Best Wedding Dress for Your Body Type

During my high school years, there was one show that I watched religiously with my mom every week: Project Runway. Week after week, nothing else seemed to matter during that hour of the show as my mom and I sat spellbound watching these designers make beautiful and unique outfits out of literally garbage sometimes. I believe this is when my artistic and creative side first ignited and I can partially thank Austin Scarlett for this. Austin was a finalist, as well as my favorite designer on the first season. He is most notably remembered for his eccentric personality and for producing a fashionable gown designed entirely out of cornhusks. Today he works for the New York-based bridal-design house Amsale as a Creative Director of its luxury bridal collection. So when asked to research the best wedding dresses for every body type, I obviously consulted his expertise and this is what I came up with:

A-line Dresses:

A-line dresses are fitted around the upper body and flow outward resembling the shape of an A. Scarlet describes a-line wedding dresses as the most flattering of all because they hide flaws and do not require too much excess fabric. If you’re full-figured bride, an a-line dress will help lengthen your body without drawing too much attention to your waistline. Also an empire waist will cover up your waist and hips. For brides with sexy curves, show them off with a modified a-line. A-line dresses are also perfect for petite figures because once again, the style lengthens the body.




Ball Gown Dresses:

A ball gown dress is for those who want to skip the last minute crash diet to squeeze into their dress. This dress compliments small waist lines while hiding those last ten pounds you’ve been meaning to lose. This dress is perfect for pear-shaped brides. Petite brides should stay away from this design because it could make you look “bottom heavy”. You don’t want the dress to look like it’s wearing you instead of the other way around. For those brides that are larger through their hips, Scarlett says a “flat front ball gown” is best. This dress is smooth in the front and fully pleated in the back. For those tall, skinny brides hoping to look like a fairy-tale princess, a ball gown is a perfect match.




Sheath Dresses:

This dress flows from the neckline straight down to the hemline with a very slim shape. Sheath dresses are perfect for both tall and petite brides. This dress is not good for hiding many body flaws. Scarlett suggests soft sheaths for slender figures and constructed sheaths for curvy brides.




Trumpet and Mermaid Dresses:

Trumpet and mermaid wedding dresses are fitted against the body and flare out towards the bottom. These styles are excellent for the confident bride who wants to show off her sexy figure. While this dress is normally worn by slender women with small hips, it’s perfect for any bride who wishes to flaunt her curves.




To read the full article about dresses from Austin Scarlett as well as his do’s and don’ts for every body type, please follow this link below:

http://weddings.ivillage.com/bridalfashion/0,,c1rnz2kc,00.html

Pictures courtesy of Allure, Jasmine, and Mori Lee Bridal. These collections can be found at the Bridal House, Charlotte NC.