The Perfect Dress for The Shape

Feature Story
Beka Johnson


Think your wedding dress has to be pricey for you to look great on your big day? Well, think again. The most important choice you'll make about your wedding dress should not be the prominence of its designer or the trendiness of its cut but rather the style of the dress and choosing a style that suits your body shape. Marie Hannon is a bridal gown consultant from Geneva. She gave some advice on what style suits what shape and what's in vogue in the world of bridal fashion.

Wedding Gown Styles:

• The Apple
  
  Contrary to what it suggests, having an apple figure doesn't mean you're overweight. Rather, this fruity label refers to a slightly rounded figure with hips, waist and shoulder widths of similar width, but set off by slim, toned arms and legs. Women with apple figures tend to collect weight around the middle of their bodies, leaving the waist region a bit lost.
  Thus, choosing a dress that defines an apple's waist is a must. Choosing a bodice with a lot of detailing around the bust will promote that area well."
  You should avoid dresses with fish-tail skirts as these will not bring out the best in your figure."
  While bias cuts are good for the apple, a longer-length dress like the ultra-straight column dress is an apple no-no. "It's hard to create definition between waist and hips with the column dress which is best suited to women with naturally slim waists."
• The Hourglass
  
  The hourglass figure is the closest thing to the perfect figure. Characterised by hips and shoulders of the same width and a well-defined waist, this body shape is synonymous with the classic Hollywood hot bod. "The hourglass is the most proportioned of figure types", says Marie.
  Those lucky enough to be blessed with such a 'perfect figure' will naturally be able to pull off anything. "This shape is by far the easiest to dress because virtually any style can be adapted to suit", says Marie. "You can choose to highlight your curves by wearing a fish-tail skirt which will show off your womanly shape to perfection. Alternatively, you can emphasise your bust area by wearing an empire-line top. You could also focus on your small waist region by wearing a well-fitted bodice."
  But perfect people beware: while hourglasses may have a host of physical assets to highlight, less is more. "Women with hourglass figures have many different parts of their body worthy of flaunting but they should not be tempted to go overboard and highlight them all at the same time", warns Marie. "If you try to highlight your bust, curves and waist, rather than showing off your perfect figure, having too much going on in the design will simply take the attention away from your great shape. Avoid this at all costs by focusing on one of your assets alone."

• The Pear
  
  The pear is the most common body shape in a woman. Unfortunately, it's also the hardest to dress. Dominated by a large, voluptuous lower body with large hips and a pert posterior, the pear is shapely on the bottom with a noticeably smaller top half with small shoulders and a small bust.
  "With curves on the bottom half, pear-shaped women often have a smaller bust and tend to carry any extra weight on their hips, bottom and thighs," says Marie.
  But it's not all bad news. "They may not have the same shapely curves up top as they do on their bottom halves but pears are blessed with a beautifully slim torso and small waist, something many other shapes lack."
  With a little design know-how, the imbalanced pear can achieve the proportioned look. "Because the pear has a small bust, choosing a dress or corset with a lot of detail is ideal as it creates the illusion of curves", advises Marie. "And don't hide your shoulders. Pears almost always have a terrific slender shoulder area which should be accentuated by avoiding shawl-type accessories of any kind. Pears also tend to carry very little weight on their back so showing off that svelte area is a must. A plunging back on a simple halter or ball gown dress will ensure the attention is on your slender back."
  While choosing couture that accentuates their slender top half is ideal for pears, it's important for pear-shaped women who aren't comfortable with their shape to de-emphasis their lower body. "Pears are disproportionately bigger on the bottom so choosing something that hides that is important. Empire line skirts have an unstructured waist so that it falls in a straight line past the hips and into the skirt. This is good if you're trying to avoid clinging around the bottom area. Ball gown dresses skim over the hips and thighs too. Overall though, the perfect dress for this body shape overall is an A-line deep halter dress with a low back. This highlights all of your assets."

