When your wedding bells start ringing, the beauty bells in your head ring too. You don’t just worry about the perfect venue to host your guests as you exchange marital vows. You also worry about your wedding hairstyles, makeup, wedding dress styles, shoes, bags, accessories, and every other thing you need to appear as the showstopping bride.
From your groom to your bridal train, parents, and every other guest, all eyes will be on you. And to give them something to keep their eyes glued to you, you have to make a statement with your outfit.
You have to say you’re the bride without saying so. You have to say you’re the bride who understands the importance of a gorgeous wedding dress without opening your mouth to speak.
What better way to do that than to rock one of the dazzling wedding dress styles and revel in the spotlight as you tie the nuptial knots?
So, if your wedding day is drawing nigh, we bring to you the best wedding styles to rock on your day.
Keep reading to see all of them.
Evolution of the Wedding Dress Styles for the Trendy Bride
Wedding dresses have experienced a tremendous change in the last 100 years. Back then in the 1910s, brides wore floor-length loose dresses for easy movement.
Then in the 1920s, brides began to wear lacy veils and added pearls to their white dresses that looked like flappers. In the 1930s, silk and rayon became the trending fabrics while the 1940s saw slim-fit, high-neck long-sleeved wedding gowns.
Then came the ball gowns and strapless necklines during the 50s. And in the 1960s, bridal dresses became slimmer. In the 70s, sleeves became bigger as many brides rocked gowns with mutton sleeves and the likes.
But when the 80s came, brides dumped sleeves and fell in love with the strapless neckline. They also rocked dresses with a tighter silhouette.
Then the 90s strutted in and brides got tired of the strapless trend. They wanted the sleeves back and they got it, this time around with a flirty feel to their dresses.
In the aught of the 21st century, brides decided to diversify their flowing wedding gowns. And that brought about a tight bodice with an A-line cut garnishes with embroidery.
Photo Credit: Insider
Wedding Dress Styles Today
Today, brides are wearing dresses that suit their style whether it comes with sleeves or not. The two things bridal dresses of today have in common are the fabrics and embellishments.
From tulles to netting, lace, silk, detailed sleeves, plunging necklines, etc., wedding dress styles of this age keep evolving.
For instance, as at the time of writing this piece, brides now wear convertible wedding gowns that come with detachable details. And when you take these details off, you see a jumpsuit or a midi/ankle-length straight dress underneath.
The idea behind these convertible wedding dress styles is to help brides save money and ensure they wear their wedding gowns more than once. So, if you get a convertible wedding dress, you can wear it anywhere, anytime you feel like wearing white. It’s the flowing attachment you’ll not wear again and not the wedding dress as a whole.
You can also use the attachment to make another dress for yourself or your daughter when she arrives.
These dual-purpose wedding gowns are economical. And you can easily buy or rent them without having to wear them only once in your lifetime.
You should also consider what’s in vogue. Brides of today feel comfortable wearing what they choose so long as it suits (and elevates) their personal style. You too should do the same.
Perfect Wedding Dress Necklines for Every Bride
Any wedding dress style you go for must have a flattering neckline that complements your silhouette.
The common necklines for wedding dresses include:
1. Sweetheart
The shape of this neckline resembles the top of a heart. It accentuates your cleavages especially if your breasts aren’t too big. But if you are busty, you can go for a semi-sweetheart or illusion neckline to prevent your bust from popping out.
2. Plunging
This neckline is for edgy and daring brides. As the name implies, it plunges own to expose your chest while elongating your torso.
It’s a great option if you want to flash your skin. But if you wouldn’t want that part to be bare, you can add a translucent fabric like tulle or lace to cover your skin and add more details while your neckline plunges downwards.
3. Asymmetrical
This style has one strap that runs across one shoulder, leaving the other bare. Wear a wedding dress with this neck cut to shuffle attention between your face and shoulders.
4. Strapless
This one has no sleeves and is perfect for flaunting your beautiful shoulders on your day.
5. Off-Shoulder
The Bardot wedding dress neckline is also perfect for framing your shoulders and collarbones especially as the sleeves drape below your shoulders.
