Length and form

Ball dresses are normally long dresses that reach at least down to the ankles. Ball dresses come in two lengths:

Ballerina length dresses reach to the ankles.

Full length dresses reach down to fhe floor.

Necklines are often low, leaving the neck uncovered. Bare shoulders are sometimes acceptable depending on the occasion.

Material

Appropriate materials for ball dresses are normally shiny and luxurious materials such as silk, satin, taffeta and velvet. Further glamour is often added to the beautiful materials by decorating them with embroidery, pearls, lace etc.

Accessories

Shoulders

When extra ‘covering’ of the shoulders or arms is needed, a shawl, stole, cape, cloak or opera coat would be appropriate.

Jewellery

Jewellery that goes with ball dresses is usually luxurious vintage or couture jewellery. Do not be afraid of becoming too shiny or flashy when frosting yourself for a ‘white tie’ event. Watches should only be worn if they are decorated to look like jewellery.

Decorations

At events where state decorations are worn by participants, married women are normally expected to wear Tiaras. If the ladies have state decorations themselves, these are worn on a bow pinned to the chest of the dresses.

Gloves

In previous centuries, gloves were an absolutely indispensable accessory for ball dresses. Gloves worn for a ball should be opera length (elbow length). The color can be either white or a color that suits the ball dress.

Bags

The most suitable style of ladies’ bag for a ball dress is the ‘clutch style’.

With this simple guide to ball dresses and their accessories you will hopefully feel much more secure when choosing what to wear for your next formal event.

Strapless dresses – the fit

The key to looking great in a strapless wonder is to find one that fits you perfectly. Dresses that are too loose will hang very low and you might end up spending most of the evening pulling up at your dress or worrying that it will drop down completely. At the same time, a dress which is too tight might make you look like you are being squeezed out of the top of it. Strapless dresses have the right fit, when you feel encased in them without being uncomfortable and still being able to breathe and move freely. The dress should firmly ‘grip’ your bust without pushing it up over the top. The strapless dresses with the best fit are also often dresses that have quite a tight fit around the waistline or right under the bust.

Strapless dresses – the bra

Unless your strapless dress has a built-in bra, it will be necessary for you to wear a strapless bra for bust support. Many strapless bras tend to slide down in the course of time. If you have this problem you might find it helpful to invest in a bra which extends down towards your waistline. The added support from this design will prevent the bra from sliding down. You can also try and pin the bra and the dress together. Many strapless bras have detachable straps, making them useful for other occasions as well.

Strapless dresses – the length

Straplesses dresses look most elegant when they are at least knee-length. Strapless dresses with the proper length can look very exclusive, whereas dresses that are too short easily look cheap and tacky.

Strapless dresses – the accessories

Strapless dresses for formal occasions normally look best with high heels. Flats will make a strapless dress look very relaxed and informal. This might be appropriate for wearing a strapless sundress to the beach, but not for going to a cocktail party. Jewellery is a must for strapless dresses. Without a necklace you will look too bare and your style will seem ‘unfinished’. You don’t need extravagant jewellery – just something pretty for people to look at when your strapless style has drawn their attention to your neck. A bracelet will also be a great addition – especially if you feel that your arms look too bare. For keeping warm in the evening or on colder days a shawl or a shoulder wrap is the perfect match for a strapless dress.

Hopefully these few tips will help you decide whether to go for the strapless style next time you are looking to buy an elegant dress. If you are feeling insecure about the idea of wearing strapless dresses, invite an honest and trusted friend to give his or her opinion on the matter.

Whether you are considering to tie the famous knot on the beach, in a garden or in an exotic destination such as Hawaii, you still have many decisions and things to consider. One of these is the choice of your casual wedding dress.

Casual – not chaos

While a casual wedding can be relaxing, it still needs careful planning in order not to end in chaos. This also goes for your choice of wedding dress. Although casual weddings normally offer freedom from the normal expectations and conventionalities, there are therefore still a few things for you to consider when making your choice among the ever growing selection of casual wedding dresses.

Which style?

