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Choosing the Right Fabric for your Wedding Dress

Fabrics for Wedding Dresses

The style of your wedding dress will determine which fabric you choose. Choosing the right fabric can be the difference between a fabulous wedding dress that flatters you and a wedding dress that just doesn’t look right. Some wedding dresses look fabulous in one type of fabric but will just not look right in another. If your wedding dress fits well and is made of the right fabric it will look like a million dollars even if it costs a fraction of the price.

The overall appearance of a wedding gown is made up of many factors. The fabric chosen can make a dramatic difference to your wedding dress. Fabrics all have different qualities that effect the drape, and cut of a wedding gown. Some fabrics hug the body, and give a soft silhouette while others may have more body and are suited to a more tailored design.

Silk fabrics are undoubtedly the most desired and cherished for wedding gowns, and have lustre and luxury. Satin, duchesse satin, charmeuse, shantung, chiffon, organza all can be woven from silk but will behave very differently. All of these fabrics can be made of other fibres, such as polyester or nylon and will have similar properties at a more affordable price.

Below is a list of some popular fabric for wedding gowns with some explanations of their qualities.  You can find definitions of the different Wedding Dress Styles here.

Brocade

Softer, lighter than satin.

Surface: Woven Pattern
Fibre: Silk, polyester
Weight: medium, Heavy
Drape: Semi Stiff

Best for: Structured wedding gowns, A Line, Column, Mother of the Bride

Charmeuse Satin

Softer, lighter than satin.

Surface: Semi sheen
Fibre: Silk, polyester
Weight: Light
Drape: Soft

Best for: Unstructured wedding gowns, flowing styles. Empire, Mermaid

Chiffon

Drapey, sheer fabric not as heavy as Georgette.

Surface: Sheer, translucent
Fibre: Silk, rayon, polyester, nylon
Weight: Light
Drape: Soft, fluid

Best for: Overskirts, layered wedding gowns, sheer sleeves. Ballgown, Empire,

Crepe

Slightly wrinkled appearance, heavier than Georgette.

Surface: Textured
Fibre: Silk, acetate, rayon
Weight: Light
Drape: Soft

Best for: Flowing wedding gowns, soft silhouettes. Ballgown, Empire, Mermaid

Damask

Pattern is the same colour as the fabric.

Surface: Dull jacquard design
Fibre: Silk, cotton
Weight: Medium
Drape: Semi stiff

Best for: Bodices, tailored wedding gowns, shrugs, jackets. A Line, Column,

Duchess Satin

A beautiful heavy fabric with lustrous rich finish. Also know as Bridal Satin

Surface: Glossy, very lustrous surface with a dull back
Fibre: Silk or silk/rayon blend
Weight: Medium
Drape: Semi Stiff

Best for: Tailored silhouette, simple formal wedding gowns, excellent base for embellishments. A Line, Ballgown, Column, Mermaid

Dupion

Heavier, stiffer than satin.

Surface: Semi sheen, smooth
Fibre: Silk, polyester
Weight: Medium
Drape: Semistiff

Best for: Structured styles, suits, jackets. A Line, Ballgown, Column,

Georgette

Light and floaty as a top layer it forms a soft silhouette.

Surface: Sheer with a slight crepe finish.
Fibre: Silk or polyester
Weight: Light
Drape: Soft, floaty

Best for: Layered wedding gowns. Ballgown, Empire, Mermaid

Knit Fabric

Comfortable, yet stable enough to hold a tailored shape.

Surface: Matte
Fibre: Various, wool, polyester, rayon, blends
Weight: Medium
Drape: Soft

Best for: Tailored Suits Mother of the Bride outfits

Organza

Crisp, sheer fabric for top layer or inserts

Surface: Sheer, smooth finish
Fibre: Silk, polyester, nylon
Weight: Light
Drape: Crisp

Best for: Layered wedding gowns, veils, trains full layered skirts. Ballgown, Column

Peach Skin

Smooth, finely woven Micro fiber

Surface: Smooth, soft
Fibre: Silk, polyester
Weight: Medium
Drape: Soft

Best for: Mother of the Bride outfits, Empire line, Column

Satin

In between charmeuse and dupion.

Surface: Lustrous, smooth. Matte satin has a dull sheen.
Fibre: Silk, polyester
Weight: Heavy
Drape: Soft

Best for: Almost any wedding gown. A Line, Ballgown, Column, Empire, Mermaid

Shantung

Similar to dupion with a textured surface, may be satin backed.

Surface: Slubbed texture, dull
Fibre: Silk, polyester
Weight: Medium
Drape: Stiff

Best for: Tailored wedding gowns. A Line, Ballgown, Column,

Taffeta

A stiff fabric with good body. Moire is a watermark pattern.

Surface: Either dull or a light sheen, moire finish
Fibre: Silk or polyester
Weight: Light
Drape: Stiff

Best for: Wide skirts, structured silhouette. A Line, Ballgown, Column,

Tulle

Available in different weights for and stiffness.

