The Definitive Wedding Dress Shapes

If you're planning a wedding, congratulations! But, we have to ask, what are you going to wear? If you're still making this Very Important Decision, let these wedding dress shapes guide your choice… We’ve found the 5 most iconic wedding dress shapes and silhouettes that will suit any style of wedding.

But FYI, our list isn’t as prescriptive as cruel and outdated rules of choosing styles that ‘flatter’ your body shape because, honestly, you should choose the dress shape that makes you feel incredible. Instead, GLAMOUR’s guide to the definitive bridal wedding dress shapes is more a road map to the moods that might suit your own personal wedding aesthetic. Whatever style of wedding dress you’re thinking of, these are the wedding dress shapes that will fulfil all your big day dreams…

1: Fit and Flare

Kate Halfpenny, founder and designer of Halfpenny London has just created a capsule collection for Net-a-porter.com, featuring an array of shapes and styles but says, "the fit and flare silhouette is by far the leader when it comes to hero shapes. There’s been such a huge body positivity movement so (I see) many women are showing off their fantastic bodies.” Fit and flare shaped dresses will skim your upper body through the bust and waist and then drape over your hips before flaring out from your thighs (so you have plenty of space to walk and dance) as Meghan Markle demonstrated with her ceremony wedding day. Kate suggests, “Another nice thing about the fit and flare shape is that we create a lot of dual silhouettes with a sheer ballgown overskirt on top of the fitted dress and this can create lovely, luscious layers.” Because the fun part of wedding dress shopping (as well as the champagne…) is that once you find your basic silhouette you can tailor it with layers, sleeves and necklines that are individual to you.

2: Ballgown

Possibly the most classic wedding dress style, the ballgown has a bodice that is fitted and then the skirt balloons from the natural waist. “The ballgown is the shape I’d draw over and over as a child” reveals Halfpenny. And while it has a traditional heritage (The Princess of Wales wore a ballgown shape on her wedding day in 2011) Halfpenny suggests it can still have a modern twist, by adding “contemporary fabric.” Paris Hilton looked like the man character in her own fairytale in her ballgown wedding dress in 2021.

3: Fishtail or mermaid

These styles have Hollywood icon written through them. A fishtail or mermaid style wedding dress will be fitted through the torso and thighs and stays close right down to your knees, when the fabric will pool out to create volume at the bottom of the dress. You can choose how long you want this effect to continue, whether that’s just a little extra fabric or a cathedral-length train. It’s a red carpet favourite of celebrities and feels soooo glamourous. It’s not the easiest dress to walk in as fishtails are a little more restrictive but it will look timeless in all your photos, just like Hailey Bieber’s lace-encrusted mermaid dress.

4: Mini-dress

As our traditional options of wedding ceremonies morph into micro-weddings and city nuptials, mini dresses are surging in popularity. Kate Halfpenny has seen the trend develop. “Lots of brides are choosing minis for a city wedding worn with a gorgeous veil, or to change into for the evening. Many are adding a detachable, ballgown overskirt so they have the best of both worlds!” Mini dresses can look sweet, sexy or smart, depending on the choice of fabric and detailing. Lily Allen proves they are also the perfect foil for a full veil.

5: Column

The ideal silhouette for minimally-minded brides, column dresses are the most elegant wedding dress silhouette. They follow your body shape, but don’t cling, and create a long-line aesthetic. You can obviously choose intricate fabric on a column wedding dress silhouette but they also look incredible made from simple silks and satins, for a pared-back vibe, as with Ariana Grande’s strapless column dress.

Once you’ve settled on a silhouette, you can go into decisions on neckline shape (sweetheart, square-neck, V neck or asymmetric…) and your choice of sleeves, whether that’s long, cap-sleeve, cape or sleeveless - as well as picking the fabric that is going to make your wedding dress all your fashion dreams incarnate. We can’t wait to see the photos!

For more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton, follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton

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