FashionEtc.com April 19th, 2024

Lace Probably the most classic of all wedding dress fabrics, lace was everywhere this season. And not just one kind of lace: Chantilly, Alencon, and guipure were all represented. The delicate cloth was used as both the gown fabric and as an accent detail. This strapless mermaid gown by Vera Wang has floating lace and organza appliqués.

Covered Up Fashion and royal watchers expect that Kate Middleton's wedding dress will follow the lead of princess brides including Lady Diana and Grace Kelly. In other words, not so much skin. While strapless wedding dresses are the number one silhouette, many designers featured at least one with sleeves, capped, short, and to the wrist. This Carolina Herrera ivory Chantilly lace gown features an illusion crew neckline and short sleeves.

Full Tulle Skirts Volume is in, thanks to celebrity wedding gowns. Nicole Richie made a huge impact on bridal fashion when she wore a ball gown with a full skirt. Marchesa, who designed Richie's wedding wear this past December, created this strapless dress with a skirt of layered tulle.

One-Shoulder Necklines For brides who want to bare shoulders but are concerned that a strapless bodice won't give them enough support, designers sent out asymmetrical or one-shoulder looks. Perhaps they took inspiration from the runways' cocktail dresses we've seen the last few seasons. Designers used a variety of fabrics—tulle, lace, organza—and embellishments like beading, embroidery, and brooches to add more dimension to a simple fabric shoulder strap. This one-shoulder silk faille gown with beaded detail is by Amsale.

Mixing Fabrics Gowns have been traditionally satin or lace or organza. Not anymore. Designers used two or more fabrics to create unique looks with more dimension and interest. Tulle mixed with satin; lace and organza; gazar with tulle. This Reem Acra tulle gown features floral embroidery on the cap sleeves.

Blush-Colored Gowns When Reese Witherspoon decided to wear a light pink Monique Lhuillier wedding gown to her March 2011 wedding to Jim Toth, it was no surprise that blush became this season's alternative to white. Whether you're a first- or second-time bride, as was Witherspoon's case, a colored wedding dress is perfectly acceptable for both ceremony and reception. Monique Lhuillier's Spring 2012 bridal collection featured several blush gowns, including this embroidered drop-waist corset bodice with full illusion tulle skirt.

Pleating Some variation of pleating in tulle, satin or organza was featured in almost every collection, whether on a dress skirt or bodice. Pleats vary in size from accordion to wider widths, but they surprisingly don't add that much volume to the silhouette. Vera Wang's dusty rose, strapless sweetheart soft mermaid gown has a cascading French tulle and organza skirt and a sunburst-pleated bodice.

Light and Airy/Tulle While some designers featured ball gowns with tulle, others used it to create a walking- on-air look. The fine net fabric is very light and can easily be manipulated. Since it is sheer, it can add dimension over a more textured fabric or embellishment. This strapless ball gown by Christos has a pleated tulle overlay on the bodice and is accented with a beaded belt.

Peplums Peplums create a short overskirt attached at the waistline. This season, designers featured peplums in a myriad of fabrics and with a variety of embellishments. Elizabeth Fillmore's Nuria features a tulle peplum on a silk strapless gown with a floral embroidered bodice.

Tiered Skirts Designers added dimension to skirts by creating tiers. Usually made of the same material as the gown, tiers can be narrow or wide. Some designers also featured detailing, such as beading and embroidery, on the hem of each tier. Oscar de la Renta's white silk taffeta gown has a pleated square-neck bodice and tiered skirt.