6. Illusion
This wedding dress neckline has a soft, sheer fabric sewn from the top of your bodice to the base of your neck or over your shoulders.
It helps to create an illusion of bare skin (like a strapless dress) on the upper part of your bodice.
Other types of wedding dress necklines include Queen Anne, portrait, high neckline, scoop, Sabrina, etc. To know more about them, read up our guide on the types of necklines for women’s dresses.
Types of Wedding Dress Silhouettes
Now that you know the necklines for wedding dresses, it’s time to see the silhouettes wedding dress styles mostly come in.
They include:
A-line
This is one of the most popular wedding dress styles. It’s usually fitted until it gets to the waist and then extends into the shape of the letter A.
This style is perfect for pear-shaped or hourglass brides as it cinches your waist. And if you’re a petite lady, it can heighten your stature with its slimming effect.
Ball Gown
This style is usually fitted at the waist but extends into a full skirt. It comes with much drama that adds more accents to your lower body.
If you have an hourglass figure, don’t wear this style on your wedding day. You should frame and flaunt your hips for the world to see and not hide them under some voluminous clothing.
Also, this style can make you look larger than you look. And if you already are plus-size, try to avoid it.
Trumpet
This wedding gown style is fitted through the body but flares out at the mid-thigh. It’s in between a mermaid and an A-line cut.
If you’re petite, hourglass, or slender, and want to flaunt your curves, go for it.
Mermaid
This style is fitted from the chest to the knees and flares out almost at the knees. It’s great for emphasizing your waist and hips rather than narrowing it.
Sheath
This wedding dress style has no waist seam. It’s a straight-cut dress that is often nipped at the waistline. As such, it frames the contours of your body without defining your waist.
Jumpsuit
May not be a dress per se but brides wear this one-pieces garment to exchange marital vows on their day. It’s a fashion-forward alternative to a wedding gown.
Slip
Slip wedding dresses mostly come in silk or duchess fabrics. It’s minimal yet sophisticated and suitable for any bride.
How to Pick the Best Wedding Dress Styles for Your Body Type
Before you set out to buy or rent a wedding dress, do your research and know what’s available in stores. You should also consider what’s in vogue and while at that, you have to ensure it suits your body type.
You want all things to work together for your good on your wedding day, and as such, you have to pay attention to every detail.
If you read our style guide on how to dress for your body type, you’ll see that there are four main body types: apple, pear, hourglass, and rectangle.
Let’s see the wedding dress styles that suit each body type.
Hourglass
The hourglass bride has a well-defined waist with wide hips and big busts. If this is your body type, you need to show off your curves.
Therefore, avoid anything that makes your lower body look bigger. Instead, go for flattering silhouettes that frame your body such as a mermaid dress with a plunging, sweetheart, or any low neckline.
Apple
For the apple-shaped bride, your upper body is larger than your lower body. It isn’t balanced like that of the hourglass. So, avoid dresses that take attention to your waistline. Also, avoid high necklines as they can make your chest look so busy.
Instead, go for A-line and other styles that flow through the waist and give you an illusion of a curvy body.
Pear
If you’re pear-shaped, you have a well-defined waist and your hips are larger than your upper body. So, go for fitted wedding dress styles that flatter your silhouette. Mermaid, A-line, and trumpet, for instance, will look good on you.
Rectangle
If this is your body type, then your hips, shoulders, and waist all fall within the same width. In other words, you’re straight with no definition.
You shouldn’t wear a mermaid, trumpet, or straight-cut wedding dress. It’ll highlight your straight shape and won’t be flattering.
Instead go for A-line, ball gowns, and well-detailed dresses that add more accents to your lower body and take the attention there.
Final Words: Your Wedding Dress Goes Beyond White
Picking a dress for your wedding goes beyond the white wedding dress you wear to church. You also have to consider what you’ll wear to your traditional marriage, court wedding, and even your wedding reception.
See each of these occasions as an opportunity to express your style and don’t shy away from it.
But you must remember, all these won’t matter if you don’t wear a good hairstyle that complements your wedding dress.
The bottom line? Prepare your bridal look from head to toe and don’t fail to accessorize with hair accessories and jewels too.
