What are the different types of wedding dresses? Whether you’re unsure of what style you are looking for or you are curious when picking out your future wedding dress, there are many styles to browse.
Wedding gowns come in all sizes, colors, lengths, ages, and more. So, if you prefer traditional, a sleek silhouette, or a flouncy ball gown, we’ve got you covered.
No need to worry about not finding a dress you’re interested in because there are hundreds of styles available.
Short, long, modest, or non-traditional– it doesn’t matter what you wear on your special day as long as you feel beautiful.
Continue reading to learn more about the different types of wedding dresses.
The Basics
Truly, there are so many types of wedding dresses, so let’s just start with the basics: the silhouette.
The silhouette is how you want your dress to fit the shape of your body.
Silhouette types include:
A-line: These dresses hug the upper body and become more loose at the waist.
Ball gown: These dresses also hug the upper body, but have a defined cut off at the waist that fluffs out more with ruffles, tulle, lace, or otherwise.
Jumpsuit: This wedding item is a one piece that has pants and upper body coverage.
Mermaid/Trumpet: These dresses fit more tightly from the chest down to the mid-thigh area, where it then becomes loose to resemble a “mermaid fin” shape to the floor.
Separate pieces: These pieces involve suits for brides, a separate top and skirt combination, or top and pants.
Sheath: These dresses are the loosest of those mentioned. While still defining the figure, they have a straighter shape.
Now that we know the shape of the dress, let’s get down to the straps and neckline fit, where you can decide how much or little skin you want to show. There is such a wide range of upper body coverage, that we’re sure you’ll find one that suits you best.
The Sleeves and Neckline
So much detail goes into creating wedding dresses so that each bride can find something that they feel beautiful in, and the sleeves/straps and neckline play a huge part in a gown for your special day.
The sleeves and straps range everywhere between strapless to full-length. Indeed, the sleeves of your gown can also depend on the weather so there are multiple options to choose from.
Sleeves/straps types include:
3/4 sleeves
Cap sleeves
Capelet
Elbow sleeves
Halter
Jacket
Long sleeves
Off the shoulder
One shoulder
Short sleeves
Sleeveless
Spaghetti strap
Strapless
Tank
Your dress’s neckline can also be determined by the weather or simply your preferred style.
Neckline types include:
Asymmetrical
Boatneck
Cowl
High neck
Illusion
Off the shoulder
Plunging
Scoop
Straight
Sweetheart
V neck
Although all parts of the dress are extremely valued, necklines can be used to draw attention to intricate details in lace, display elegance, make a bride feel comfortable, or to show off a necklace.
Moving on, let’s talk about waistlines and train types.
The Waistline and Train
Bring your personality out even more with waistlines and trains that make you stand out on your wedding day.
Waistlines can range between defined and ultimately figure-hugging to loose and free-flowing.
Here are the different types of waistlines:
Basque
Drop
Empire
Natural
No waist
Additionally, some brides have multiple dresses throughout their wedding day(s) so any of these parts of your wedding gown can fit per different occasion.
Beyond waistlines, trains are something to think about.
Types of trains include:
Cathedral
Chapel
No train
Sweep
So, whether you want your train to be elegantly carried down the aisle or want to wear an ankle-length gown with no train at all–the choice is yours!
Contact Blessing Brides Ministry
If you’re interested in learning more about the different types of wedding dresses and want to see them for yourself in person, then contact Blessing Brides Ministry.
Located in Downingtown, Blessing Brides carries a variety of lovely, pre-owned dresses that are perfect for your wedding day.
We hope to see you soon!