Style, personality or figure: how do you choose your wedding dress?

When it comes to choosing a wedding dress - both for a civil ceremony and for a religious wedding - women are faced with a preconceived idea that is as powerful as it is limiting: the figure must dictate the cut of the dress, and the dress must be chosen depending on conformation and proportions.

I have no doubt that at some point you've read it or heard it in the form of advice: flared dresses only suit straight-figured women (with small breasts and straight hips); dresses without a neckline (or with a low neckline) do not suit those with a generous bust; if you are small in stature, you have to settle for midi dresses, up to the knees; mermaid dresses can only be worn by tall women with perfectly proportioned figures... and so on.

Through today's article I intend to dismantle this myth , I will tell you why this preconceived idea is untrue. How do I know? Over the past 15 years I have accompanied dozens - if not hundreds! - of women in the process of choosing a wedding dress and two things became clear to me: the theory almost never matches the reality , and there are other much more important landmarks like the silhouette in choosing the dress . As long as you feel like only two or three fits suit you, you're limiting your chances of getting the best dress for you.

For most brides-to-be, the experience of choosing a wedding dress is guided by these traditional principles that, at first glance, seem "helpful". Unfortunately, they can end up limiting your options and inevitably create this tension of finding the "perfect" dress - always chosen based on shape alone!

In reality, what deserves to become your priority benchmark are your personal style (finding that dress that represents you, that enhances you as a whole, as a woman, not just physically) and how you want to feel when you wear the dress ( confident, radiant, beautiful, happy). Only then have you found the dress - the one whose reappearance in the wardrobe, years from now, will move you as much as it did on the wedding day!

"The ideal dress for your figure" is a preconceived and harmful idea

The notion of finding a dress (wedding, engagement, special event, and even casual) based strictly on matching your body type is a product of a time and culture that required women to conform to a narrow standard of beauty and discriminatory. The media coverage of certain female typologies, to which is added the non-inclusive standards of clothing measurements in the fashion industry, influences us more than we can realize. It is very easy to remain a prisoner of this mentality, but perhaps for this very reason it is important to realize that we are not obliged to use these standards as the only approach in choosing a wedding dress. Feminine beauty, after all, comes in all shapes and sizes, and it's not an exclusive domain.

There's one more thing worth clarifying: movies and TV shows make the experience of finding this dress disproportionately emotional. A romantic, dramatic version of this experience has been created, which adds to the toxicity of the preconceived idea I spoke of above. The moment will be presented as fraught with emotions or nerves, the bride-to-be seems metamorphosed by simply trying on a dress model, and those who accompany her are in tears of joy. These scenes, accompanied by the right music and editing, become pure entertainment and are touching for the audience; equally, they present an unrealistic picture of the experience. In reality, choosing a wedding dress is a personal and subjective process , which requires you to explore several styles, to pay attention to countless aspects (does the white you choose suit you? does the dress enhance or overshadow you? is it comfortable, you can move in it easily? does the style of the dress match the style of the wedding and the level of elegance of the venue?), and then make objective decisions based mostly on how you feel (not just how you look) in each dress, instead of to blindly follow a set of rules.

Once you overcome this mindset and free yourself from any preconceived idea, you will be able to choose a wedding dress that reflects not only your tastes, but also who you are as a person : what type of femininity you embrace, what values ​​guide you , what traits personality characterizes you...

Your wedding dress will be tailored to harmonize with your body shape

No matter which of Izabela Mandoiu's wedding dresses you choose, your dress will be tailored according to your measurements (circumferences) and adapted to your proportions (height). This means that the model will be adjusted to fit your glove and at the same time to emphasize the features you want to be accentuated.

The limiting belief I mentioned at the beginning of the article preferred not to take into account the talent and experience of a skilled designer. For a good designer, it's not the size label that matters, but the way that dress respects your body, your style, your personality. Therefore, I advise you not to worry about the size of the dress either; trust Izabela's eye and hand, as well as the experience of the team in her workshop. The chosen dress will be in harmony with you .

Know and understand your personal preferences

Knowing what you really like is an essential starting point in the wedding dress search process. Instead of focusing only on figure and size, take into account all the elements that are important to you, because each can become an influencing factor in the selection of the dress model. For example:

- comfort level: do you feel comfortable in a lace dress or a strapless one? do you get hot and sweaty quickly? what height of heels will you wear on your wedding day? do you prefer the dress to be tighter or looser?

- which areas of your body do you prefer to emphasize (or hide)

- sensory considerations: synthetic materials irritate you, you don't like materials that are too soft and prefer those that seem tight, certain textures create discomfort

- color preferences: do you know your color palette that suits you, do you have a lucky or zodiac color (did you know that the computerized embroidery on the sleeves of the dresses can be customized?)

- the level of modesty (and decency): the depth of the neckline, the opacity of the material, the length of the hem and sleeves

Don't be afraid to communicate all these preferences to the designer or stylist you work with. The earlier you express them, the closer the dress will be to your ideal and will allow you to fully enjoy and live the wedding moment.

Three Izabela Mandoiu dresses for three different brides

The bohemian, dreamy or creative bride

She is the one who will choose a diaphanous dress, long and graceful, embellished with vintage lace or old-style embroidery . Something about her appearance will remind you of Botticelli's Spring. On the wedding day, she will wear her hair in braids or pin flowers in her hair. The dress of a bohemian bride is characterized by a relaxed line and an unstructured silhouette , which allows the fabric (chiffon, lace, silk) to move with the body. Femininity is suggested by the shoulders left bare. It is the best dress style for outdoor ceremonies and rustic themed weddings .

The romantic bride

It is the bride who finds herself in a dress with discreet femininity , but which still has a visual impact. He's not looking for the sparkle of sequins or the drama of oversized sleeves. Layers of overlapping ruffles that move with every step are the details that attracted her to this model, and what convinced her was the modern length and cut that elegantly contours her figure . On her wedding day, all she'll need is fine, simple jewelry, a pair of delicate strappy sandals, and a floral perfume.

The classic bride, who values ​​cultural heritage

She is the one who will choose a dress as simple as it is remarkable, such as this model inspired by traditional Romanian shirts . Our bride will make sure that the embroidery on the sleeves is in a color that she likes a lot (which she will match with the color theme of the wedding, with the bouquet of flowers, with the groom's jacket or tie ), she may want the sewn marks to be specific to the region from which her family comes . He won't beat his head with frills, lace, cutouts or transparencies. Her dress is comfortable, practical, with a restrained elegance. It's the kind of dress that's ideal in any season for a Civil Status ceremony or a traditional, regional themed wedding.

With a big hug we embrace our dear brides and thank them for the trust with which they chose Izabela as their dress designer for the wonderful events in their lives.

*the images in this article are used with the permission of the people present.

Article written by our dear:

Irina Markovits

Clothing Consultant

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