Surface: Netting
Fibre: Silk, nylon
Weight: Light
Drape: Stiff

Best for: Layered skirts, veils, under shirts, petticoats. Ballgown.

Velvet

Softer than velveteen, luxurious.

Surface: Plush plain under surface
Fibre: Silk, cotton, rayon, acetate
Weight: Heavy
Drape: Soft but luxurious

Best for: Soft silhouette, full skirts. A Line, Ballgown, Column, Mermaid
Wanda Arnold’s website http://weddingsdresses.tv will help you find your dream wedding dress and buy it online. Helpful tips and information for choosing fabrics and styles. Explanations of different wedding dresses to help you choose your perfect wedding gown. Site reviews and links to online Wedding Dress Stores. You can find explanations of wedding dress styles and tips to help you choose the style to suit your figure type on our website. http://weddingsdresses.tv/wedding-gown-figure-types/.

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Dealing with Hand-Me-Down Wedding Dresses

If you are stuck with a hideous hand-me-down for a wedding dress from your prospective mother-in-law, you are in big trouble. How do you get out of this dilemma without insulting your groom’s mom?

wedding gown

When It’s Hard to Say No

When you and your groom announce your engagement, your mother-in-law already has visions of dusting out her 60 year old wedding dress. Not that she want your groom to scrimp on the wedding budget but for her it is a matter of tradition and would like you to wear the dress her mother wore and which she wore to her own wedding. But when you caught sight of the wedding dress you wanted to scream.

Your groom can understand your dilemma and offer to let you shop for a nice wedding gown but the problem is your mother-in-law. Before you say goodbye to wedding dresses, take a courteous tack and give her the idea that you will use her wedding dress for the wedding rehearsal and have a photo shoot of you in her wedding dress.

If the wedding dress in poor condition and needs massive gown alteration for your fit tabulate the cost of repairing the dress and let her compare it with the prices of more fashionable wedding dresses you have been eyeing for long. If the cost of the repairs can convince her that you are right, you wiggle out of the predicament without bruising her pride and alls well that ends well between the two of you.

Dealing with Heirloom Bridal Dresses

Unless it is an unbroken tradition in the family that family brides wear the 95 year old wedding dress, you have no choice but wear the bridal heirloom on your wedding day. Usually heirloom wedding dresses are cared for and kept in top condition. These are usually made by top couturiers or ordered from foreign countries. Expect the bridal gown to be stuffed with pearls if it came from Japan, or made of the best lace if imported from Belgium.

bridal dress

Because of the several brides using the bridal heirloom of dress, several skillful alterations have been made. If the dress is too long for you, it cannot and should not be shortened because taller future brides may have no uses for it. If the wedding dress is too short, ask the seamstress to improvise without damaging the dress. Just as the wedding dress has been stored carefully for years, you might be wearing your groom’s family ‘crown jewels’. No problem here; jewelry of top caliber is never outdated and always go well with the heirloom wedding gown. You can compensate for wearing these family treasures with stunning shoes from your favorite Italian shoemaker or order custom-made bridal shoes.

Making Do with Hand-Me-Down Wedding Dresses

Wearing a 95 year old wedding dress has a romantic ring to it. But not all brides would give their eyeteeth for second-hand wedding dresses. But in case you cannot say no, ask your mother-in-law’s permission to alter the dress. Warn her though that the dress may no longer be recognizable because drastic adjustments must be made for a good fit. Be gracious enough to show her where changes will be made and hope she changes her mind about your mutilating her wedding dress. But if you are still stuck with the problem, make the most out of your mother-in-law’s wedding dress by altering it to suit your taste and accessorize and hope the next family bride comes soon to get a taste of a 1970 hand-me-down wedding dress.

For your wedding needs, wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding flower Toronto bridal shops can deliver. Visit BestforBride.com today for more choices and amazing bridal package deals.

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The Irresistible Glam of Wedding Dresses

When brides march down the aisle, all eyes are riveted on the wedding dress; the bridal dress is the cherry on the cake so to speak and all brides are beautiful in their stunning wedding dresses. What’s about these dresses that fire the imagination of little girls and stoke the longings for grand weddings?

The Dress of a Lifetime

Every girl has her favorite dress and there are dresses to mark milestones in their growing-up years and during their transition from girls to women. But the best dress of all is the wedding dress. Girls have visions of satin and lace, pearls and bows, misty veils, and flowers, running in their minds when they imagine themselves in a bridal dress. They see themselves as princesses ready to float away to a magical land.

bridal gowns

The wedding gown or dress is the ultimate dress; it transforms ordinary-looking women into gorgeous brides. There must be something about wedding dresses. No wonder, brides spend three-fourths of the wedding preparation time planning their wedding dress. They want the best wedding dress whether it’s a discount dress or an heirloom or a second-hand wedding dress or custom-made wedding gown from top Parisian designer houses.

