The Secret of Dressing

Transcription

1 The Secret of Dressing Your Body Type By Angela Fiebelkorn

2 The Secret of Dressing Your Body Type By Angela Fiebelkorn This.pdf edition published on Republished on Republished on Republished on A portion of this work was first published in 2008 on Copyright Angela Fiebelkorn, The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Use of this document on a non-commercial, no-charge basis is allowed on internet blogs as long as full credit is given to the author with a link to All other uses must be approved in writing by Angela Fiebelkorn, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Please contact by at customerservice@theweddingexpert.ca. 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 2

3 The Secret of Dressing Your Body Type You are getting married. You are excited. You dream about looking beautiful as you walk down the aisle. It s all about The Dress. But as you inspect your dream to see what you are wearing, it kind of fades away. What will you wear and how will you choose your wedding gown? There are thousands of websites with many wedding dress designs. There are hundreds of bridal magazines full of thousands of wedding dresses. How do you choose? Define Your Shape The first thing to consider is your body shape. Are you an hourglass? A spoon? A ruler? A cone? Your body shape will not change if you are planning to lose weight before your wedding day. You will only be a size or two smaller in the same body shape. Consider: What style dresses do you look best in now? What necklines suit you best? What skirts do you look best in? What style clothing works best with your upper torso (neck to waist)? or your lower torso (waist to feet)? Creating Balance When wearing a gown, you want to have balance between your upper and lower torso. If the upper torso is larger than the lower torso, you want to elongate the upper torso. You do this through the neckline (V as opposed to box-neck), the bodice style (a vertical design), and possibly through a drop waist in the skirt. Your lower torso would best be served through a fuller skirt, bringing more width to the lower half of your body. If your lower torso is larger than the upper torso, you want to broaden the upper torso through a wider neckline, or off the shoulder style bodice. The bodice itself can have a style and embellishments that "fill up" the space of your upper body. Your skirt should skim the hips comfortably, and drape straight down to give your lower half a more slender look. 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 3

4 An Hourglass Figure An hourglass figured woman has a bust, defined waist, curvy hips and shapely legs. Her bone structure is small, and sometimes she has a big buttock. This type has curves, so it is best to show them off. Because of the defined waist of this body type, choose a wedding dress style that draws attention to the waist. Your dress should be semi-fitted (as opposed to too tight or too baggy). An A-line dress with (or without) a dropped waist would suit and hourglass figure beautifully. A more dramatic style would be a mermaid or trumpet style dress. A sweetheart neckline would show off the bust very nicely. DON T: a ball gown or empire-waist. Maggie Sottero Wedding Dress Patience Strapless bodice Sweetheart neckline Defined waist A-line skirt with train This dress suits an hourglass figured woman. Notice the bodice---semi-fitted with ruching to disguise any imperfections in the body shape. The defined waist shows off the curves in this style. The A-line skirt maintains the balance between the upper and lower torso. Sottero and Midgley Wedding Dress VSM7009 Spaghetti shoulder straps Fitted bodice Dropped waist This dress also suits an hourglass figured woman. Note the dropped waist on this dress that works to show off the curves classic styling for an hourglass figure. The upper and lower torso is balanced. 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 4

5 Maggie Sottero Wedding Dress Ashtyn Sweetheart neckline Fitted waist Trumpet or mermaid skirt The hourglass figure has curves, and it suits this body type to show off those curves. The key thing to remember is that the upper and lower torso must look balanced. You can also choose to have sleeves, but ensure they keep the look balanced. A Spoon (Pear) Shaped Figure A spoon shape figured woman is small and slender through the neck, shoulders and bust, has a shapely waist, and is fuller in the lower hips and thighs. When choosing a wedding gown, you want a full skirt that de-emphasizes your hips, and a semi-fitted or tailored bodice that shows off your small top-half. The neckline can be wider to help broaden your shoulders and bring balance to the full skirt. A basque waist, strapless ball gown, or an empire waist dress style is the best bet for a spoon shaped figure. DON T: mermaid or trumpet style dress. Bonny Essence Bridal Gown 8803 Fitted bodice Sweetheart neckline Ball gown skirt Pickup overlay over the ball gown skirt The pear shaped bride wants to show off the upper torso and her shapely waist. The full skirt deemphasizes her larger hips. 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 5

