How to understand and use wedding dress terms.

Ever wonder what all those fancy-schmancy words were that revolve around your wedding dress? What exactly does couture, empire-waist, and A-line look like, and who do they look good on? Some common terms you may hear when looking into your wedding dress may be couture, lining, hoop skirt, crinoline, or flyaway veil, among others... So how do you figure out what all of that means, and most of all, how do they pertain to you? Well read on, you blushing bride, and you'll be well versed in no time!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Step 1- Understanding the dress.
   The dress itself may have many names or terms associated with it. These names will vary depending on what tradition of wedding you are having. For example, one may have a wedding kimono for a Japanese wedding, the Qi Pao for Chinese, or the African white robes. For this article, we will stick to the traditional (or quasi-traditional) American wedding gown.
   If there is only one word that is imperative that you know at this point, it should definitely be the term couture. Simply put, couture means, “exclusive and expensive clothing made for an individual customer by a fashion designer, or the industry that produces such clothing”. Usually, this also means a few thousand extra dollars. (To negate that add-on, see my article entitled “How to find your dream wedding dress for under $200.00”.) If you are at a bridal shop and they ask if you'd like to see the couture dresses, know that these dresses will cost you quite a bit more than the average dress. Some dresses may be referred to as “Haute Couture” which directly translates to “high culture”. This is basically the same definition as couture itself.
2. Tulle fabric Step 2- Understanding the fabric.
   • Brocade- Jacquard-woven fabric with raised designs.
   • Carmeuse- lightweight, smooth, semi lustrous satiny fabric.
   • Chiffon- delicately sheer, a thin, transparent fabric of silk or rayon with a soft finish.
   • Crepe- silk or rayon fabric made with crepe yarn, with a slight pebbly texture.
   • Eyelet- open-weave embroidery.
   • Linen- a cloth made of flax, that is noted for its strength, coolness, and luster.
   • Moiré- silk taffeta; wave-patterned to glisten like water when illuminated.
   • Organdy- sheer, transparent crisp silk or rayon fabric; sometimes printed or embroidered.
   • Organza-sheer, crisp fabric like chiffon, but with a stiff finish.
   • Silk Gazer- a four-ply silk or man-made fiber; rough in texture.
   • Silk-faced satin- smooth, lustrous silk weave with a glossy face and dull back.
   • Taffeta- crisp, smooth fabric with a small, crosswise rib.
   • Tulle- fine, sheer, open-weave net in silk, nylon, or rayon; for skirts, veils.
   • Voile- fine, sheer fabric; more like linen than cotton.
3. Sweetheart neckline Step 3, Understanding the necklines.
   • Jewel- higher rounded neckline, shows no cleavage, but all of the neck and possibly some of the upper breastbone. The arm straps of this neckline are usually an inch wide or more. Good for smaller chests, not good for a large chest.
   • Scoop- rounded mid-bust neckline, may show the very topmost of the bust. The arm straps of this neckline are usually an inch wide or more. Good for most chest sizes.
   • Bateau- higher rounded neckline, shows no cleavage, but all of the neck and possibly some of the upper breastbone. The arm straps of this neckline are usually less than half an inch wide. Good for smaller chests, not good for a large chest.
   • Sabrina- higher rounded neckline, gently follows the curve of the collarbone, almost to the tip of the shoulders. The arm straps of this neckline are usually a half inch wide or more. Good for smaller chests, not good for a large chest.
   • Spaghetti Straps- usually a rounded neckline, to the top of the bust line, with straps that are less than a quarter inch thin. Good for small to average chests, not good for full-figures or narrow shoulders.
   • Queen Anne- lays high at the back of the neck, creates a heart appearance at the top of the breast. Shows some cleavage. The sleeves are attached almost at the front armpit, giving a full view of the bust. Works with most figures.
   • Off the shoulder- Neckline lies at upper portion of the breast and follows a centralized line towards the arms with only a slight curve up from the center. The sleeves lay about an inch to two inches off the shoulder. Good for an hourglass or pear shape figure, not good for thin figures, full arms, or broad shoulders.
   • Portrait- a very soft angle V, almost off the shoulder. Good for short-waisted or fuller arms, not good for undefined collarbones or broad shoulders. See picture to the left of step 2 for an example of this neckline.
   • Sweetheart- looks like the upper part of a heart. Shows cleavage and is usually strapless. Good for an hourglass figure or larger bust.
   • Strapless- usually a straight line across the chest, no straps. Good for full figured, hourglass shaped, or petite, not good for smaller chests.
   • Halter top- Usually a high or V neck neckline. The halter-top connects around the neck, not on the shoulder. Good for short waisted or broad shoulders, not good for thin figures or those with narrow shoulders.
4. Basque waistline Step 4- Understanding the waistline
   • Natural- sits just above the hipbones at the area that is usually the thinnest between the ribcage and the hips. Good for most body types, best for petite women.
   • Drop- Much like “low-rider” jeans, sits at the start of the swell of the hips. Good for large breasts, hourglass or slim figures. Not good for boxy figures.
