Choosing the perfect wedding dress is one of the most exciting parts of planning your magical day, but it can feel overwhelming with so many styles, silhouettes and designs ! Choosing a Wedding gown that flatters your shape is key to finding the gown that makes you feel confident, beautiful, and like an absolute superstar !
At Be A Star Bridal, we believe every bride deserves to look and feel like the best version of herself on her wedding day. Here’s a guide to help you choose the perfect wedding gown for your shape.
1. Hourglass Shape
An hourglass figure is defined by a well-balanced bust and hips, with a defined waist. If you’re blessed with this shape, you can wear just about any wedding dress style. However, to highlight your natural curves, consider the following styles:
- Fit-and-Flare: This silhouette hugs your curves before gently flaring out, creating a smooth, flattering line.
- A-Line: The A-line dress is universally flattering for hourglass figures and will allow you to accentuate your waist while providing balance to your shape.
- Mermaid: This style fits closely through the torso and hips and then flares out around the knees, drawing attention to your curves.
Tip: Be sure to choose a dress that accentuates your waist to emphasize your natural hourglass shape.
2. Pear Shape
A pear-shaped body is characterized by a narrower upper body and wider hips and thighs. When shopping for a wedding dress, you’ll want to focus on drawing attention to your upper body while balancing your proportions.
- Ball Gown: A voluminous skirt paired with a fitted bodice will create a beautiful contrast, emphasizing your waist while giving you a regal and balanced look.
- A-Line: An A-line dress is a great choice for pear-shaped bodies, as it gently skims over the hips, balancing the proportions of your top and bottom half.
- Sweetheart Neckline: This neckline draws attention to your face and bust, adding curves to your upper body.
Tip: Look for dresses that highlight your upper body and add volume to your top half, drawing the eye upward.
3. Apple Shape
Apple-shaped figures typically have a fuller bust, narrower hips, and a less-defined waist. The goal is to create the illusion of a more balanced silhouette while enhancing your natural shape.
- Empire Waist: A dress with a high waistline that sits just under the bust will elongate your body and create a more defined waist.
- A-Line: Like with the pear shape, A-line dresses are great for apple shapes because they offer plenty of flow around the hips, making the overall shape appear more balanced.
- V-Neck: A V-neckline is perfect for elongating your neck and drawing attention to your face and shoulders.
Tip: Look for dresses that add definition under the bust while providing structure to your upper body.
4. Rectangle Shape
If you have a rectangular or athletic shape, your body is fairly straight with little definition between your bust, waist, and hips. The goal is to create curves and define your shape.
- Ball Gown: A ball gown will create the illusion of curves by adding volume to your hips and giving you an hourglass appearance.
- Fit-and-Flare: This style adds curves to a rectangular shape by hugging the body at the waist and flaring out below the hips, giving the appearance of an hourglass figure.
- Peplum: A peplum dress has a small flare around the waist, which helps create the illusion of curves and adds a feminine touch.
Tip: Look for dresses that cinch at the waist and provide volume to your hips and bust.
5. Inverted Triangle Shape
An inverted triangle shape features broad shoulders with narrower hips and waist. The goal is to balance out your proportions by softening the shoulder area while adding volume to the lower half of your body.
- A-Line: The A-line silhouette works beautifully for inverted triangle shapes by adding volume to the lower half and drawing attention away from the shoulders.
- Ball Gown: A full, voluminous skirt can help balance out a broad shoulder line, making it a great option for this body shape.
- Cap Sleeves: Cap sleeves or soft, delicate straps can soften broad shoulders while still adding structure to the upper body.
Tip: Look for dresses that add volume to your hips and waist, drawing attention away from the shoulder area.