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Shape Guide

Style & Fashion Guide

Finding the right dress for your figure:

Looking like a goddess on your big day! Try some of the following tips in finding a dress to suit your figure:

By Shape

Hourglass: You have a defined waist and similarly-sized shoulders and hips.

You lucky fish! You have the figure all of us dream to have and you can get away with wearing almost anything. Don't hide your perfect curves though and be sure to show them off in a figure dress like a Mermaid Gown or a lovely short even mini dress. Keep accessories simple if going this route as you are already making quite a statement.

Avoid: Full or ruffled gowns and anything with lots of beadwork and ornamentation.

See the following products to learn how to play up your curves:

Triangle: Your hips are wider than your shoulders and bust.

A flowing A-line beach wedding dress will hide fuller hips. This style features a flared out skirt from the waist down to your feet, creating an "A" shape. An Empire style waist also works wonders to hide fuller hips. Choose a halter neck or off shoulder dress with some detail on the bodice to draw the attention to your upper body. Wear your hair down instead of in an upstyle to create balance.

Avoid: Sheath gowns and anything with pleats or gathered fabric around the waist.

See the following products to find out how to flatter a pear-shape:

Inverted Triangle (Pear-shaped): Your shoulders and bust are wider than your hips.

To achieve a balanced look go with a full or a-line skirt (a slightly flared skirt that has a silhouette resembling the letter "A") or even a ball gown. These skirts will flatter a slim waistline and make the bust stand out while disguising your fuller hips. Fitted tops such as a strapless corset-style bodice look best with this body shape especially in combination with that a-line skirt. Try tops with some kind of embellishment also to add a little more volume to your bust line. If you don't want to go strapless, think about a halter with a more circular neckline. If you're flexible with color choice, wear light colors on top and dark colors on bottom. This will bring the eye up and away from your wider bottom. You could also go with an allover print. The key here is to show off your upper body. That means your arms, back, and bust.

Avoid: thin straps and boat necklines, and stay away from pleated or gathered fabric at the waist as this will accentuate your broader hips.

See the following products to learn how to draw attention to your lower half:

Diamond (Apple-shaped): Weight goes to your waist line. You may have slim legs and arms.

Strapless and scoop necklines work nicely, as do soft, rounded necklines with a narrow bodice. Stay away from heavily embellished bodices however. The most flattering neckline for a full bust is the V-neck or a plunging neckline as they make the body appear less round. A fuller skirt will also balance your fuller bust. Choose fabrics that aren't too clingy or stiff. An empire waist can also work well by drawing attention to your midsection and away from your heavier top.

Avoid: halter, heavily decorated, off-the shoulder, and boat necklines as these accentuate your already broad shoulders; puffy sleeves or big tops in combination with slim bottoms.

See the following products to create the illusion of a longer, inverted triangle body shape:

Rectangle: Your bust, waist and hips are similarly sized.

You want to add the appearance of curves since you don't have them naturally. To do this you will want to choose a dress that draws attention to your bust. Go with a beaded neckline or bodice. The empire style dress (a raised waistline, sometimes right below the bust) can also give the appearance of a fuller chest and add some extra definition and shape. Another option to create the illusion of curves is to draw attention to your waist. To do this try a ball gown (full skirt, form-fitting bodice) as this will draw attention to your waistline and give you a curvier look. A ruched or embellished waistline is also a nice choice. Ornaments, belts, wraps, darts and ribbons are just a few examples for waistline embellishment. Fuller sleeves are yet another way to add curves, and a dress with detailing and patterns can help to break up your straight body line.

Avoid: sheaths and other clingy styles as this will not add any fullness to your slender shape.

See the following products to discover ways to create feminine curves:

Circle/Round (Apple-shaped): You have a lot of weight around the tummy and will likely have large breasts. The waist line is not well defined. Shoulders and hips appear narrow.

The trick is to look for slimming styles. Look at the waistline first. To disguise a thicker waist you'll want to raise, lower, or eliminate the waistline of your dress. Choose an A-line dress that slims throughout the waist and lengthens the whole body without drawing attention to your midsection. An empire style dress is also an excellent choice since it helps to conceal your waist and hips. Showing your arms and neck can have a slimming effect, so go with a deep v-neck, sweetheart or scoop neckline. Thick straps or a halter top style neckline will also work with this body type. Revealing the arms and neck will bring the eye up and away from your waist. If you want more bottom coverage choose a ball gown with a tight-fitting corseted bodice.

Avoid: Any decoration and design drawing attention to your midsection.

See the following products to create the illusion of a longer, inverted triangle body shape:

By Size

Tall: You're 5'8'' or taller.

A simple silhouette. The strategy is to emphasize your natural shape, so every aspect of the dress ―the lower waistline, a floor-sweeping hem ―needs to reflect your longer proportions. If you're wearing long sleeves, they should go past the wrist. You don't want to look as if you've borrowed a gown from someone shorter than you.

Avoid: Too many bells and whistles, like ruffles and rosettes, can come off as cutesy, particularly on a tall person.

See the following products to find the most suitable dresses for tall shape:

Short/Petite: You're 5'4'' or under.

Small brides should opt for long flowing gowns with unbroken lines to create the illusion of height. Keep the design simple so as not to overwhelm your small frame. Try a sheath dress to elongate the line of the body. Or perhaps a trumpet skirt if you have a slim torso and shapely hips. The slight fish-tail effect at the bottom sweeps out beautifully into a very graceful train.

Another good choice is an empire style dress. This features a high waistline that stems from the bust and falls into a slender skirt. This style also gives the impression of increased height.

Avoid: Big skirts, dropped waistlines and anything with ruffles.

See the following products to find surprising tips to flatter a petite figure:

Full Figured: Your size is 14W-30W.

To flatter a fuller figure go for an A-line or empire style dress or a combination of the two. The empire style is high waisted and flowing and will skim lightly over your curves. Look for a gown with an open or deep v neckline to flatter a full bust and with which you can wear an interesting necklace to draw the eye to your face. If you have heavy arms you can also look for a gown with sleeves.

Avoid: Thin straps, puffy sleeves, ball gowns, body-hugging or shiny fabrics and anything with ruffles.

See the following products to find gowns designed to fit and flatter:

Thin figured: You are “slender” and often have petite chest size.

Try a sequined dress to create interest or opt for a sheath dress. Play with different textures. A trumpet skirt will also give your figure interesting lines. A cowl neckline can create the illusion of a fuller bust.

Avoid: Slip Dresses as these will not give you any shape.

See the following products to learn how to create curves:

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