Wedding Dresses, Bridesmaid’s Dresses or Mother of the Bride Dresses… you can’t go wrong here:

        

The latest huge trend with wedding dresses are sleeveless, bustier style dresses. That style may work well for some of you (I will

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discuss boning a bit later…). There are quite a few of us who look just plain ol’ silly in a strapless gown. Perhaps our shoulders are too broad, our busts too large or small or we may just have a long torso that makes the top of the gown fit you in a way that gives the impression the girls are going to pop out at any moment. Constantly pulling at your gown or adjusting the boobies will make for some awkward wedding photos and a lot of stress on a day you just do not need added stress. There are many other styles of gowns out there though you may have to look a bit to find alternative style dresses. There are lovely v-neck gowns and gowns with lace across your shoulders that give additional support. I will be showing samples of these dresses over the next few weeks as we discuss the types of brides and the gowns that would work for them.

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If you are set on a strapless gown, however, pay attention here. You will need to know this info about boning. Strapless gowns MUST have boning. Boning runs vertically in the bodice of a gown and is generally sewn into the inside seam so it is not extremely visible from the outside.

There is a trend, recently, for boning to show and be covered by very sheer or lace fabric giving the look of an old fashioned corset and showing some of the assets of the bride to full advantage. It takes a certain type of outgoing, flashy woman to pull these off.
Standard boning is ¼ to ½ inch wide. One half inch is considered the best in my opinion.
Boning should go from the top of the bodice to the waist or the top of the hip bone in order to give good support. Boning supports vertically, not horizontally. It is meant to hold you up – not to hold you in like a bra or girdle.
Gowns with low, plunging backs will not support a strapless dress even with lots of firm boning.
A bodice must not be too tight or it will work against the boning nor too loose as it will gap and permit unflattering movement of the breast.
There is no particular size of breast that looks best in a wedding dress. Very heavy or large “girls” may need the added convenience of a strap. There are very many v-necked or dropped shoulder gowns that will help give extra support and still be very attractive and stylish.

We are not all 20 year old brides with perfect bodies. There are some issues we may want to consider for a more mature bride.

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Let’s start with the upper arms. Some of us could lift weights for 2 years and still not get the firm, perfect arms that we’d love to   see in our gowns. There are many smart gowns with sleeves (3/4 to long sleeves). If you see a gown displayed with a bolero, do not assume it comes with the dress. Most bridal companies sell lace, satin, fur and even feather boleros to finish off a plain dress, for outdoor or cool weather weddings and for the woman with a bit of (let’s just say it here – flab) in her upper arms.
As you may be able to tell by now, I am going to give it to you straight. There are things your best friend or even your Mom won’t tell you. They probably wouldn’t say, “That looks terrible. Go take it off! Right NOW!” My intention is to give you some issues to consider when buying your gown for one of your most important days. You will learn things here that will help you trust your own opinion. Next we will talk about dresses for your bridesmaids then we’ll start discussing various types of personalities and gowns that should work well for each type.