I remember when I first went wedding dress shopping. The ladies at the salon were throwing around wedding dress terms at dizzing speed. I couldn’t even understand, let alone keep it straight. If you are wondering as well, here is a glossary of wedding dress silhouettes to help ease the confusion.
A-line: fitted at the bodice and flows out to the ground, with an unbroken line (resembling the outline of an uppercase A).
Ballgown: fitted at the bodice and has a waistline that leads to a full skirt
Mermaid: fits closely to the body from the chest to the knee, then flares out to the hem
Sheath: fits very closely to the contours of the body. Has a straight skirt with no waist
Trumpet: fits closely to the body until the midhip and then widens gradually to the hem – resembling the mouth of a trumpet. (Often confused with mermaid, but trumpet flairs from mid-hip, whereas mermaid flairs below the knee).
And if you are wondering the difference between chiffon and organza. Or chapel vs. cathedral length trains. Check out our Wedding Dress 101 section.