Mermaid

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 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 black strapless maxi dress 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!

Coordinating A Wedding Veil With Your Wedding Dress

As every bride knows, choosing the right wedding dress can go a long way towards making a wedding day even more memorable. However, finding the right wedding dress is just the beginning of this important process. For many brides, the perfect wedding veil completes the look.

It is especially important to coordinate both the dress and the veil. The veil should always complement the dress, rather than steal attention from it. Your choice of a veil may also be influenced by other factors such as your overall build, the style and length of your dress, as well as the overall look you are trying to create. Even the style of your hair can influence the size and style of veil that works best.

When coordinating a wedding veil with a dress, it does not always have to be the same color, although there are some guidelines that should be followed. If your wedding dress is white or ivory, your veil should be the same color; for example a diamond white veil will match a silk or an antique wedding dress. And if you are wearing a dark ivory colored wedding dress, a champagne colored veil will complement it well. In general, to achieve the best effect, if your dress and veil are of different shades, the veil should always be at least a shade or two lighter than the dress.

Even though there are three basic lengths of wedding veils, make sure that you choose the length that best coordinates with your gown. An elbow length veil is about 30 inches long and will look good with most gowns; it will also help draw attention to any detail at the waist of the gown. A fingertip length veil is about 36 inches long and goes best with a full length gown without a train. And a cathedral length veil, which extends up to 4 feet beyond the edge of the dress, is the most formal type of veil ?perfect for an elegant and ceremonial look.

The length of your wedding gown is also an important consideration when trying to successfully coordinate the dress and the veil. Traditionally, the bride veil should not be any longer than the wedding dress and ideally, it should be quite a bit shorter ?the only exception to this rule is if you are wearing a dress with a train. Elbow length veils or fingertip veils are both considered to be safe and acceptable choices if you are wearing a floor length wedding dress. A petite bride should not wear a veil that will only make her look smaller, such as a high bouffant veil.

Although a veil should complement a wedding dress and not clash with it, there are some occasions when it is acceptable to break the rules a bit. If your wedding gown is simple and understated, it can create a striking effect by having a lavishly decorated veil. You should try to avoid a look that clashes too much ?a romantic style wedding dress that is decorated with lots of small pearls would not go well together with a wedding veil that is decorated with sequins, for example. Some brides choose to add a touch of color to their veil ?perhaps some colored embroidery ?to complement the colors in the bouquet, or the colors of the bridesmaids.

Just as a wedding dress can be altered, a veil can be altered too. In most cases, a wedding veil is altered in order to make sure that the dress and veil coordinate well. If you are wearing the veil that your mother wore when she walked down the aisle and are concerned that it is just a little old-fashioned, don be too alarmed ?it is easy enough to have it professionally altered. The length, trim and shade of the veil can all be easily and inexpensively altered to make sure that everything is just the right match and has the desired effect. You also might want to try on several veils, to ensure that everything matches.

Birdcage veils, so-called because of the mesh that covers the top part of the head, are fashionable at the moment and will match just about any style of dress. Some birdcage veils have a rather elegant and old-fashioned look to them and coordinate particularly well with a vintage or older style dress. These veils also have either a French net, which has more of a soft elegant look to it; or a Russian net which has a scalloped edge and is a little bit more modern and trendy.

Choosing the right veil is almost as important as choosing the right wedding dress. Take the time to make sure your veil and dress match ?it will help to make your special day that much more memorable.