Because casual weddings are so ‘open to interpretation’, you have very free hands in your choice among casual wedding dresses. Which style will you go for? At this point you are allowed to dream. When you decided for the casual wedding, you probably had some ideas in your mind about the sort of wedding that you would like. Do you still remember them? Close your eyes an imagine yourself in the scenario. What are you wearing? As soon as you have a clear image in your mind, take some notes or even make a drawing. Bring these notes when you go out shopping for casual wedding dresses. Also write down some keywords about your dream dress and your personality (romantic, free, bohemian, natural etc. etc.)

The right fit?

Although you might already have a mental picture of your casual dream dress, it could be valuable to consider your body shape, skin tone and best hairstyle in your choice among casual wedding dresses. While many formal wedding dresses are extravagant and enchanting enough to make almost anyone look like a princess, casual wedding dresses – in their modern simplicity – could look too common if the color, shape and style does not bring out your own natural beauty and make you look vibrant and elegant.

How formal?

Casual wedding dresses range from very casual to relatively formal and it takes sound judgment to make the appropriate choice. If you are not sure exactly how casual you would like your wedding to be, you can ask yourself: Are there certain traditions and formalities that I would still like to uphold in my informal setting? Do these influence my choice of wedding dress? How would I like my guests to dress? How do I avoid that my guests are either over- or underdressed compared to my wedding dress? Knowing my friends and family, how would they feel more comfortable? What is most practical for everyone in the setting that I’ve chosen?

Is it practical?

Consider which design of casual wedding dresses would be practical in the setting that you’ve chosen. If your wedding is on the beach, it would involve walking in sand and being exposed to wind, water and sun. Wherever your casual wedding will take place, ask yourself: What will be practical/unpractical in this setting? What would it involve if I chose a large veil, a long dress, a strapless design or a dress that would only look good with high heels? What dress material would be most suitable for the weather conditions and the activities at my wedding? If you choose a design which is not practical for the setting, you might look great in the morning but end up either too hot or too cold, with messy hair, aching feet, burning red shoulders or a dirty hemline. Having chosen a casual wedding, you probably value comfort and freedom.

The selection of casual wedding dresses gives you the freedom to choose a length, design and material which is both elegant, practical and comfortable. So take the time needed to find the dress that satisfies all your needs and at the same time makes you look absolutely smashing!

White dresses and your skin tone

This article will introduce five different skin tones: Cool, warm, ebony, bronze and olive.

Cool Skin Tone

Common for the cool skin tones is that they have cool undertones such as blue and pink. Your skin color can range from very pale to very dark and still have cool undertones. If your best colors include cool colors such as purple, pink, blue, pastels etc. your skin belongs to the cool tones. Also, silver normally looks better with cool tones than gold.

Choice of white dresses: Cool skin tones often look great in bright white, because this shade of white in itself has an undertone of blue. Jewellery should be silver and flowers could be held in other colors that go well with the cool skin tone such as pink, purple, blue and pastels.

Warm Skin Tone

In contrast with the cool tones, the warm skin tone is golden with a yellow undertone. Pale skin can also be warm, but in this case the undertone will be peachy, while the darker skin colors will have golden undertones. Warm skin tones normally go best with warm and earthy colors.

Choice of white dresses: Ivory white is a good color with this tone, since it brings out the color of warm tones. Gold and silver jewellery both go well with ivory white dresses and either can be chosen based on whether you’d like to warm up or cool down your look. Other colors that go well with ivory are burnt colors such as amber, brick red, camel or maybe a warm green.

Ebony Skin Tone

Ebony skin is a rich, deep brown color with undertones of yellow, blue or red.

Choice of white dresses: Dark skin colors are easier to match than the pale colors. For the ebony skin type, both white and ecru can work well. Ecru is the color of white silk or linen in their unbleached state and is thus a very natural color. Both gold and silver jewellery look great with the ebony skin tone and other colors to match could include earth colors, red, khaki and the rich and dynamic tones of gemstones.

Bronze Skin Tone

The bronze skin tone is a warm tone with yellow, red or sometimes orange undertones. This tone normally looks better with gold than with silver.

Choice of white dresses: The bronze skin tone also has the choice between white and ecru. Golden jewellery will look best with this skin tone and other colors should be the same as those for the warm skin tone (see above).

Olive Skin Tone

The olive skin tone is a tone with a yellow or greenish pale.

Choice of white dresses: The natural color of ecru white is also the best choice for the olive skin tone. Combine with golden jewellery and complement with dark and bright colors such as navy blue, black, cool browns and jewel colors.

