A-line
A fitted upper section with a skirt that opens gradually.
Ask in a fitting: How much skirt volume and lining do you enjoy?
The shape of a possibility
Wedding dress styles,
without the body rules.
Silhouette names describe a garment. They do not decide who may wear it. Use these illustrations to explain what you want to try.
Find my three starting stylesBall gown
A fitted bodice and a full skirt with a pronounced change in volume.
Ask in a fitting: Can you sit comfortably and manage the skirt in your venue?
Sheath / column
A close or gently skimming outline with relatively little skirt flare.
Ask in a fitting: Does the actual lining and opening give you enough room to move?
Fit-and-flare
A closer fit through the upper body with a skirt that widens below.
Ask in a fitting: Where does this dress begin to flare, and how does that feel sitting?
Tea-length
A shorter hem, usually between knee and ankle, in a range of skirt shapes.
Ask in a fitting: Which hem position and shoe combination feels right in motion?
Empire waist
A raised waist seam under the bust with a skirt falling below it.
Ask in a fitting: Is the raised seam comfortable when you breathe and sit?
Separate shape, length and construction.
A silhouette is the overall outline. Tea-length describes a hem and empire describes a waist placement, so they can overlap other shapes. Retailers also use “fit-and-flare,” “trumpet” and “mermaid” differently. Look at where the actual dress widens, how it is lined and how you can move in it.
The drawings are schematic comparisons, not depictions of how every body will look. A sample clipped for a fitting does not prove final fit.
Make a useful comparison.
Try one outline you expect to like and one that makes you curious. Keep notes about sitting, walking, arm movement and how you feel. Then compare your favorite outline in a different fabric before dismissing the entire shape.
Vocabulary reference: David’s Bridal silhouette guide. We use the garment definitions, not its body-shape recommendations.
