dresses to suit bodyshapes

Image by James Day for ‘Love A Fair’

Of course it will!! When a dress is well made, and well designed, it will always suit you. The most important thing is that you love it.

Let’s back track a moment. So many wedding publications tell girls which body shape suits which style of wedding dress. You get categorised based on your height, and the approximate silhouette produced by a combination of your shoulders, your bust, waist, and hips. We’ve all heard of Hourglass, Apples, Pears, Columns, Triangles, Inverted Triangles, and other over simplified categories. I simultaneously think of myself as Athletic Build (I have broad shoulders), Hourglass (my bust/waist/hip ratio), and Pear Shaped (my hips! oh how I have come to get used to them as the weight storer)…

The mass production of fashion has been putting people into categories ever since mass manufacturing began! The Industrial Revolution in the late 1800’s made clothing production more simple, and more cost effective. This has continued through to today. However, finely skilled tailors and bespoke dressmakers have been fighting this revolution ever since it started!

Image by Alister Buckingham

Brides often ask me what shape dress will suit them. My response is always the same – let’s make something that you want to wear! Something you’ll love, that suits your style personally and the style of your wedding day. When a dress is custom made, it will always flatter. That’s the best part! Through fittings, you should always be able to question the details – is this is best waist line? Will it look better with thinner straps, or thicker? Can we make a cap sleeve, bigger, oh no, smaller looked better? How fishtail-y do you want your fishtail to look? The amount of flare in the skirt can help balance shoulders, diminish waist, or lengthen a torso when done properly.

So, in answer to the original question – I encourage you to wear whatever shape dress you want to. It’s your day, don’t let a fashion editor who has never met you dictate how you ought to look! Own it, have confidence, and find the right person to help show off your best assets and gloss over your worst!

Ms Chinoiserie Says: Such wonderful advice on having the confidence to wear a dress that you love just because you do!

About Studio C Bridal: Hi, I’m Caitlyn and I have made gowns for award-winning, internationally recognised theatre/ film designers and actors. My expertise lies in the ability to flatter the body shape, not create a ‘standard size’ garment, through technical sewing and fabric knowledge. I have an eye for fine detail, and the ability to see the beauty in every idea. I started Studio C Bridal with a passion to create beautiful, original, one-off pieces.