6 Maggie Sottero Wedding Dress Benecia Fitted bodice Basque waist Full skirt The pear-shaped bride has a smaller top and a larger lower torso. The fitted bodice shows off the upper torso giving it a wider look, and the basque waist flatters the hips. The full skirt takes emphasis away from the lower torso. Bonny Bridal Gown 719 Fitted bodice Wide neckline Empire waist Full skirt This dress has the fitted bodice and the bare shoulders gives a wider look to the upper torso. The empire waist brings the attention to the upper torso, and the full skirt flairs out over the hips to give a smooth balanced look. 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 6

7 Ruler (Straight) Shaped Figure A ruler shaped woman has an upper and lower torso that is equal in width. She has an average bust, an undefined waist, a flat buttock, and slender legs. When choosing a wedding gown, you want to aim for lengthening your upper torso. This can be done through a neckline that falls below your collarbone to help elongate the neck, or by having a drop waist skirt. Your skirt is best in a straight style, as it will slenderize your look. Avoid gathered or pleated fabric at the waist. An empire waist gown will give you a long, lean look. DON T: Princess line, or basque waist will draw too much attention to the waist. Maggie Sottero Wedding Dress Erin V neckline to elongate the upper torso Wrap bodice ending at the drop waist elongates the upper torso Straight skirt style to accentuate the slender body shape This dress works really well to elongate the upper torso while maintaining slender but shapely body image. Destinations by Maggie Sottero Wedding Dress SD3008 Plunging neckline elongates the upper torso Empire waist with the straight skirt emphasizes the long lean look that works beautifully with this body shape. 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 7

8 A Cone (Inverted triangle) Shaped Figure A cone shaped woman has a broader top and a narrower bottom. Broad shoulders, a medium bust, an average waist, narrow hips, and shapely long legs are all attributes of the cone shaped figure. When choosing a wedding gown, you want to aim for balancing out your top and bottom halves. Choose a full skirt to balance the width of your shoulder. Your neckline should elongate you, like a deep V-neck. You don t want a neckline that makes your shoulders look broader, and you must stay away from off the shoulder style bodices. The bodice style and neckline should both work to elongate your upper torso, with a vertical style. A ball gown style, or an A-line silhouette would both look great on this figure. DON T: Sheath style dress, spaghetti straps. Raylia Wedding Dress "Hope" W7429HC Plunging V neckline and bodice elongates the upper torso Halter style pulls the eye to give the illusion of narrow shoulders A-line skirt continues the long, lean look Maggie Sottero Wedding Dress Sinatra Marie Deep V neckline to elongate the upper torso Ball gown style skirt to balance the wider upper torso 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 8

9 Wedding Veils Wedding veils comes in many styles and types. There are no hard and fast rules about the type of wedding veil you should have, just some practical tips. If your wedding gown is elaborate, have a simple veil so it doesn t compete. If the back of your wedding dress is elaborate, you might choose a sheer veil so the details of the dress can be seen. If the back of your wedding dress is simple in its style, dress it up with a more elaborate wedding veil. You can wear your wedding veil with or without a tiara or headpiece. Again, think about how simple or elaborate your gown is, and choose something that fits in without competing for the eye. A simple headband would work with an elaborate gown, while a more dramatic tiara would work with a simple wedding gown style---as long as it isn t too over-the-top. The most important thing is to choose something that suits your style, and expresses your personality. Conclusion When you look at bridal magazines, analyze the wedding gown styles. Using the above guidelines, look at how the designers use these techniques to achieve the results they do. Always strive for a balanced look between your upper and lower torso in all the clothing that you wear. Look at the bridal jewellery the models are wearing. Are they wearing necklaces, tiaras, bracelets, or earrings? Do certain styles of dress tend to have certain kinds of bridal jewellery? Once you have educated yourself on dress styles and jewellery, you are ready to go out and start shopping for your own wedding dress and bridal jewellery. Casablanca Bridal Gown 1756 If you find you have questions, feel free to visit or and I will do my best to answer them. ---Angela Fiebelkorn 2009, Angela Fiebelkorn 9