Strapless Gown prevalance

Borderfox

http://mobile.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/05/strapless_wedding_gowns_they_re_unflattering_why_are_they_so_popular_section_doublex.html

Interesting article on strapless dress style.
I would agree with quite a bit of this, from a photographers point of view.

Toto Wolfcastle

They're hugely popular and an awful lot of dresses in the shops are strapless. Unfortunately they don't suit a lot of people. Thankfully straps can be added but I don't think that happens often enough.

People like different things though and if they want a strapless dress then they should have one.

toadfly

Oh god yes I agree. I dont want a strapless dress, anything but. I have found a lot of dresses that I like though so I think different necklines are coming back in. Strapless dresses dont suit most people. They def dont suit me. Makes me look much wider than I am.

Toto Wolfcastle

I think the girl in the article is over thinking it though. The wedding dress industry didn't make it difficult for her. It's very easy to add straps to a strapless dress without having to get one made.

Borderfox

I have seen Brides with great figures ruined by strapless dresses and I would agree with the girl on the article when she says that you pay quite a lot for a single wear item and the designer should work harder for that cost.

angeldelight

I have to say I totally agree. I've been to so many weddings where the bride worse a strapless dress and it simply didn't fit her right on top leading to a very unflattering shape. When I got my dress I totally fell in love with it as soon as it was on, and wanted it straight away. It was strapless and the lady in the shop looked at it for a second, then came back with some material and quickly made up some temporary straps so I could see it with them on and I'm not kidding it just transformed my whole shape. If it wasn't for her I'd have taken it strapless just because I loved the rest of the dress so much and didn't know better!

Misticles

I would only want a strapless dress... I think straps do nothing for me at all

Acoshla

I went for straps (to be pedantic it's a V-neck) purely because the majority of brides go for strapless, strapless sweetheart neckline suits me, straight across does nothing for me, but I'm just so sick of seeing basically the same dress on brides for years! Same reason I didn't go for a dropped waist poofy yoke.

boogaloop

Great article, thanks OP. I am another one that is fairly sure already that I don't want a strapless gown. Whatever about cleavage spillage, it's the 'back fat' spillage that I hate on a strapless gown - even on slim girls I think that can be an issue.

I would really like sleeves, even chiffon sleeves would do, but I imagine it's going to be hard to find an off the rail dress that has these - am I correct?
My bingo wings never see the light of day & of all days, I dont want to break that tradition on my wedding day when me & my hubby will have a lot of the attention on us.

Anyone come across dresses with sleeves? TBH, I haven't even started looking properly yet so hopefully I might be surprised & find more out there than I expect.

Lastly - did most of you brides or brides to be bring someone with you when shopping for your dress? I'm debating going on my own (I hate shopping anyway, this is my least favourite part of the wedding) but would it be silly? Mainly in case I get talked in to something I don't really want by an over enthusiastic shop owner!

BC

I went for straps, they are difficult to find but are there if you search.
I didn't want a strapless one that you add straps too because ultimately it's still a strapless dress. The structure of the dress and the support are strapless. Adding straps on to it is just for visual reasons, it doesn't actually provide the structure and support that straps should normally provide.

Acoshla

Boogaloop I've seen these lovely things on etsy, a lace thing like a closed shrug for want of a better description, that you can put on over a strapless dress and it gives a lace neckline and sleeves, they're beautiful! And pretty cheap.

Most people bring someone with them to go dress shopping, for a second opinion from someone who knows you and what you like. I brought my mum and my best friend/bridesmaid, I went shopping for a friend's dress with her too and she'd previously been with her bridesmaid, but we like shopping anyway so it was fun. Particularly if you don't like shopping I would bring someone, your urge might be to try a dress, look in mirror, take it off, try another, but with someone else you can chat a bit about it, what you like and don't like about particular dresses, and they will give honest opinions on what it looks like to them and the back of the dress etc, whereas shop assistants can lie! The good shop assistants don't but some do, I've had them tell me things were nice when they were awful.

tatli_lokma

saw these on dragons den
http://www.fatphrocks.com/wingz-shrugs-boleros-cardigans-plus-size/Bridal-Wingz

As another poster says, even adding straps to a strapless dress doesn't change the structure of the dress, so if like me you are not a skinny minnie you could still end up with back fat overhang or having your boobs all mushed into your ribcage or worse still spilling out the top of the dress.

