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Design Your Own Plus Size Wedding Gown

Design Your Own Plus Size Wedding Gown

The modern plus-size bride often selects more than one dress for her wedding day. A beautiful gown for the ceremony and a sleek cocktail dress serve as her complete wedding attire.

For the plus size bride with unique style, designing the perfect wedding and reception wardrobe is your first priority.

Using magazines and your curvy shape as inspiration, you can design a memorable and special plus size wedding gown or cocktail dress.

Things You’ll Need:

  • Fashion magazines
  • Sketchpad
  • Colored pencils and markers
  • Fabric swatches

Find your inspiration. Rip dresses out of your bridal and fashion magazines. Try on dresses at bridal salons to decide the best colors for your skin tone. Use this information to help mold and shape your design sketches.

Determine your color palette. If you are a traditional bride, your wedding gown may be eggshell, beige, white or winter white. To add color to the wedding reception, choose a cocktail dress that complements your wedding colors and bridesmaid dresses.

Choose a neckline, sleeves and bodice. The plus size woman looks best in empire-bodices or sweetheart, strapless, off-the-shoulder and V-neck style necklines. Using your colored pencils or markers, also draw various sleeve styles for your dresses such as: raglan, cap, or 3/4 length sleeves. Include vertical draping and seaming in the bodice to help elongate your body.

Draw a figure-flattering skirt. For formal weddings, sketch a trumpet or A-line skirt for your bridal gown. Draw a sheath, goddess or A-line skirt for your cocktail attire.

Celebrate your shape with the right fabric. For the most flattering dresses choose a fabric that skims the body and gracefully moves with you. Choose semifitted long or short dresses that feature your waistline and drape over your curves.

Choose bridal gowns and cocktail dresses made with rayon, crêpe, viscose, chiffon and silk fabrics. Pick three or four fabric swatches to help shape your final design. Avoid stiff fabrics with shine and sparkle around your curvy areas. Fabrics or materials that include embellishments can make you appear larger.

Hire a designer to sew your creations. Bring your sketches, inspiration photos and fabric swatches to your seamstress. Talk about the important details of your wedding such as your vision for the ceremony, style preferences and wedding colors.

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