How To Choose A Wedding Dress For Your Body Type

Once you’ve found the perfect partner, the next step is the perfect dress. Many little girls dream of their wedding day and have an idea of how they want to look. Others have no idea and aren’t used to formal wear. No matter where you’re starting from, choosing the right wedding dress is important.

Before you head off wedding dress shopping it’s important to have an idea of what you’re looking for in a dress style. Have a flick through some bridal magazines or scroll through Pinterest to get some ideas of the type of dress you might like. But don’t be too stringent once you’re at your dress fitting. The perfect wedding dress may be a style you’ve never considered before.

Understanding a little about how wedding dresses fit, what style accentuates which body parts and what body types look best in which styles will help you go to a wedding dress fitting with confidence. The perfect wedding dress for your friends or family, won’t necessarily be the best dress for your body. Different wedding gowns draw attention to different body parts and you’ll have parts of your own body that you’ll love and want to accentuate.

Remember, your body is beautiful, no matter the size and shape. You want to find a dress for your wedding day that makes you feel good. So, here are some tips for finding your dream wedding dress, and tips on finding out what type of body you have.

How To Choose A Wedding Dress For Your Body Type

First of all, you might not even be sure what type of body you have. If that’s the case, and you don’t know what your body type is called, here are all of the body types along with an explanation of what each one is, so you can recognize your body attributes, and see which body type your body falls into.

Hourglass

If your hips and bust are almost equal in size, with a well-defined waist, you mostly have an hourglass body shape.

Inverted Triangle

Sometimes called an Apple shape, you’ll have broader shoulders and bust. Inverted triangle shape is narrower through the waist and hips. So, if you have the inverted triangle shape, you are wider in your upper body than in your lower body.

Triangle

Sometimes known as pear shape, your shoulders and your upper body are narrower than your hips. Your waist will be well-defined and you most likely have slim arms. Overall, if you have a triangle shape, your lower body is wider than your upper body.

Rectangle

Straight up-and-down, there often isn’t a noticeable difference in the measurements of your shoulders, waist and hips. The “line” between your shoulder and hip is almost straight if you have a rectangle shape.

Diamond

With hips that are wider than your shoulders, you’ll have a wider waist-line and narrow bust. You may carry a bit of weight on your thighs but have slender arms.

Now that you've figured out what type of body you have, let’s get into what dresses fit some popular body characteristics, such as wedding dresses for tall brides, for brides with smaller chests, and more.

Busty Brides

Brides that have an inverted triangle shape usually have bigger bust, as well as hourglass shaped brides (of course, you might be busty even if you fall into a different body type category, this is just what’s often the case).
If you’re a busty bride, here are some tips:
If you want to wear a bra under your dress, look for one with wide straps or sleeves that will hide your straps.
Necklines are going to be important. A sweetheart neckline can be particularly flattering on your big day.

Petite Brides

For my petite brides, here are some helpful tips to help you choose a dress that makes your beauty stand out:
Half or three-quarter sleeves can elongate your arms.
The petite bride generally wants to stay away from ball gown styles. These can overwhelm your small frame.
So, you might want to go with something slimmer, that makes you stand out, instead of going with a huge gown that takes away from your petite body and frame.

Muscular Brides

Show off your hard work by flaunting your arms in a sleeveless gown.
To create the illusion of more of an hourglass shape with a fit and flare dress.

Tall Brides

A sheath wedding down will play up your height and create a statuesque look.
If you’d rather downplay your height, skip the empire waists for a ball down with a dropped waist instead.

Bootylicious Brides

Drawing the eye to your booty isn’t hard. Look for dresses that are fitting around the hips and embrace your curves.
Alternatively, an A-line gown will focus the attention more on your top half.

Small-Chested Brides

Brides with a triangle shape or a diamond shape usually have smaller chests.
Embrace your body shape with a plunging V back and neckline, something that your body is designed to rock!
A fitted bodice with padding can help enhance your breasts.

Hourglass Brides

A corset will help bring attention to your narrow waist and it’s perfect for hourglass figures.
Mermaid and trumpet dresses, that flare out at the knee or mid-thigh, will accentuate your curves.

Remember, your body is beautiful to matter what body type you have. The most important thing is to find a dress you love, that makes you feel special on your special day. Think about how much dancing, sitting and eating you’ll be doing. You want a dress that you can be comfortable in on a day that will be full of joy, but long.

Most of all, you want a dress that will make you feel beautiful. It doesn’t matter if that dress isn’t everyone’s favorite, if it isn’t recommended for your body type, or if your friends prefer another one - your dream wedding dress is the dress that makes YOU feel like the most beautiful bride in the world. So, take these body type tips just as guides and suggestions, but make sure the dress you choose is the dress in which you feel the most beautiful and comfortable.