How to choose the right wedding dress

One of the most important days in a lady’s life, is the day she formally weds the man she intends to share her life with. When it comes to grooming for the wedding, the options are endless.

However, for ladies who would prefer to wear a wedding gown, it is important to pay particular attention to the choice of wedding dress among other things if your intention is to have a memorable occasion.

 Your body type can affect the choice of wedding dress, especially with regard to style and the texture of the material used to make the dress.

Needless to say you will have to choose the style and sewing material carefully. However, should you decide to opt for the ready-made gowns, similar caution should be exercised during the purchase of your wedding dress.

There are so many options out there to choose from.  The large variety of styles available today can make it very confusing to settle on the style that would best work with your figure.  When in doubt seek professional advice and assistance.

There is of course the option of renting a dress as a means of cutting down wedding expenses.  This of course makes for practical reason since the probability of the bride wearing the dress again after the wedding is very slim.

There are in fact good designers who can make lovely wedding dresses. For those who are not keen on experimenting, the option available to them is to buy a readymade dress that will be used for the occasion.

Now, irrespective of what choice you make, it is important to remember that if you intend to look elegant and stunning on your D-day, you should learn to choose the right type of gown and material texture that would work well with your body shape and physique.

In these series on wedding dresses, we will take a close look at wedding gowns from different perspectives with key focus on the basic body shapes for women.

We will further look at suggested dresses for every lady’s particular body type. Yours is to identify your body type and see what you will fit into.

 Apple shaped lady

This shape has among others, large stomach, broad shoulders and little or no waistline. Thus, the sleeveless empire styled cut allows the stomach to hide under the easy flow of the dress.

The pleat in front of the dress creates a waistline for the lady and acts as a camouflage by disguising the fact that the lady has a large stomach. It also diverts attention away from the stomach to the upper body part.

The delicate embroidery on the bust adds a feminine touch and diverts attention to the upper part of the body; while the bare shoulder showcases the lovely shoulders she has which is a common trait with apple shaped ladies.

Alternatively, a matching shrug or bolero can be worn over the dress for those not comfortable with exposing their bare arms.

 Pear shaped lady

Most pear shaped ladies have wide hips and a smaller upper body. This ends up giving them a disproportionate look all over.

 What this particular wedding gown aims to do is to work at creating a symmetrical look all over the body.

The boat neck style of the wedding dress adds volume to the upper body of the body frame creating a balanced look between the shoulders and hips. The spiral of lace on the dress allows for the dress to spread thereby creating symmetry for the hips and entire body.

The dress moulds the upper body, taking in the waist while giving it a feminine and symmetrical look.

The soft multiple pleats created on the dress emphasises the slim waist lending it an overall feminine appeal to the wearer.

To be continued

The Writer is a Certified Image Consultant & Columnist

 She provides Corporate & Personal Training on Grooming and Business Etiquette

She also runs KOBADEM Boutique and Kobadem Training Centre Email- [email protected], www.kobadem.com/facebook 0206471765