• The Boyish Shape
  
  The antithesis to shapely pear or hourglass, the boyish shape has no curves to hide.
  "The boyish shape is typically straight up and straight now with little to no curves in between", says Marie. "Boy-shaped women have a very small bust, a small bottom with no curves, typical of the masculine shape which is the source of this shape's name. While they may have nothing to hide, a common complaint from women with this shape is that they equally have nothing to show off."
  But this is not entirely true. "Boy-shaped women tend to overlook what they do have. Not only can they eat what they like regardless of the calorie content, they are often blessed with lithe, long legs that appear to go on forever. Their shoulder area is much like the pear's with small shoulders and a well-defined bone structure."
  "Legs and tummy are the boy-shape's best friends", says Marie. "Women with this shape should accentuate their long legs as they are always very thin. Slim legs automatically look longer giving even small 'boys' the illusion of height, always a plus."
  But mini-skirts are hardly the haute couture of bridal fashion. Or are they? "Wearing a short skirt on your wedding day is not the fashion faux pas that it used to be", says Marie. "If you're having a casual ceremony or if it's your second wedding, it's particularly fashionable to wear a more casual dress or skirt and a short skirt - not too short though - is the most obvious way to show off good legs."
  But for less brave souls about to get hitched? "Wear a long, figure-hugging dress", advises Marie. "While you might think that wearing a long skirt down to your toes is only going to cover up your legs, it can actually do the opposite. Figure-hugging styles ensure that your body shape is crystal clear to onlookers."
  As with the shoulder-spectacular pears, the boyish shape should accentuate their slender shoulders and slim arms by wearing little on top. "Don't hide your best bits with a veil or shawl", she says.
  And like the pear again, the boy-woman is free to wear as much detail up top as she likes. "Detail on your neck area such as diamante make your bust area look bigger than it is, something the boy-shape needs."

Bang-on Bridal Trends

While you should keep your figure in mind when choosing your wedding dress, it's also important to consider the fashion end of things. What colors are making a splash in the wedding industry? What fabrics are taking the fashion world by storm?

• Color
  
  A white wedding may have been the norm in the past but a current trend, especially in the US, is to add a splash of color to the ceremony, starting with the dress. "People, particularly those who are having a casual ceremony, are going for color wedding dresses", says Marie. "If you want to stick with white, you can use your bridesmaids to add color. Popular shades are purples of all shades, particularly lilac and lavender a baby pink- lilac. Light blue is also making a comeback in shades from baby blue to light grey. You'll also find bridal shops are pushing the monochromatic look. For instance, you might dress your bridesmaids in the same color but in varying shades."
  But don't be tempted to overindulge in color. "It is the most important day of your life, you want to look special so there's no point in just wearing a dress that you could wear on any night out with the girls", advises Marie. "Choose something special and avoid choosing colors you wear often. You can still wear what suits you, just spice it up a little."
• Fabric
  
  One way to spice things up is by carefully choosing your fabric. "You might wear champagne-style, beige and natural colors a lot but by choosing a dressy fabric, you lend the outfit some class", says Marie. "Fabric choice for wedding dresses changes little from season to season", says Marie. "You can't get much classier than silk or satin, two fabrics which remain top buys among brides from year to year."
  That said, some fabrics are particularly popular this season. "All-over lace is a huge trend this Spring. It's very romantic which is fitting for the big day", says Marie. "Metallic fabrics are also huge. These are harder fabrics, often ruffled or crumpled, and designers are loving this new look."
  But if you don't like too much detail? Accessorize  "If you want to keep things simple, dresses with design around the bust or waist are popular. Another great option is to accessorize  Light weight fabrics, including organza, lace, chiffon and tulle, also make perfect wraps for the Spring or Summer bride and reduce sun exposure on your bare arms and shoulders."
  
  A few hints to help when you start shopping for your perfect dress. You'll be the center of attention and it'll be a memory you'll cherish forever.