Wedding Dress Neckline and Waistline Terminology

Buying a wedding gown can be terribly confusing. There is a different name for everything, some of which we use in our everyday life and some have never made it into mainstream life. Today’s input are the definitions of the most common wedding dress neckline and waistline terminology to help ease decision making process - after all after the dress there is still the bridal bouquet and so much more to decide on, so why not make it easy.

Necklines

• Bateau or Sabrina: This neckline follows collarbone from one shoulder to the other with a slight curve.
• Halter: Straps go around to back of neck
• High Neck: The High collar actually brushes the chin.
• Jewel: Encloses the natural neckline like a tee shirt.
• Off-the-Shoulder: Gown sits just below shoulder line and is held up by bodice
• Portrait: Wide scoop that sits just on shoulder bone.
• Queen Anne: Higher on the sides and back of neck, open to the bra strap line, and ending in a sweetheart shape.
• Queen Elizabeth: The Queen Elizabeth has a collar that stands high in the back and forms a "V" in the front.
• Scoop: Similar to the Bateau but with a deeper, rounder cut.
• Spaghetti Straps: Thin straps that go over shoulders
• Strapless: The Strapless neckline attaches around the rib cage and does not employ straps to hold it up. Such a gown is kept up by bodice
• Sweetheart: The front is heart shaped with a back that is higher going straight across from shoulder to shoulder.
• V-Neck: Shaped like a "V"

Waistlines

• Basque: A dropped waist style that dips below natural waist forming a "V" in the center of the gown.
• Dropped: Waistline that sits just a top the hips
• Empire: High waistline just below the bust
• Princess Cut: A term sometimes applied to gowns, especially a-lines, that have no defined waist
• Natural: Waistline sits between the empire and dropped waistlines

I hope this helps. It can be helpful to understand the details so you know what the clerk and the bridal boutique is talking about. At the same time don't forget to take the entire package into consideration - and this includes your wedding shoes. Ultimately, it is not the name of the design that matters, it is how the entire ensemble comes together.