Wedding Dress Styles
There are five basic wedding dress styles: the column, the empire, the a-line, the mermaid and the ball gown. This article will take a look at each of these five basic styles and help you decide which style is right for you.
The Column
The column dress is a straight-line dress that flows straight downward from your neckline to your hem. Sometimes this dress is called a sheath and it tends to "hug" your body. This style of wedding dress is very popular because it will work at any kind of wedding and in any kind of location. This dress will be beautiful no matter what kind of neckline you want, what length you want the skirt to be and whether or not you want sleeves, straps or strapless.
The Empire
The empire wedding dress styles feature a waistline that is just below the bustline. The skirt flows from the high waistline down to the hem of the dress. The nice thing about the empire style is that it is very versatile and can be used for any type of wedding from the not-very to the uber formal.
The A-Line
The A-Line dress is also called the Princess dress and it features a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt. This dress doesn't usually have a waistline and, instead, has a fluid flow from top to bottom. Many brides love this dress because regardless of sleeve length, skirt length or neckline, the dress looks simple and elegant. It is also popular because it will hold up just as well in summer as it does in winter and it flatters almost every woman's body type.
The Mermaid
The mermaid style is built to hug the bride's body from her knees up through her torso and then flare out around the calves and her feet. This bridal gown is perfect for a bride who wants to accent her curves while looking sophisticated and elegant. It works well on brides who are slim, but it might not be a wise choice for someone whose lower body is wider than her upper body.
The Ball Gown
The ball gown is the style of wedding dress that any girl who has grown up loving fairy tales dreams of. It has a fitted bodice and then a full skirt that plumes out at her waistline. Many ball gown wedding dresses feature undergarments and secondary skirts to help "pouf out" the skirt of the dress.