Necklines and Waistlines for Wedding Dresses

Deciding upon a wedding dress can be a very challenging task. The wedding dresses have a vocabulary of their own. If you are not familiar with it already, it can be pretty intimidating. Even wondered what damask, scoop, A-line etc mean with relation to wedding gown? Let us put down a comprehensive glossary of necklines, fabrics, waistlines and bodices which may help you get an idea about these terms. To know about different types of wedding gowns, checkout our post 'types of wedding dresses'.

Necklines for wedding dresses:

Bateau or Sabrina - Follows collarbone from shoulder to shoulder. It is a 'boat' neckline which is slightly scooped from one shoulder to another. It is suggested for women with smaller chest.

Halter - As the name suggests, the straps go around to back of neck. It is suggested for short waisted women or women with broad shoulders. Should be avoided by women with thin figures.

Off-the-Shoulder - Gown sits just below shoulder line and is held up by bodice. This neckline is suggested for women with hourglass figure and should be avoided by women with broad shoulders or fuller arms.

Portrait - Neckline with a wide scoop that sits just on shoulder bone. Suggested for women having fuller arms or women who having a short waist. Should be avoided by women having broad shoulders or having undefined collarbones.

Scoop - Scoop is a wide "U" shape neckline. It works with most figures.

Spaghetti Straps - Thin or very thin straps that go over the shoulders to back. This neckline is suggested for women with average or small chest.

Square - As the name says, it is a square neckline. It works with most figures.

Strapless - Again as the name say, there are no straps. The gown is kept up by bodice. It is suggested for women who are petite, have an hourglass figure or full figured. It should be avoided by women having smaller chests.

Sweetheart - Heart shaped neckline. It is suggested for women with hourglass figure or women having larger chests.

T-Shirt or Jewel - Round like a T-shirt. It is suggested fro women with smaller chest and to be avoided by women with larger chest.

V-Neck – As the name says, shaped like a "V" . This one is for women with average size chest. It should be avoided by women with smaller or larger chest.


Waistlines for wedding dresses:

Basque - Waistline dips below natural waist forming a 'V' in the center. It is suggested for women who want a bodice having a slenderizing effect of the gown. Should be avoided by women who are petite.

Dropped - Waistline dips below natural waistline and sits more on hips. It is suggested for women with hour glass figure or larger breasts.

Empire - High waistline just under bust. It is suggested for women with undefined waist, have larger hips or are shorter.

Natural - Waistline sits between the empire and dropped waistlines. This waistline works with most body types.

We will talk about fabrics, bodices, veils etc in next post. Keep tuned.