My dress was originally strapless, but it was a size bigger than needed. This meant straps could be added and the dress altered so that the straps took some of the weight, thereby not needing the back to be so tight that I ended up with back cleavage! My main reason for straps was actually because strapless makes me look quite broad. The clincher was the back fat when I tried on some of the dresses!

Acoshla

I have a friend who got married recently and when she saw the photos and video she was devastated her bridesmaids or mother had never pointed out that she had back fat in the dress, she asked them afterwards and they said they hadn't wanted to ruin the dress for her by telling her, she wasn't pleased! As mentioned even the thinnest brides can be shoved into a corseted strapless dress and can have the overhang at the back when they move certain ways, not a good look!

Penny Dreadful

I didnt' want a strapless dress for two reasons. The first being almost every one has the same look. The second being that I have small boobs and I'd have to be practially sewn into the dress to make sure it didn't move and I didn't want to feel uncomfortable in the dress and be pulling at it all day.
I went to one dress shop and got really annoyed as the sales girls, although lovely, kept trying to put me into the very kind of dress I had clearly stated I didn't want. Decided I was not going to get a dress in that way and opted to have it made instead.
Now having a wonderful (IMHO at least:o) halter neck dress that is made specifically for me, it flatters all my good bits and is kind to all my not so good bits. I love it.

Best bit is I get to wear it in 34 days!!:D

Borderfox

http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-dresses/ideas/short-wedding-dresses/2

Do many people wear Wedding Dresses with just one strap? I seen a dress in a shop window recently (one strap) and thought it looked great (and I'm a man).

Can't recall ever seeing a bride actually wearing one though (though I'm not at too many weddings, so...)?

Borderfox

I have only seen one in the weddings I have done. Looked nice too

Gatica

BC wrote: »

I went for straps, they are difficult to find but are there if you search.
I didn't want a strapless one that you add straps too because ultimately it's still a strapless dress. The structure of the dress and the support are strapless. Adding straps on to it is just for visual reasons, it doesn't actually provide the structure and support that straps should normally provide.

That is absolutely true. I think the strapless are pretty and I'd have gone strapless probably if it wasn't for some rather conservative family. So I decided to add cup-sleeve straps. They look really lovely but don't support the dress in the least. In fact I think I'll get them attached with clips so they'll be detachable. The dress pretty much sits on my hips and the straps take no weight.
It's a shame brides aren't offered more choice on that front. I'd have loved a classic round neck, sleeveless design.

flikflak

Strapless dresses are everywhere and I think they look awful on so many people if they dont get them fitted properly. The amount of gaping and the unflattering look of most of them really do nothing for some brides. I like halter neck styles but there are not too many about compared to the standard strapless numbers. I dont think adding straps to a strapless really works either.

DebDynamite

A strapless dress can look very elegant if the bride wearing it is slim with nice lean arms and an attractive collarbone area (not too bony of course). I really don't like to see a woman with a larger upper body wearing a strapless dress.

Some brides really need to learn to dress for their shape rather that what's currently popular in wedding fashion.

I don't think I would do down the strapless route, purely because in a few years, the photos will scream "noughties bride" (and thatever you call this decade!) and won't won't age very well imo.

Dolbert

DebDynamite wrote: »

A strapless dress can look very elegant if the bride wearing it is slim with nice lean arms and an attractive collarbone area (not too bony of course). I really don't like to see a woman with a larger upper body wearing a strapless dress.

Some brides really need to learn to dress for their shape rather that what's currently popular in wedding fashion.

+1 to all of this, it's one of the hardest styles to pull off. I always cover my upper arms and didn't want a bolero so it was difficult to find an alternative style. Eventually I ordered a dress from China with an off the shoulder neckine which just skims my upper arms and is much more flattering. I never saw anything like it in the shops though.

