. Certainly the choice for weddings that have a more casual tone, they will allow you a lot of movement.

2. Court

A court train is very similar to a sweep train, with the only difference being that it extends not from the hemline but rather from the waistline. This subtle change is enough to drastically change the profile of the dress. Make sure you get a look at yourself from different angles so that you can adjust the fall as you want.

3. Panel

A panel train is actually a separate panel of cloth that is usually approximately a foot wide which is separate from the rest of the gown. Traditionally detachable, they can be adjusted to any desired length. The best part about these trains is that they can be added to almost any dress, as it can be made and adjusted for at any point.

4. Watteau

An elegant train from a more civilised age, the Watteau train is worn starting from the shoulders and running down the drapes of the dress all the way to the hemline of the skirt. Almost Grecian in its feel, this train gives you a singular look that is quite hard to match and almost impossible to beat. It is also an amazing alternative for brides who don’t want to obscure their hair but still desire the long, river-like veil.

5. Chapel

Considered to be the epitome for more traditional tastes, it is also arguably one of the most popular styles. Chapel trains extends to a length of anywhere between three and a half to four and a half feet, starting always at the waist. They capture the dramatic appeal of monumentally long trains without taking that step forward into being plain unwieldy. They are usually bustled up for the rest of function and the reception, and some even come with the option of being detachable.

6. Cathedral

Take a chapel train, give it a completely unnecessary confidence boost, and access to little fairy tailors who come and work at night, and you get a cathedral train. With a total length of over six feet, they can also go up to an impressive seven and a half feet. Formal in the extreme, they are usually most presentable with an equally long veil to match. Try on a lot of options to get the feel, it’s going to be quite a task to deal with it.

7. Monarch

Aptly named, monarch trains are anything over twelve feet extending from the waist. An opulent and extravagant option, they usually require the aid of a few helpers whose sole job it will be too lift and help guide the massive length of fabric. The lovely and late Princess Diana wore the monarch train that went up to a legendary length of twenty five feet.