Photo by Z Wedding Design
Many young girls dream of wearing a fairy tale dress with a huge flowing skirt on their wedding day. As grown women, not everyone wants to be all trussed up as they walk down the aisle. Some women prefer their gown to be sleek and elegant. Of all the figure-hugging gowns in the market today, the mermaid wedding dress is by far the sexiest. Women looking to tease their grooms need to consider this lovely piece.
The Basic Design
The key feature of this gown is its silhouette. The dress is form fitting from the shoulder to the waist and continues to follow the bride’s body all the way to her knees. At that point the skirt will flare out to create a fishtail effect. The gown designs can vary significantly depending on the type of neckline, the width of the flare and also the material used to create the lower portion of the skirt. Brides, who are more dramatic, will love wider billowing skirts. The sheer volume has to be balanced with an equally magnificent veil and bold jewelry.
Notable Variations
The fit and flare and the trumpet have a fit fitting bodice like the mermaid, but only the latter has a true fishtail. Knowing how to tell the three apart makes it easier for you to describe your desired gown to the sales staff at the boutiques and department stores.
Photo by Kinici Photo
Mermaid: As mentioned earlier, the dress will hug your body all the way to the knee then flare out. The flare tends to spread out more dramatically compared to the other two designs to create a noticeable tail. However, due to the way the gown clings to your body until your knees, you may find it difficult to walk in the dress.
Trumpet: The flare starts around mid-thigh or slightly above the knee. It spreads out more gradually compared to the sudden flare of the mermaid gown. Since the skirt starts closer to the torso, the size of the hips is a lot less noticeable. Those with wider hips will look much better in a trumpet gown, because they won’t appear too bottom heavy. Having the skirt taper away from your body at this length still makes it rather hard to walk.
Fit and Flare: Like the other two dresses, the bodice highlights your natural figure, but it begins to widen at the hips. The gentle flare does not show off the bottom and the waist as much as the trumpet or the mermaid. Since the dress doesn’t cinch at the knee or mid-thigh, you will find this design the easiest to walk in.
Photo by Chris Ling Photography
Ideal Body Type
Women with an hourglass figure will rock this dress. The close fitting lines flaunts their shapely body. Moreover, as the flaring of the skirt can be used to balance out the upper and lower body, their naturally small waist is further emphasized. You can also consider this gown if you have a slender boyish frame, because the cutting helps to create feminine curves. Adding details like diamante to the area or wearing a sash creates an illusion of a tiny waist for a straight, rectangular figure.
Those with a pear-shaped figure may want to avoid the mermaid dress. The fitting nature of the dress will make those already big hips appear wider and the flare of the skirt will make their small top look even more out of proportion. The apple-shaped figure doesn’t far any better. Given that their rounded waist and tummy, the form fitting style makes these imperfections more obvious.
Photo by White Link
How to Choose a Mermaid Wedding Dress
1. Take Accurate Measurements: You may want to get a professional seamstress or tailor to take your measurements when you are ordering a mermaid dress. They will know how to adjust so that you will be comfortable. Usually this means leaving approximately a finger’s width under the tape for some areas like the waist.
2. Wear Appropriate Undergarments: You need to invest in a set of seamless undergarments. Putting on ill-fitting undergarment results in many unsightly bumps and lines along your supposedly smooth silhouette. Wear the set of undergarments you intend to wear on your wedding day to your dress fitting to ensure adjustments can be made to keep them hidden.
3. Stand with Your Feet Apart: When measuring circumference of the skirt, keep your feet at least six inches apart. This will create enough room for you to walk comfortably on your wedding day. You may want to practise taking smaller steps to avoid tripping over the hem or ripping the skirt.
Photo by AndroidsinBoots
4. Select a Suitable Fabric: You can play around with colours or contrasting textures to create a more interesting dress. Typically the top part would be made from satin or silk because these fabrics creates a more structured bodice. Using these same materials for the bottom will create a slimmer flare, whereas materials like chiffon and organza makes it much more dramatic.
5. Match the Top with the Skirt: The choice of the bodice style should complement your figure and skirt. While sleeveless and strapless sweetheart necklines tend to be more popular, you can always choose to have a mermaid gown with sleeves to balance out the flare of the skirt. However try to avoid long, loose sleeves as they will ruin effect created by the bodice.
The mermaid dress is a lovely versatile piece for any curvaceous bride wanting to make a grand entrance. Full-figured women who aren't too fond of their bottom may want to swap to either the trumpet or fit and flare instead. After all these two styles are just as lovely as the mermaid gown.
