Wedding Dress Terms: Silhouettes

Here is some terminology to know when you go wedding dress shopping.

A Line - tapered or tight fitting bodice, with a close fitting waist that slowly tapers to a flared hem.

Antebellum - dress with a tight fitting bodice, with a natural waistline that dips two inches to a point in the center front.

Asymmetrical - fabric falls to one side from the natural waistline.
Ballgown - an off the shoulder bodice accented by a natural waistline with a lavish, full skirt.

Blouson - drooping fullness in the fabric from the bodice to the waist, gathered at or below the waist.

Bustle Back - a gown with an exaggerated fullness in the rear of the skirt, built with a pad or frame. This is often done with a bridal train for easier movement at the reception.

Drop Waist - the bodice may be loose, tapered, or tightly fitted, with the waistline of the dress dropping several inches below the natural waist.
Empire - small, scooped bodice gathering at a high waist with a slim yet full skirt. (A raised waist is a waistline that is about one inch above the natural waistline, which may or may not be an empire waist.)

Princess - slim fitting bodice and skirt with vertical seams flowing from the shoulder to the hem of the skirt; accentuates the waist but does not hug the body.

Sheath - narrow, body hugging style without a waist.