Find Wedding Dress Fabrics

A Guide to Wedding Dress Fabrics

When looking for your wedding dress, there's a great deal of choice when it comes to fabric - and sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to make a decision, or work out the right fabric for you. Many dresses are made from materials that you wouldn't normally wear for your day-to-day clothes, so it's handy to know what to look for, and the different attributes of each type of fabric. Here's a general guide to wedding dress fabrics and how to wear them:

Taffeta: Taffeta is a popular choice for wedding gowns as it is useful to create structure and shape. A fairly heavy fabric, taffeta has a stiff weave and is made from silk or a silk mix. Great for big gowns and full skirts, taffeta comes in matte or with a slight sheen.

Tulle: Tulle is a slightly stiff, fine net fabric that can be used to add fullness and structure. Made from silk or a silk mix, tulle is light and sheer and is often used to make trains and veils.

Duchess satin: This is a luxurious fabric; smooth and rich. Often chosen for traditional and simple dresses, Duchess satin also combines wonderfully with structured wedding gowns. Made from a heavy silk or silk-rayon blend, this fabric is beautifully glossy and looks expensive.

Chiffon: A classic fabric for wedding dresses, chiffon is a sheer fabric that is usually combined with heavier materials to add detail to wedding gowns, such as cut out sections or sleeves. It can also be used to create layers, underskirts, veils and trains, with its wonderful draping properties.

Silk georgette: This is a light, floaty silk fabric that can be used as a sheer layer over skirts, bodices, as a veil or train. Adding a draping, flowing element to any bridalwear, silk georgette is great for loose-style wedding dresses.

Organza: Organza is much like georgette, except it has a little more body and stiffness, helping to create shape and structure in your dress.

Wedding dress made from taffeta and organza

Italian satin: This fabric is a manmade silk mix that is versatile and resistant to creasing. Great for any style of wedding dress, Italian satin is adaptable and has a smooth, silky finish.

Velvet: Best for winter weddings due to its heaviness, velvet is a sumptuous fabric that can look wonderful with patterns, embroidery or other detailing. Velvet comes in lots of different weights and thicknesses, and can be used creatively to provide both draping and structure.

Don't pass by non-traditional dresses and fabrics, however. Some jersey and simple cotton dresses can be great for summer weddings, with their loose and draping qualities. You can also adapt the fullness of skirts with the addition of underskirts and petticoats, and add to your bridal look with veils and detachable trains.

Whatever fabric you choose for your wedding dress, make sure you take time to feel and try on a variety of dresses to see which is most comfortable and flattering. Some very structured gowns, or those that have in-built corsets, can be very heavy and cumbersome. If you plan on doing lots of dancing at your wedding you might want to consider a second outfit to change into. You also need to take into account what time of year you'll be getting married in - some fabrics are heavier and hotter than others and you don't want to be sweating or freezing on your big day!

Other materials used for wedding dresses include a variety of silks, satins and cottons, and detailing such as pearls, sequins, diamonds, silk flowers and feathers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6481180

Wedding Gown Style

Wedding Gowns With Academy Award Style

The premier fashion event in America each year is the red carpet at the Academy Awards. For fashion lovers, there is no better eye candy than watching the stars make their grand entrance to the Oscars in the latest couture gowns. This can be a great place to get some ideas for your own high-fashion event: your wedding. These are some suggestions on how to choose a wedding gown with Academy Award inspired style.

Each year there are some wide reaching trends at the Academy Awards, and this year the top fashion trend is asymmetry. Almost every one of the fabulous couture gowns gliding gown the Red Carpet had one shoulder, an asymmetrical strapless neckline, or a cascade of ruffles or draping down one side of the skirt. Very few of the top celebrity looks were completely symmetrical, and those that were came across as unimaginative.

Happily, there is now great cross-over between bridal and couture designers (in fact, some designers like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier do both), so there are many stunning asymmetrical bridal gowns available. Choose a dramatic one shoulder wedding dress for a chic couture look. Or opt for a strapless gown with a fitted bodice flowing into ruffles down one side. Play up the drama of the look with striking crystal bridal jewelry sets and fabulous shoes.

Draping was another huge theme in the celebrity fashions at the Oscars. Very few of the gowns had smooth bodices; most were draped, twisted, or pleated in some way, often with draping that flowed down into the skirt. Brides can find some gorgeous gowns which emulate this style. A soft chiffon with gentle draping and pleating can be used to create a Grecian goddess wedding gown. For a more structured style, a tissue taffeta is fantastic when ruched across the bodice. Look for fabric which has been gathered diagonally for a waist slimming effect. An especially fabulous style is a mermaid bridal gown with a draped bodice which remains fitted through the hips and then explodes into a pouf of fabric just above the knees.

Beading and metallic accents were another top look on the red carpet. This is a very easy concept for brides to borrow for their attire. The celebrity couture gowns were not beaded in traditional patterns, but rather to create an all-over shimmer effect of scattered crystals. Use this idea as your inspiration for a wedding gown without a defined break between the bodice and skirt; a column or princess seam dress is ideal for embellishing with a scattered crystal design. The best look is to have heavier beading near the top of the gown, graduating into lightly tossed crystals near the hem. Naturally crystal bridal jewelry sets are the perfect accessories for this all-out glamor style.

Your wedding is your one chance to make a grand entrance like a movie star. Why not play it up with a red carpet-worthy bridal gown which is inspired by the glamor and fashion of the Academy Awards. Best of all, at the end of the day, you get to take home the top prize of all: your new husband, which is way better than a gold statue of a man.

Article Source: By Laura Firenze