Ball Gown Dresses

Formal ball gowns, known for their elegance and sophistication, are perhaps the most classic and enduring style of formal wear.  The designers of ball gowns have  really learned how to have some fun with this timeless formal wear!  The signature full skirt of the ball gown can be extravagant, shaped to create a silhouette.  A ball gown  can be embellished with tiered ruffles, gathered satin, or can even be cut out. 

So it’s little wonder that one of spring 2012’s hottest bridal trends, the ball gown style wedding dress, got a huge boost from Hollywood, although initially inspiration came from the big screen rather than awards-show fashion. Celebrities, typically fond of fitted styles for red-carpet walkabouts, soon embraced the big statement gown for their own weddings.

After years of form-fitting mermaid styles, brides with less-than-perfect hip lines can now revel in wide-skirted tulle.

The Best Wedding Dress for Your Body Type

Executive summary about wedding dress by Jennipher Walters

Wedding planning is enough work in its own right, and dress shopping should be the fun part! There are four popular styles of wedding dresses.

1.        A-Line: Named after the shape the dress visually creates, this style is classic and simple. The A-line dress is fitted around the bodice and flows out to the ground, a good general option for almost any bride.

2.        Empire: The empire dress is unique for its raised waistline that sits just below the bust, from which the rest of the dress flows down. Empire dresses can have varying sleeve lengths ranging from longer bell sleeves to sleeveless, along with different skirt cuts that can flow freely or contour to your body. Additionally, empire dresses are usually made from lighter fabrics, so this style of dress takes on a romantic feel. An empire dress works well on most body types but is specifically flattering for a bride looking to enhance her bust. 

3.        Column: A column dress can be a simple slip dress to a more contoured dress made of heavier fabrics such as damask. Although a column dress style is timeless, it's typically not as forgiving as other styles and is best suited for lean brides. Petite brides can look taller and longer in a column dress, but there's not much room for hiding problem areas. 

4.        Ball Gown: This is the style of dress that fairy tales are made of.

Sizing can be a bit tricky as pretty much every wedding dress manufacturer has its own sizing chart. Once your measurements have been taken, check them against the wedding dress manufacturer's sizing chart to choose the dress that matches your largest measurements. Don’t be alarmed if your wedding dress size is different than your everyday non-wedding attire. It is quite common for dress sizes to be at least two sizes larger than the size you're used to wearing.

It's better to err on the side of caution as you can always make a dress a little smaller, but it's near impossible to make a wedding dress larger. Almost every woman will need a little alteration when it comes to her wedding dress.