Hopefully these few tips will be a help in your search for the perfect color of white dresses to match your skin. Of course, if you find the dress of your dreams and you feel beautiful in it, don’t worry too much about the exact shade of the color of the dress. After all, your wedding day is your day, and the important thing is that you feel happy and comfortable.

The history of white dresses

In earlier times, women normally would not buy wedding dresses solely to be worn at their wedding. They would often just choose a formal dress, which could be used at later occasions as well. Most colors were acceptable for wedding dresses – perhaps with the exception of black and red, which were the colors of mourning and prostitution respectively.

It was not untill the mid 1800s that white dresses started to be used as wedding gowns. The first famous woman to spark the interest for white dresses is said to be Queen Victoria, who went against tradition and married in white. It was a shocking event at the time, but the idea was also fascinating to many and white dresses started to become trendy.

For decades after this, thought, it was still only rich families who could afford to have their brides married in white dresses. A white wedding dress was a signal that this family could afford to buy a formal dress especially for the wedding, since these traditional white dresses would not be suitable for any other occasions than one’s own wedding.

Why white dresses?

There are many theories as to the origin of white as the appropriate color for Western wedding dresses. While some look to religious and historical reasons, most people today pay more attention to color symbolism than to religious tradition.

Among the many things symbolized by white are light, purity, truth, peace, innocence, security, life, marriage (in Western cultures) and hope. Weddings are often perceived as symbols of happiness and harmony and carry the feeling of something ‘new’. As such, white is thought to be a very appropriate color for weddings and white dresses continue to be the popular choice.

Who can wear long dresses?

In short, anyone can wear a long dress. No matter whether you are tall, short, pear shaped or apple shaped you can look great in a long dress. Depending on you body shape you might choose different styles of long dresses. For example, petite women might choose an empire, A-line or wrap-style, while pear shaped women might prefer a dress which is fitted in the top and widens out over the hips. Apple shapes should avoid long dresses that are too baggy, but rather choose dresses that accentuate the legs and the bust and create a waistline. The neckline is also an important feature. V-necks are a favorite with most long dresses and also looks flattering with most women, since it makes the neck look longer and draws the attention upwards towards the face.

How to wear long dresses

Long dresses are normally designed to be worn without needing to add extra pieces of clothing such as tank tops, t-shirts or leggings. In the summer, an elegant and yet comfortable look can be achieved by wearing your long dress with a long necklace or a scarf loosely flung around your neck. A thin, fitted cardigan in a matching or complementary color can serve to keep you warm in the evening or on colder days without detracting from the casual elegance of the long dress. A large, fringed shawl also looks great with a long dress, since it can hang very low around your back without outdoing the dress. If your long dress is made of a more exclusive material such as satin, chiffon or silk, it will also do very well as an evening dress. Wear it with high heels and a shiny necklace and earrings for a formal look. For colder weather add a small jacket, stola or cloak. Other accessories that are suitable for formal occasions include long gloves or opera gloves and a purse.

We hope that with these few tips you will be able to make long dresses an essential and highly appreciated part of your wardrobe.

If you have already started looking at graduation dresses you might have found yourself overwhelmed by the enormous variation in styles, materials and colors. How do you pick the right one among the huge selection of graduation dresses? In this article you can read some basic tips which will make your search more enjoyable and less confusing.

Start early

It takes time to find the right dress among the forests of graduation dresses found in shops specializing in graduation dresses. Start a few months before graduation. This will also help you avoid the rushes of last-minute-shoppers roaming the shops the last few days before graduation.

Find out what you want

Spend some time looking at pictures from magazines and the Internet. Cut or print out pictures of styles and colors that you like. Think about your choice of style for some days before you go out looking for dresses. This will prevent you from making a spur-of-the-moment choice and ending up buying a dress that you are already tired of the next day.

Take your time

Set aside time to try on dresses. Some graduation dresses only look good, when they are on. If a shop assistant recommends a certain dress, consider trying it on even if you didn’t immediately like it. You might be surprised at how good it looks on you. Experienced shop assistants will know what style and color of dresses suits your figure and skin color. Of course, it still has to suit your personality. If you think the style is too ‘girly’, too ‘old-fashioned’ etc. don’t buy it. If you don’t feel comfortable in a dress it will show, so stick to your own choice of style and be patient.

