One of my favorite parts of working with a bride to find her perfect wedding dress is trying on different fabrics. And I know, that may sound a bit weird, but hear me out…the fabric in which a dress is made can make a huge difference when it comes to the overall feel of the dress.
Are you looking for a bridal gown that’s very grand and classic? Chiffon is not going to give you the grandness you seek. Do you want a wedding dress that’s lightweight and romantic? A heavy satin mermaid won’t be lightweight and will lean more formal.
That’s one of the (many) reason we love to pull wedding dresses for our brides! Each fabric has its own characteristics that affect the overall feel of the gown. In my experience working with brides for over 14 years, the type of fabric a dress is made from narrows her favorites in more quickly than the neckline or strap option on the dress.
So, let’s take a look at the different feelings of wedding dresses you may be looking for and let me recommend some fabrics that will help you achieve that feeling!
(As I always say, in bridal, there is no “right” answer. We’ve had brides wear big tulle ballgowns for a mountain elopement and lightweight crepe dresses for a very large, formal wedding. It’s about what YOU feel the most beautiful, confident and bridal in. This is meant to be helpful and used as a guide for my brides who are looking for a starting point.)
The Comfort Bride
Many times, my brides will mention comfort being important during our initial conversation. Sometimes, brides start trying on dresses and realize they’re willing to give up some comfort to get the look they love and, sometimes, my brides realize that comfort has become their #1 factor when looking for their perfect wedding dress. Wedding dresses are made from several layers of fabric (sometimes 6+ layers) which can be heavy and hot and many have lace or beading on them, which, can irritate sensitive skin. So, when comfort becomes your priority, the fabric of your wedding dress also becomes a priority!
If you’re a bride with sensitive skin and you remember your under arms getting scratched from your prom dress then you may not want a repeat of that. Many times, when I’m working with a bride where comfort is one of her top priorities, I find we start to gravitate towards fabrics like organza, satin chiffon, crinkle chiffon and some lighter weight satins.
Side Cut Outs
If you’re a comfort bride and don’t want to give up the sparkle, gowns that have cut outs under the arms will protect your arms from getting irritated and, as a bonus, these cut outs help with air flow! These are some wedding dresses from our collection that feature those under arm cut outs:
Strap Options
We tend to start to avoid ballgowns with lots of crinoline under their skirts (crinoline is that stiff tulle you’ll find under some wedding dresses that help create the shape in a skirt). We also tend avoid spaghetti straps as they can dig into the shoulders and some lace straps where the lace is sewn on to tulle with invisible thread which can be irritating to some.
Instead of spaghetti straps, my comfort brides gravitate towards off the shoulder straps, thicker straps and even, most commonly, strapless! Here are some gowns in our collection we’d pull:
Comfortable Fitted Bridal Gowns
Historically, I’ve found my comfort brides tend to gravitate toward the soft ballgown and aline shape. However, if you’re a comfort bride who loves a fitted look, crepe can be a really great fabric option! We call it bridal yoga pant fabric for a reason! The only thing to watch for with crepe is it can become a warm fabric depending on the type of crepe and construction of the gown. But again, this is why we love that our brides trust us to pull wedding dresses to try on because we know the small details about dresses like this!
Here are some lightweight, cooler crepe dresses in our collection:
Jacquard & Chantilly
Lastly, two other great fabric options for my brides who prioritize comfort is jacquard and Chantilly lace (although this one can be tricky because there are many stiff chantilly laces out there). This is a great option for brides who also love a classic, romantic look and want some detail to their dress that isn’t sparkle detail (not that Jacquard and Chantilly can’t be sparkly, but it will be more comfortable if it’s not). Here are some of my favorite options:
The Wrap Up
At the end of the day, there are no hard and fast rules in bridal. It truly is about what dress makes you feel the most beautiful and most like a bride. If you ever overhear a sit down with my brides, you’ll hear me say, “you’re going to try on a lot of pretty dresses and if you find yourself thinking how will you choose? Then I’m doing my job showing you beautiful wedding dresses! BUT, your wedding dress is going to be *this* much more beautiful and you are going to feel *this* much more like a bride in it. And when you experience that feeling, you’re going to know exactly what I’m talking about”!
Hopefully this will give my brides seeking a bit of comfort a jumping off point in their wedding dress search! We’d love to help you find your perfect wedding dress, so visit our appointment page to schedule your time with us!
