The BATTLE of the waist lines : Dropped waist wedding gowns vs Empire waist wedding gowns

The number one most important thing about a wedding gown: it must be flattering!! The gown could be utterly breathtaking in its artistry and craftsmanship but if it doesn't flatter the bride wearing it, it might as well be a dirty burlap potato sack.  A lot of people fall in love with a gown based on how it looks on the model or how it looks on the mannequin and then refuse to accept that it doesn't look the same way on them. This is BRIDAL DENIAL!  {giggle}   Case in point the dropped waist ball gown and dropped waist A-line. These gowns only look good on a select few people, at least 90% of those select few people are models whose job it is to make the gowns look good.  But for some reason brides cant seem to resist buying this gown.  I tried on a dropped waist ball gown by Casablanca and even though I am 5ft 11",  I looked like I'd shrunk into an oompa loompa.. seriously.
At the royal wedding of Zara Phillips {grand daughter to Queen ELizabeth} she also wore a dropped waist gown.. you be the judge


Moral of the story: these gowns are difficult to pull off; you've got to be tall or atleast have long legs to balance out the long torsos of this type of gown.
I love Kenneth Pool, I adore the bold yet delicate crystal detailing he uses on most of his gowns, but I'm pretty sure this love is not mutual because Kenneth Pool has a sworn love for the style I like the least: The dropped waist ball gown. Below are some of the gowns from his collection.

Casablanca


                                                             Casablanca


                                                                                             Pnina Tornai



And while we are on the subject of waist lines, the other increasingly popular trend is the high waist ball gown. Some of these are quite deceiving because they appear to sit at the natural waist but are actually empire waists in disguise. I love empire waist garments especially for floating summer dresses and shirts, but when it comes to wedding dresses, empire waists can be hard to pull off too. The best empire waist gowns are fitted gowns or floaty destination dresses such as this Vera Wang WHITE dress.




On the other hand, empire waist ball gowns can be a little trickier depending on how wide the ball gown is. The perfect example would be the Galina T3039 shown below.  I love this  gown and I'm not too bothered that its a copy of a more expensive dress. But when worn with a crinoline this gown is just not that flattering on most brides especially from the side view.



My favourite natural waist/high waist ball gowns are  by Amsale. Their ball gowns are just to die for, especially the ones that have pockets. The main thing with this style is to avoid the skirt looking too wide and poofy.

xoxo

Back to the basics

I think its safe to say that most people hate doing homework, but when it comes to bridal gown shopping, doing your homework is an an absolute must if you want to have a hassle-free experience. Chapter 2 of the gown shopping survival guide is all about research, research and more research, in an economy like this it makes perfect sense to conserve time and money by being a well informed buyer. Past article collections like Silhouettes simplified,  Fabricated,   Bridal Necklines 101, and Body Conscious Bride  are an excellent place to start, and here is quick summary of the basic information a bride needs to have before beginning gown shopping


SILHOUETTES SIMPLIFIED

• A-line - Classic and most commonly worn style.  Skirt flares out from the waist literally forming the shape of an A.

                                        Maggie Sottero A-line

• Ball gown-  Large full skirt joined to a fitted bodice, usually worn at formal weddings


                                                         Justin Alexander Ball gown

• Dropped waist- Waist line is lower than natural waist, often combined with an A-line or ball gown

Casablanca dropped waist

• Empire waist- Waist line is much higher than the natural waist, usually has a free flowing skirt, excellent for destination weddings

Mori Lee Empire Waist

• Fit and flare- Fitted sheath dress that gradually flares out in a trumpet shape. It resembles a combination of a dropped waist A-line and a modified mermaid

Galina Signature by Davids bridal fit and flare

• Mermaid- Fitted gown with a full skirt that flares out from around the knees or upper thigh. Its different from a fit and flare in that, the skirt is fuller, the fullness starts higher up and the shape is more defined. Usually there is seam where the skirt joins the bodice.

Vera Wang mermaid gown

FABRICATED
Fabrics really make all the difference. One main mistake that a lot of brides make is decide they hate a certain fabric based on one dress they've seen in that fabric.  Most fabric have an expensive silk version and a cheaper synthetic version.  I cant count the number of brides who've told me how much they hate taffeta because they tried on a cheap taffeta prom dress that was crunchier than burnt toast, but after being introduced to luxe silk taffeta fell deeply in love with it!

• Satin-  Glossy or matte high sheen fabric. Pros: drapes well, catches the light, glides smoothly. Cons: stains easily, very shiny, heavy weight, wrinkles easily

The very popular Adorae by Sottero & Midgely in Demir stretch satin

• Tulle- Light weight net fabric. Pros: Floaty, light weight, adds bulk to full skirts. Cons: Delicate and rips easily, Has the tendency to look cheap and childish

Amsale Tulle skirt

• Lace- Intricate woven patterned fabric. Pros: Interesting textured look  Cons: Tendency to look dated, delicate

Jim Hjelm

• Chiffon- Sheer crêpe -like fabric. Pros: light weight, floaty, wrinkle resistant, excellent for outdoor destination weddings. Cons: Tendency to look casual

Romona Keveza silk chiffon

• Taffeta- Crisp firm high sheen fabric. Excellent for structured gowns. Pros: drapes well and maintains its shape, great for bows and floral applique. Cons: cheaper versions of this fabric can be too hard and crunchy.

                                                            Angelina Faccenda taffeta bodice


• Shantung Affectionately dubbed the love child of satin and taffeta: high sheen crisp fabric. Pros: high sheen luxe look. Cons: Heavy weight.

                                                                                            Christos Silk Shantung
• Organza- Light weight soft net, shinier and silkier than tulle. Over used as an overlay or bottom layer for gowns. Pros: light weight Cons: Tendency to look rubbery.

Mori Lee Blu organza

Stay stylish and stay tuned

xoxo