Bustle back
Choosing Your Perfect Wedding Dress Silhouette
Il admit it: Even though there are, at last count, 4,386 reality shows that share the premise that fashion is the most important thing in the whole universe, I hadn really been paying attention.
So when I started shopping for my wedding dress, I had some catching up to do. My saleswoman started throwing new and faintly terrifying terms at me. I thought about just trying to fake it, but I became increasingly sure that if I said the wrong thing a trap door would open up under my feet and send me tumbling down a long, greasy Chute of Shame. At the bottom would be Anna Wintour, and Tyra Banks, waiting to confiscate my Girl Card.
I dove in with hand gestures instead: want it to sort of?go up here?And then maybe like this??The saleswoman cocked her head at me like the RCA dog and took a moment to consider pressing the silent alarm, then suggested I look through the racks a bit.
To save you from that particular modest clothing for girls slice of pre-wedding embarrassment, here a quick rundown of basic wedding dress silhouettes.
A-line
Youe probably worn an A-line dress at some point. (If you haven, give one a try! Theye flattering on just about any figure.) Some flare out gently from the shoulder, creating kind of an overall letter A shape, and other versions flare out from the waist with a more fitted bodice. Either way, youl look terrific.
Ball gown
Youe seen these on most animated princesses. A ball gown has a closely fitted bodice, then poofs out into a very full, bell-shaped skirt that is usually floor-length. The waistline may dip down into a V, and may sit higher or lower on the hips, depending on your preference.
Ballerina
This is a less common wedding dress style, and youe probably already guessed how it looks. Like the ball gown, a ballerina dress has a fitted bodice and a skirt that poofs out from the waistline, but in this case there more of a tutu effect, with the skirt hitting about mid-calf. Youl be working with very light, floaty fabrics in lots and lots of layers, and there may be some petticoat action.
Bustle back
When seen from the side, this dress has an S-shaped silhouette that was popular from the 1890s through the 1910s or so, when folks liked to (demurely) emphasize the fact that Baby had back. Youl see either a big bow-style decoration or maybe even an extra bunch of fabric in back. Some women automatically freak at the idea of emphasizing the badonk, but I think bustles are classic and fun.
Empire
This confusingly named waistline actually starts just below the bust, and then the dress drops straight down, or close to it. Youe seen these in Jane Austen adaptations like Emma and Sense and Sensibility. Ie read alleged experts who say that empire dresses look best on slender women and others who say they look best on full-figured women. Me, I think they give all women a little-girl look, which may or may not be your bag. So forget the experts and just go by whether or not you like them.
Mermaid
A mermaid dress will give you a shapely silhouette without being inappropriately sexy for a wedding dress. The dress hugs your curves from your bust to your hips, then flares out at the knee to create a fishtail effect. (That looks way better than it sounds.) Mermaid dresses can be strikingly beautiful, but because they are fitted so closely, they may not be good for ceremonies in which you have to kneel. You may even have some trouble sitting down if your dress is very form-fitting, so consider changing into another outfit for your reception.
Princess
In this case, youe going for a grown-up princess instead of a Grimm. Think Grace Kelly. This dress is less close-fitting than a mermaid or sheath, but still follows your natural curves. The bodice has vertical panels of fabric and then the skirt flares out gently. This is an elegant style that brings out the inner stone-cold fox in most women.
Sheath
Like mermaid dresses, sheath dresses are very form-fitting. In this case, though, your guests get to see your feet as well as your curves. A sheath dress will be clingy from shoulder (or bust, if youe going strapless) to hem, with no flaring out. It looks like an evening gown ?one that really hugs your body, so make sure youe feeling bold. And, as with the mermaid, make sure youe not feeling like sitting down or kneeling.
Slip
This is an elegant style that is usually kept very simple. It a slinky fall of satin (or satiny material) that clings to your body. Slip dresses are often cut on a bias, with shoestring shoulder straps.
A final word on fashion xperts?br /> Ie seen a lot of expert commentary on how women should dress to look their best lately, and Il just say this: Many of these people are well-intentioned men and women who love, love, love women and their bodies.
But many of them aren.
Some love clothes but don like women, and some only like very tall skinny women, and some sincerely mean to love women but are carrying around great big laundry baskets full of issues, and some of them like to lash out at anyone who might be an easy target because they secretly don like themselves and being snarky reassures them that theye superior to somebody.
Some of them are people who just need to fill that magazine issue and sell some ads and are terrified of doing anything different from the last 117 issues lest someone else get mad or make fun of them. And some people just can stand it when not everyone conforms to their idea of what looks good.
My point is that you may want to take expert advice with a grain of salt, and maybe the whole shaker. Some fashion experts can be positive and wonderful, and some can really mess with your head, whether they mean to or not. By all means, read or watch them, but if youe starting to feel worse about yourself as you do, pull out. The most useful fashion experts are the ones who start with the premise that youe a babe and then work to help you become the most fabulous version of yourself.
And, in the end, your instincts trump them too. If a dress breaks all the rules but makes you feel absofreakinglutely amazing, that The One.
Good luck, Gorgeous. Happy shopping!
How To Choose Homecoming Dresses For 2012
If you are a style savvy fashionista, then you know that it is never too early to start shopping for homecoming dresses 2012. When it comes to homecoming this year, you have your own unique set of goals in terms of fashion, social events, and who's who for your network of companions. You have a lot on your mind this year, and you know that you can't do any of it without looking just right. While you begin looking for homecoming dresses, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed by the process. Here we provide a simple guide to choosing the best evening dresses or homecoming dresses for your big night.
The first thing you want to do when you are looking at or considering homecoming dresses is to choose the color that best works with you. It is much easier to choose the color that you want first, rather than sifting through all of the styles that you like to find one that has the color palette you are looking for. For homecoming dresses 2012, you will do well to stick with the color palette that works with your skin tone and with the season. This year, gem stone colors are hotter than ever, and there are few ladies that can't find something in this gorgeous palette to match their skin tone. Gem stone shades are bright colors that pop beautifully in photographs and are being worn by all of the hottest celebrities in evening dresses on the red carpets. Gem stone shades to look for in homecoming dresses include aquamarine, emeralds, jade, purples, and bright bold fuschias.
You then need to decide what length of dress you are looking for. Do you want to be a little bold and go with a cocktail length dress? Or perhaps something even shorter? Maybe you want to be the homecoming queen, and if this is the case you will need to ensure you have a stunning floor length ball gown to match your gorgeous crown. In homecoming dresses 2012 there are no rules when it comes to hemlines, which will make it that much more difficult for you to choose. Once you decide which length you are looking for, choosing the right dress in the right color will be easy as pie.
Necklines will be your next consideration, and again, this year's trends are easy to go by. Sweetheart necklines are still very popular, and do well to emphasize the neckline and minimize the bust area. As well, strapless is an excellent way to go if the temps are warmer on your end. Another trend this year is the Grecian trend, which is featured by a one shoulder neckline that offers tea length prom dresses you a stunning Grecian inspired silhouette.
When it comes to homecoming dresses 2012 this year, you are only limited by your imagination. First you want to choose the color of your dreams, then your hemline, and from there you can choose from a huge selection of dresses with the neckline that meets all of your requirements.
