Formal Boutique Dresses

Boutique formal dresses are still the outfit to wear to special occasions. Long dresses at one time were worn only for that unique formal affair, but now you find short formal dresses at these events also. What events call for formal dresses? Usually the first things that come to mind are weddings, high school proms, dinner parties, cotillions and/or dances. If you search you can find hundreds of formal dresses available in many different colors, styles, and designs.

Many types of formal boutique dresses are available to every woman. Designers have made dresses for all body types and all ages. The various types of formal dresses include variations of the; A-line, ball gown, pencil, and circle. An a-line design is a dress that is fitted at the bust line, but as it moves down the body the flare grows wider towards the floor. A ball gown has a full skirt. The pencil gown falls down the body narrowing as it flows down towards the floor, with a slit for easy walking. A circle formal dress is gathered at the waist growing wider as it gets longer. There are other styles but these are the basic styles for most formal dresses.

Another feature besides the skirt, of these fancy dresses includes the sleeves, straps and the bodice. The dresses can have long sleeves, short sleeves, or no sleeves. Straps can be spaghetti, crisscrossed, or strapless. The bodice can be as varied as the skirts of the dress.

The material of the gowns also makes a difference in formal dresses. Silk, chiffon and taffeta are the main types of fabrics used to make the fancy frocks. Blends of these fabrics can also be used for formal dresses. Lace, ribbons, and pearls can be used on the dresses to make them even fancier.

There are five fundamental wedding dress styles: princess, empire, mermaid, and ball gown. These styles match the styles of the formal gowns discussed earlier. When we talk about bridal gowns, the princess gown is the traditional a-line dress, so it has the “V or A” shape. A gown highlighting a high waistline is the empire dress, where the skirt flows down to a slimmer skirt. A fitted gown at the top, the mermaid dress flows with the body and then tapers closer to the bottom giving you the mermaid shape. The ball gown is a fitted bodice and has a waistline flowing out into a very full skirt. All of these gowns are typical wedding dress that many look at as they try to match their personality to this very important formal gown.

After finding the style or design the next question is whether or not to select a dress with a train. The train has the ability to change the whole look of the dress. The train is the long portion of the dress that is behind the dress, it trails the gown giving the bride a regal look. The type of dress, the location of the wedding, and the time of your wedding are all factors that must be considered when thinking about the train.

In this section we will also look at the train. The type of trains include the; royal train, the cathedral train, the chapel train, the court train, the sweep and the watteau train. The royal train is the longest which measures ten feet from your waist. The cathedral train is seven feet from your waist. At five feet long the chapel train is half the length of the royal train. The most popular length is the court train at three feet. The shortest train is the sweep that barely sweeps the floor behind you. The watteau is a single panel that is attached to the shoulders in the back of the dress and falls to match the length of your dress.

Prom dresses are another type of formal dress. Let’s explore variations of the neckline the arm treatments and bodice on these dresses. The bodice is the “body” of the gown in the area between the neckline and waist. The bodice styles are the corset, the empire, the halter, the midriff, the princess-line, the surplice, and the tank bodice. The corset is styled after the modest foundation with the same name. The halter wraps a sleeveless bodice around the neck. To accentuate a small waist you will want the mid ribcage midriff bodice. The princess-line has two vertical seams that run from the bust the hemline. The surplice criss crosses either the front or the back of the formal gown. The tank bodice looks like the regular sleeveless t-shirt style with wide armholes.

Boutique formal dresses have many different designs and styles, depending on what you are shopping for you can find the right dress for your wedding, or prom, or that special occasion. Consult the formal dresses boutique for more information!