ABajaninCork

Trying to find a dress with straps/sleeves was an absolute nightmare. EVERYTHING was bloody strapless. Even worse, it was mostly straight necklines which didn't suit me as I have a short neck, and a large bust.:mad: My ideal dress would've had 3/4 length sleeves as they look best on me. But couldn't find anyone to make it.:(

I eventually found one that looked nice and was able to change the neckline to a dipped sweetheart. Didn't realise until the dress came that it actually had detachable straps, which although not ideal at least I didn't go strapless!

I kind of wish I could go dress shopping now. There are so many great dresses with sleeves and nicer necklines!:D

hoodwinked

DebDynamite wrote: »

A strapless dress can look very elegant if the bride wearing it is slim with nice lean arms and an attractive collarbone area (not too bony of course). .

i agree, however being that slim girl with lean arms i still couldn't go for strapless as i would have spent the day pulling it up as my boobs are too small to hold one up, i have never found a strapless dress that would not fall down eventually. so even then its never perfect!

i went with one that 3/4 length sleeves.

whatdoicare

My dress was strapless and I'm a bigger busted lady - I thought I looked great

Cathmandooo

I'm very glad not to have read this thread before dress shopping. I think there's enough to be organising and to be worried about without worrying about how your collarbone goes with your dress!

It's a shame that if you're looking for a dress with straps that they aren't as available but most dresses can have straps added even if they are for cosmetic purposes

Once a bride is happy and comfortable in her dress that's all that matters. I've seen women of all sizes look amazing in strapless dresses. Nothing wrong with them or dresses with straps IMO

kandr10

whatdoicare wrote: »

My dress was strapless and I'm a bigger busted lady - I thought I looked great

I was thinking the same reading this thread!

LeeHoffmann

I was thinking the same reading this thread!

you probably looked great, but there´s a lot of people that feel they look awful in a strapless number. I´m another one of those and I can understand peoples´ annoyance and frustration when they are met with rails and rails of dresses that make them look and feel ugly, with very little alternative. I researched bridal shops online and found a store in Galway (Belladonna Bridal) that had plenty of dresses with straps of various length etc. I went there during a sale (I live in Dublin btw) and found a dress that suits me far better than any strapless one ever would.

Gatica

I love belladonna, that's where I got my dress. They also have a newly built plus-size area now, which includes a private changing room, try-on staging area and specifically stocked with dresses in more appropriate sizes. It's only opened up in the last few weeks, couple of months. (Don't know what styles they stock there though...)

DebDynamite

whatdoicare wrote: »

My dress was strapless and I'm a bigger busted lady - I thought I looked great

Oh no, I wasn't talking about brides with bigger busts - they can look great in a strapless dress, I was talking about brides with large arms and rounded shoulders.

tatli_lokma

no two brides are the same or have the same body shape. Not all brides with big busts look good in strapless, some do. Some look great, but like me don't fancy a dress that feels like you are going to fall out and many strapless dresses feel like this.

Nobody is saying strapless dresses are awful, the message I get is that whilst they are nice and suit some people there are alot of us out there who don't want that style, but unfortunately bridal designers seem to think that all wedding dresses should be strapless. As a result it is difficult to find a nice dress which is not strapless. The gripe I think is that
a) choice is limited if you don't want a strapless - designers seem to think one style suits all
b) because so many dresses are strapless many brides get wrongly advised by shop staff and sometimes family to wear a dress that does nothing for them. The problem is, with so many strapless dresses some brides don't have a dress with sleeves to draw a comparison. If they saw themselves in an alternative they might realise the difference a dress with straps or sleeves would make.

And finally, there are plenty of people out there that have body dismorphia in that they think they look like a size 8 when they are in reality a large lady. For these people no amount of advice or suggestion will convince them otherwise. They just can't see the back fat overspill and never will. And at the end of the day, what does it matter? as long as they think they look great, they feel great and the groom agrees, well who are we to judge?? ;-p

hoodwinked

whatdoicare wrote: »

My dress was strapless and I'm a bigger busted lady - I thought I looked great

that was the point i was making, to make strapless work you need a big bust, anything small like mine and it falls down around your waist.

its all about accepting your body for what it is and not trying to push it into a style (like strapless) that doesn't suit it.

and designers should stop designing for one very particular body type en masse just because its easier for them!