What is special about BCBG dresses?

When starting his BCBG line of clothing, it was the idea of Max Azria to take fashion into a new direction by combining the sophisticated European styles with the American spirit. In designing his dresses Max Azria is especially inspired by women’s styles such as that of Audrey Hepburn and his styles are indeed both as feminine and as elegant as the women who inspired them. BCBG dresses are characterized by their simple, yet elegant cut and their bright color palettes, which enhance and compliment the female figure.

Why do women buy BCBG dresses?

Although the prices of BCBG dresses are quite reasonable for a renowned designer brand such as Max Azria, BCBG has become an increasingly popular brand on Hollywood’s red carpets. Stars such as Sharon Stone, Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Garner and many more are often seen wearing these popular dresses, spreading some of their stardust on the BCBG concept. Not often do women have the opportunity to be seen in the same designs as their favorite celebrities, but with his BCBG dresses Max Azria has made it possible for real women to wear real designer clothes.

Length

One key to looking taller is to make your legs look longer. Petite dresses are often not longer than knee length, since this style will make your legs look longer. If you like to wear longer dresses, make sure they go all the way down to the ankles. A dress that only reaches the middle of your lower legs does not work well for petite women, who would like to look taller. At the same time, a dress that is too short can make you look very young and girly. If you go to shops that specialize in petite dresses, you will be able to get honest opinions on what length works well for you.

Style

Styles that are popular for petite dresses are generally styles, which make you look taller. They include:

Empire dresses: The waistline is placed near or right under the bust.

A-line dresses: A dress style which is narrow at the top and widens out towards the bottom. It has little or no shaping at the waist.

Sheath dresses: A fitted, figure-shaped dress with or without shoulder straps. Most petite dresses are sheath style.

Wrap-around dresses: Dresses that are wrapped around your body, creating a natural V-neckline and a diagonal direction. Also extremely popular for petite dresses.

Whatever style or length you decide to go for, remember always to try on clothes before you buy them and pick the styles that you feel comfortable in. After all, looking tall is not more important than feeling good.

Making celebrity dresses work for you

The right colors: Find out which hues look best with your skin and hair – and respect it! Don’t be a slave of fashion when it comes to picking the color of dresses. A certain color won’t necessarily make you look beautiful just because it’s in fashion. Even a real celebrity with all her advisors sometimes makes this mistake when picking her dresses. Bring someone out shopping with you, whom you can trust to be honest about what colors of dresses work best with your natural colors.

Don’t overdo it: Choose what to make the focus of your outfit – the dress or the accessories. If you love sparkly, colorful or elaborate accessories, then wear them with simple dresses and vice versa. Celebrity dresses are often very colorful and richly ornamented in themselves. If you wear too much jewellery with celebrity dresses like that, you risk overwhelming people with too many details and might look like you are trying too hard.

The right motives: When looking at celebrity dresses, ask yourself what you are trying to achieve by wearing a certain dress. Do you hope to impress others, make a fashion statement, attract attention, make others jealous? None of these motives are particularly good for achieving a good result, when shopping for celebrity dresses. It sometimes seems that the celebrities have been under too great pressure when picking out their dresses. Pressure to please others – especially the fashion experts – can confuse even the most self-confident celebrity. Don’t choose dresses on the basis of what others might or might not like. Pick dresses that YOU like, try them on and get an honest opinion from someone, who knows you and whose viewpoints you trust.

Respecting your figure: Respecting your figure doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to stick to dresses that cover up every feature, which is not according to standard. Having a round bottom or big thighs can look feminine (e.g. Beyoncé, Queen Latifah), but you need to know how to show them off without losing your dignity. Think of this principle when looking at pictures of celebrity dresses. Ask yourself: ‘What feature has this celebrity decided to show off. Is it working? Could I pull it off too?’

Look in the mirror! A certain style of dresses might look wonderful on your favorite celebrity, but it doesn’t mean that the same style will necessarily suit you. When wearing a certain style, take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself: ‘Does this style really suit me or would I look better in something else? Be honest to yourself.’

Consider these points the next time you are looking at celebrity dresses and you will be in a good position to pick out dresses that make you look as glamourous and stylish as your favorite celebrity on the red carpet.