   • Basque- pointed V-shape waistline, the sides sit above the swell of the hips, the point is in the center of the pubic bone. Great slimming effect. Bad for petite figures or undefined waist.
   • Empire- gathered high on the waist. Good for bigger hips, shorter women, or undefined waist. Bad for hourglass figures.
   • A-Line (can be used to define the waistline or the skirt type)- No seam at the waist. If there are any seams , it is just under the breast. Good for bigger hips, shorter women, or undefined waist. Bad for undefined waist.
5. A Line dress Step 5- Understanding the skirt
   • Ball gown/Full skirt- fitted waist and bodice, full skirt. Must be held in place by a hoop skirt underneath. Good for most all figures.
   • Empire- Like the empire waistline, the waist of this is gathered high, and then the skirt flows down from there. Good for petite, undefined waistlines, or inverted pears shape figure. Not good for hourglass figure.
   • A-Line/Princess- no waist seam hugs the upper waist, and flairs out from that point. Princess has vertical seams from breast to toe, A-line does not. A type of hoop skirt must be worn underneath. Good for most figures except undefined waistline.
   • Sheath- much like an evening gown, no flair of the skirt, lays in soft contours to the body. Good for hourglass figure, not good for thick or short waisted, full figured, or pear shaped.
   • Mermaid- clinging lines, hugs the entire body from top to knee. At the knee, the dress flairs out (mermaid tail). Good for a shapely figure that you want to show off, not good for petite, thick short wasted, or inverted pear shaped.
6. Sweep Train Step 6- Understanding dress length and trains
   • Short- above-the-knee length.
   • Knee length- hem just covers the knees.
   • High low- hem falls from slightly below the knee to ankle in the front; ankle to train-length in back.
   • Mid calf/Ballet/Tea length- hem reaches to center of the calf to ankle length.
   • Floor length- hem fully skims the floor.
   • Sweep/Brush train- shortest train; extends back 8 to 12 inches after touching floor.
   • Chapel train- trails 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet from waist.
   • Semi cathedral train- extends 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet from waist.
   • Cathedral- flows 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet from waist.
   • Extended cathedral/Monarch train- cascades 12 feet from waist.
7. Cathedral Length Veil Step 7- Understanding the Veil lengths
   • Birdcage- falls just below the chin & usually attached to a hat.
   • Blusher- loose veil, approximately 28” long, worn forward over face and, after the ceremony, turned back, over the headpiece; often attached to longer, three-tiered veil.
   • Flyaway- multiple layers that lay on the shoulders; not typical for a formal dress.
   • Elbow Length- Ends at the elbow or waist.
   • Fingertip- several layers of veiling that touch the fingertips or ends just before the wrist when the arms are straight down.
   • Ballet /Waltz length- reaches the ankles.
   • Chapel-length- cascades 2 1/3 yards from headpiece, touches the floor.
   • Cathedral-length- cascades at least 3 1/2 yards from headpiece, usually worn with a cathedral train.
8. Hoop skirt (slip) Step 8- Understanding the undergarments
   • Bustier – a bra that extends to the upper waist and often has detachable garters.
   • Corset- usually from hip to bust (can be overbust, covers the breasts or underbust, stops at the bottom of the breasts). This article of underwear shapes and binds your figure. Can take 2 or more inches off of your waist line and give you a smooth look. Made of sturdy material and contains strips of support every inch or so around the body to keep everything “in” place. The strips can be cheap plastic (do NOT get these, waste of $), actual whale bone (not currently used), or metal (my recommendation). These are either closed up via hooks or laced up in the back. Lace up corsets allow for more say in the size of your waist (can be cinched tighter). Be careful not to tie the laces too tight (can see my upcoming article on tight lacing).
   • Merry Widow – a strapless corset with attached garters
   • Waist Cincher – a type of corset that looks like a belt and is designed to narrow the waist with plastic stiffeners and elastic materials.
   • Garter belt- elastic attachments to the bottom of the corset or built into an elastic belt meant to hold thigh-high stockings in place.
   • Lining- a soft or comfortable material sewn to the inside of the dress. Many designer dresses have no lining in them, always check if your dress will. They are not necessary, but they are much more comfortable and will protect your dress from body oils and dirt.
   • Hoop skirt- this is a skirt with… you guessed it, hoops in it. This is what will keep your full or ball gown skirt in place, way away from your legs.
   • Crinoline- Quite similar to the hoop skirt, but the hoops are in successfully larger hoops from top to bottom. (i.e. the top hoop is small, just outside the natural figure, the hoops progress larger the further down they are, and the bottom hoop is quite a bit larger than the top.) This undergarment works well for shorter “poofy” dresses.

Tips & Warnings

• Understanding the terms used by bridal boutiques can make it much easier to let them know what you want, rather than the other way around. It's always good to know your options.
• Many times, what we like to view and what looks good on us can be very different things, be sure you try it on before you decide for sure.