BRIDAL GOWN FASHION TRENDS

Silhouettes:

·                   Ball gown: Full skirt with a natural waist and off-of-the shoulders bodice.

·                   Basque: Natural waist with a dropped V-shaped front.

·                   Bustier: strapless with a sculpted bust line.

·                   Empire: A small, cropped bodice with a high waist that falls just under the bust line and a slender or A-line skirt.

·                   Princess/A-line: Skims the outline of the body. Has vertical seams flowing from the arms down to the hem of the flared skirt. Shaped like the letter A.

·                   Sheath: Narrow, body-hugging style shaped at the waist.

Lengths and trains:

·                   Floor length: Lightly touches the floor on all sides.

·                   High-low length: Hem falls slightly below the knee or midway between the knee and ankle in front, ankle- to train-length in back.

·                   Knee length: Just covering the knees.

·                   Midcalf/Ballet length: Reaches just above the ankles.

·                   Cathedral train: Falls 6 ½ to 7 ½ feet from waist.

·                   Chapel train: The most popular kind of train-falls about 3 ½ to 4 ½ feet from waist.

·                   Detachable train: Train that attaches with hooks and loops and can be removed.

·                   Extended cathedral train/Monarch train: Flows 12 feet from waist.

·                   Semi cathedral train: Falls 4 ½ to 5 ½ feet from waist.

·                   Sweep train: The shortest train, barely sweeping the floor.

Fabrics:

·                   Brocade: A heavy material with an interwoven raised design. It looks stiff and regal.

·                   Charmeuse: An even-textured, lightweight, satiny fabric that’s glossy.

·    Chiffon: A sheer, cotton fabric with simple weaving. It’s often silk or rayon.

·                   Crepe: A lightweight silk or rayon fabric with a matte texture.

·                   Embroidery: Threads or ribbon are sewn into the fabric in a decorative pattern.

·                   Eyelet: Open-weave embroidery used for decoration.

·                   Moiré: Silk taffeta material that’s patterned with ripples.

·                   Organza: Sheer, crisply almost translucent fabric.

·                   Silk-faced satin: A glossy silk fabric with sheen that has a matte finish on the back.

·                   Silk shantung: A silk with a rough, bumpy texture.

·                   Stretch tulle/stretch illusion: Same as tulle, with a bit of elastic.

·                   Taffeta: A smooth, crisp, glossy fabric that has a crosswise rib.

·                   Tulle: Tiny-meshed net of silk, cotton, or synthetics.

Laces:

·                   Alencon: A delicate flat mesh lace with designs on sheer net.

·                   Chantilly: Floral sprays, branches, scrolls on a fine lace background, outlined with silk threads. Often has rounded, scalloped edges. This is the most delicate and lightweight of laces.

·                   Duchesse: Lace that often has raised flower patterns.

·                   Guipure: A heavy lace with large designs placed over a thick net.

·                   Schiffli: Man-made lace with embroidered designs worked into the fabric.

·                   Venise: A heavy lace with raised floral designs.

Necklines:

·                   Boat: This neckline gently follows the curve of the collarbone. From shoulder to shoulder in front and back.

·                   High: A close-to-the-neck collar.

·                   Jewel: A collarless, rounded neckline that circles the base of the throat, just above the collarbone.

·                   Off-the-shoulder: A neckline that hovers above the bust line, sleeves start below the shoulders.

·                   Portrait collar: A shawl collar that wraps the shoulders.

·                   Queen Anne: Rises high at the nape (back) of the neck, then sculpts low to outline a bare yoke.

·                   Square: Shaped like half of a square.

·                   Sweetheart: Shaped like the top half of a heart.

·                   Wedding band: Same as a high neckline.

Sleeves:

·                   Cap: Very short, fitted sleeves that cover shoulders and tops of the arms.

·                   Fitted: A long narrow sleeve that tapers in size as it reaches the wrist.

·                   Juliet: Long sleeves with a poufed top slightly at the shoulders.

·                   Puff: Short full sleeve gathered into a gentle puff near the shoulders.

·                   Three-quarter: Sleeves covering three-quarters of the arm below the elbow and above the wrist.

·                   T-shirt: Semi-fitted short sleeves cover the upper arm, much like a T-shirt.

Headpieces:

·                   Bow: Lace, ribbon, or fabric, sometimes trimmed with flowers and/of streamers, and often worn at the back of the head.

·                   Floral wreath: A ring of fresh, silk, dried, or porcelain flowers that rests atop the head or mid-forehead. May be adorned with ribbon, streamers, or tulle.

·    Garden hat: A wide-brimmed crownless hat of straw, lace, satin, or other stiff material. May be decorated with ribbon, silk flowers, etc.

·                   Headband: A wide strip of fabric-covered plastic that sits across the head from ear to ear. May be embellished with pearls, flowers, and other decorations.

·                   Juliet cap: A small, rounded cap that fits snugly on the back of the head. It’s often covered with lace of satin and decorated with pearls.

·                   Pillbox: A small, flat-topped, round or oval hat worn on top of the head or slanted on one side.

·                   Profile comb: A comb decorated with flowers, lace, pearl sprays, etc. Sits on one side of head, or in back.

·                   Tiara: Crown like headpiece made of semiprecious metal and adorned with rhinestones, pearls, and other gems. Sits high on top of the head.

Veils:

·                   Ballet or waltz length: Falls between the knee and ankles.

·                   Birdcage: Falls just below the chin and is gently shirred at the sides. Usually attached to hats.

·                   Blusher: A loose veil worn forward over the face or back over the headpiece (after the ceremony). Often attached to a longer three-tiered veil or hat.

·                   Cathedral length: It falls 3 1/3 yards from the headpiece.

·    Chapel length: Most formal veil. Falls 2 1/3 yards from the headpiece.

·                   Fingertip: Veiling that comes down to touch the fingertips.

·                   Floor length: Brushes the floor.

·                   Mantilla: A laced veil, usually secured to an elegant comb.

·                   Ribbon-edged: Short layers of tulle are banded in grosgrain, satin, or velvet ribbon.

·                   Shoulder length: Multi-layers that brush the shoulders, usually worn with an informal, ankle-length dress.