So Many Ballgowns, So Little Time

All The Crazy Beautiful Basics!

What The Heck are They Talking About?

Hi All! It’s Ali here, and I am so excited to be doing these blogs for you! I figured today, I would start with the most popular wedding gown style, the ballgown.. sorry, the a-line… no, sorry again, the horse hair bottom dress. Whatever you call it, the ballgown remains today one of the most versatile styles.

The first place to start is with the terms. We get so used to talking wedding gowns, that sometimes we get over-excited and start throwing terms out and our customers just smile and nod and let us ramble on (because our customers are the best and we love you).

1: Empire Waist: An empire waist gown flares out from midway, to the top of the rib-cage

2. Natural Waist: A natural waist gown flares out from just underneath the rib-cage, which is typically the smallest part on the torso.

3: Dropped Waist: A dropped waist ballgown flares out just above the hip bone.

Each style of gown are going to accentuate different areas. For instance, when you are wearing a dropped waist gown, your natural waist will be the focal point!

What is the difference between an A-Line and a Ballgown?

Honestly, not too much. Firstly, An A-Line (picture below, left) typically flares out softly from the natural, or dropped, waist. However, A Ballgown (pictures below, right) will normally flare from an empire or natural waist. Secondly, An A-Line gown is great for balancing the body if you are broad through the shoulder. A Ballgown is great for balancing when you are large through the chest. Lastly, A-Line gowns are super versatile and work on so many different body types. Ballgowns are usually very voluminous, and give more of the “Princess” look!

What the Skirt?

Skirt styles vary so much, so let’s focus on the most popular this season:

1: Single tier: usually made up of organza, tulle, satin, chiffon.. the list goes on forever (pictured above, right)

2: Multi-tier: Known as horse-hair bottoms, this flouncy and romantic bottom is usually trimmed with a thick band that gives the look of waves throughout the skirt (pictured above, left)

The single tier skirt usually gives a more classic look, whereas, the multi-tier is more modern. Both are easily dressed up with lace, bling, or sequins to give the skirt more dimension.

So there you have it; A crash course on ballgowns! Next week, the blog will be on Fit and Flare, Mermaid and Trumpet gowns, so check back! Thanks so much for reading and have a Crazy Beautiful day!

Photo’s courtesy of essensedesigns.com – style numbers: 6838 and D2486