Evening Dresses For Every Body Type: A Guide For Perfectly Fitting Outfits

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Whether you’re attending an awards night, a black-tie wedding, or even a charity ball, you’ll need a formal gown that will bring out your personality.

It doesn’t matter if you’re buying ready-made or having bespoke attire made for you. You need to have an excellent understanding of your body’s contours and unique characteristics and their impact on the way dresses fit you. This way, you can get an evening gown that flatters you and reflects your personal style best.

In this article, you’ll learn about the anatomy of evening dresses in Dubai and the styles that best suit every body type – including your own.

The Anatomy of an Evening Dress

Before you begin matching a dress to your unique body type, you must first learn about the main parts of an evening gown. This way, you’ll understand the roles they play in the overall appearance of your outfit.

Silhouette

The silhouette refers to the gown’s overall outline or shape. It is the most important element you must assess since it provides the structure for the entire look.

For example, a fitted bodice combined with a bell skirt exudes a Cinderella vibe more popularly used in designing wedding dresses and ball gowns.

Meanwhile, the empire silhouette has a softer, more feminine high waistline that exudes a period vibe, making it the perfect choice for an awards night.

Other form-fitting or body-contouring styles, such as the sheath silhouette, boost the wearer’s sensual appeal and can be a sleek style used for modern evening dresses.

Neckline

The neckline is not only one of the first things people notice in a dress, but it also sets off the face. Think of it like this: If your face is the portrait, your neckline serves as its frame.

Necklines can sit high to provide full coverage (i.e., jewel, bateau, and mandarin) or low to highlight the décolletage (i.e., sweetheart, one-shoulder, and portrait). It can also be used to emphasise an accessory, a graceful neck, or a robust set of shoulders.

Waistline

A dress’s waistline describes the horizontal seam joining the bodice with the skirt. Like the sleeves and neckline, the waistline contributes to the gown’s signature style and enhances the appearance of the silhouette.

The waistline also brings shape and balance to the dress and can be placed higher or lower in the midriff.

Sleeves

Another thing that adds interest and balance to the gown, the sleeves are based on how much skin the wearer is willing to show.

Its addition is also significantly linked to the season, which is why summer gowns usually have sheer sleeves or no sleeves.

Hemline

The hemline describes the gown’s length.

For formal affairs, a floor-length hemline is the most appropriate and commonly used both in ready-made and bespoke dresses. However, knee-length gowns can also be considered, depending on the occasion.

Fabric and Finish

The fabric and finish of an evening gown depend on the cut, style, texture, season, and drapery.

These two things can mean a world of difference for any similarly designed dress because of the unique characteristics of the materials the dress is made from.

For instance, some fabrics cling close to the body while others hang loose. Materials can also be combined to form the layers of the dress.

6 Body Types and the Dress Styles That Suit Them Best

There’s no one-size-fits-all in clothing, in terms of both style and actual literal size. This is why bespoke tailoring in Dubai remains an essential segment in the fashion industry.

However, people can find that one style that enhances their look, especially in evening gowns. The key is to know your specific body type and match it with a dress style that complements your unique body shape.

Read below the six body types and the various dress style options they look best in.

  • Apple

As the name suggests, an apple body type is characterised by a wide upper body frame, a roundish mid-section, and a slim lower body. Body shapes having shoulders with the same width as or broader than the hips, completed by an undefined waistline, can also be categorised under this body type.

People with this type of body should wear dresses that create a more defined waist area. They also benefit most from being selective with the neckline of their dress, preferably those along the lines of:

  • Off-shoulder
  • Sweetheart
  • Deep V neckline

Strapless ball gowns with an A-line silhouette and plenty of skirts also work best for apple body types, especially when worn during formal affairs.

  • Busty

Sometimes called the “inverted triangle,” busty body types often have a larger chest area or fuller bust and narrower hips.

To complement this narrowing shape, choose a dress with an A-line silhouette and flared skirt to balance out the wider upper body. Other styles that help support the bust while enhancing the appearance of the lower body also work well with this body shape, such as:

  • Mermaid dress with short empire bodice
  • Plunging V-neck with a flared end

Avoid gowns with high necklines as they emphasise the bust even more.

  • Hourglass

Hourglass body types are very distinguishable because of their well-defined waist. They are mostly curvy in the bust and hips, sporting the most symmetrical appearance out of all the primary body types.

To flatter this body shape, choose figure-hugging outfits that show off the body’s natural silhouette. Open-back dresses are also quite popular, though you might want to keep the neckline as simple as possible (e.g., round neck).

While you can wear just about anything with this body shape, your best choices include:

  • Fit and flare gowns
  • Wrap dresses

  • Pear

Considered the exact opposite of the busty body shape, pear body types have a narrow shoulder area, going wider down to the hips. It also has a uniquely wider waistline compared to the bust, like what you’ll see in the fruit it is named after.

To achieve balance, choose gowns with structured tops that draw attention to the right places. You can also design your bespoke evening dress with statement necklines to make sure you highlight your best assets.

Some of the styles that work best for pear-shaped bodies include:

  • Plunging V-neckline
  • Cowl neck
  • Dramatic bell sleeves

  • Rectangle

Sometimes referred to as “tall” or “slender,” rectangle body shapes don’t usually have a defined waistline and are not so curvy. In many cases, they come with equally wide hips and shoulders, which often appear athletic.

An athletic figure typically benefits from drawing attention to the defined shoulders or arms. To achieve this, pick out dresses that sport:

  • Racerback-style or halter necklines
  • Strapless tops

Outfits that hug the hips and bust also work well, especially when combined with a flared tail or narrowed waist, since they add the necessary subtle curves to the ensemble.

  • Petite

Petite body shapes come with a short and slim upper half and a smaller overall stature.

Pieces with high-belted waists work best with this body shape because it creates an illusion of longer legs. Gowns in block colours also help draw attention to the entire length of the dress.

In less formal gatherings, people with petite figures could also benefit from showing off their legs and avoiding floor-length dresses as much as possible.

The Perfect Gown

There’s no universal dress style or design that works for everyone, but there is that one perfect gown that can show off your unique beauty. Use this article to learn more about the anatomy of dresses to determine what dress styles suit you best.

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