Wedding dresses are worn once and never used again for a second wedding. It would rather be passed on from bride to another. For a woman who is getting into a second marriage, the wedding dress is still an important detail in the wedding planning. Either it must surpass the first wedding gown or must be less glamorous, but nevertheless, it must still be the best of all wedding dresses. Second wedding or not, this is still the ultimate dress.

The Evolution of Bridal Dresses

Different decades have made their mark on the wedding dress. Traditionally, these dresses were dark in color for white gowns or dresses were difficult to clean. As time marched on, dresses for wedding rituals favored long white wedding gowns. All these changed with each incoming generation. Currently there is breakaway from traditional white nuptial dresses.

The modest styles of these dresses have been replaced with shorter versions and these days it is not unusual to see wedding dresses with thigh-high slits or red or even black wedding dresses. Whatever the changes, the glam does not disappear; instead it comes on hotter than ever to please every woman’s secret fantasy of a wedding dress.

Brides wear their wedding gowns to bungee weddings, parachute weddings, and underwater wedding rites. The more the unusual the wedding, the more brides insist on the traditional white wedding dress. It’s a matter of choice and style and there’s no stopping brides from choosing their style for their wedding getup.

Follow the Glam

If you have a fixation for wedding dresses and planning to have the best wedding dress when the time comes, follow the glam. Keep up with the wedding fashion of celebrities and royalty. You can get several ideas for your dream wedding gown; mix and match some styles, and copy accessories that would impress yourself and your wedding guests.

wedding dresses

While you are still waiting for your dream wedding or for your man to pop the question, keep a vigilant watch on wedding dresses to keep up with changing styles. It’s the glam of your wedding dress and beautiful bride that will make your man proud as peacock when you march down the aisle.

Shopping for a wedding dress? Take a look at the glam wedding dresses that money can buy. You can always get a stunning bridesmaid dress for your bridesmaid too. For gorgeous wedding flowers Toronto bridal shops have these too. Visit BestforBride.com today.

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Tips for Teens: Choosing Evening Dresses

Prom time is the most exciting date on a young girl’s calendar. The prom ushers a young girl’s coming of age and she must at all cost look the best belle in the ball. She must have the best of the evening dresses, stunning accessories, and a rented limousine to take her to the ball.

Don’t Go Overboard

Too excited for their first ball, young girls are easily carried away with visions of themselves in sexy slinky gowns. Fine. But if you are only 17 you still have to observe decorum in dress. Baring yourself like a pole dancer wouldn’t speak well of you; instead of getting admiring glances going in your direction, you earn snide remarks and rolling eyes from your teachers.

evening dress

Dress like royalty. Simple lines but luxurious fabrics spell CLASS in evening dresses. You can wear a halter top sequined dress, a divine backless little black dress, or a flaming red sheath. In short, observe the school’s dress code for the prom. To add drama to your outfit, accessorize. Ask your mom to help you match or complement your dress with accessories – jewelry, shoes, and bag.

There are stunning evening dresses at bridal salons, which you can rent or purchase. Big names in design like Alfred Sung, Jasmine Collections, After Six, Mari Lee, Aglaia, and J. Valentina are among the designer dresses available in these shops. You can browse the selections online and visit the shop if you find something interesting. If you need accessories, the shop carries several adorable blings that would stop your friends in their track.

Don’t Be a Clone

Stand out on prom night; don’t go for the same run-of-the-mill evening dresses. To get more ideas for your prom dress, start looking around three months before the prom. Get the latest issues of magazines, and keep an eye on red carpet events just to get an idea for your evening dress. Clip pictures of the dress you like and show it to the sales clerk or have it copied by your seamstress.

Do make a mental note of the hairstyle, shoes, and accessories that went with the dress so you can reinvent yourself on the big night. This will also save you time wondering what accessories would go with your evening dress. But do try on different styled dresses to find which suits and flatters your body type and make it a point that you try on evening dresses within your budget range.

Before Prom Night

When you have found your dream dress, buy it 2 weeks before the prom. If you buy the dress months in advance, you might gain or lose weight because of the stress thinking about the Prom. Who wouldn’t stop thinking of the big night? During the week of the prom, try on your dress, shoes, and accessories. Practice walking in your high-heeled shoes and check how you carry yourself in that dress.

evening dresses

If you think the shoes does not go well with the dress, you still have time to buy another pair and some stuff for the prom. If mom can afford it, have a hair and make-up session at the local beauty salon just to have a look and feel of your Prom look. Sure, go ahead and click away with the camera so you can observe yourself in different angles, the way your friends can see you so when prom night arrives, you are confident of your looks. If you are raring for Prom Night, start looking at evening dresses. The earlier you start looking, the more ideas you’ll get for your prom dress.

For prom dresses, evening dresses, and the best wedding dress, and flowers for wedding Toronto shops have them all. Visit BestforBride.com today.