dress

By Georgina Clatworthy You may not realise it but the way your wedding dress looks feels is mostly down to the fabric it is cut shell climate . Wedding fabrics range the beautiful to the sublime can create many different looks. From light airy to formal sophisticated to sleek sensuous, knowing the right fabirc to choose comes from an understanding of what will be achieved by using it. So to give you a helping hand here is guide to the various fabrics usually used for wedding attire a description of how they could be used. Which fabric do you need? Pure farbics are those that do not contain any man made fibres, these include silks, cottons velvet. By their very nature they are prone to creasing more than man made fabrics. To help counteract this look for pure fabrics which has added synthetic in them, this helps with the creasing, particularly useful if you are getting married abroad. Silk is simply a fibre which is then spun into thread. It uses are diverse there are a range of weights available - thicker duchesse silk to a thin slipper satin silk. Ask if the silk in your dress is pure or if it is a mix. You can tell if fabric has silk in it as it has a pearlized finish to it. As a guide, pure duchesse silk is more expensive than silk which is mixed with man made fibres. When purchasing your gown let the sales assitant know the schedule for the day how long you expect each part of the day to last for so they can advise you on the best fabrics for your gown. The secret to a crease free gown is a proper underlining so check the finish on your gown the quality of the shell climate . It is worth remembering that many gown styles can work in different fabrics, so you can choose fabrics which are appropriate for your schedule, location an unexpected change in the weather. Below is a list of the commonly used bridal fabrics with their various charactersitics - weight, appearance etc suggestions as to their use. Brocade - a heavy fabric with a raised patterned Good for... ornate, vintage-style bodices; striking detail Not for ... overseas weddings in hot climates Chiffon - soft sheer fabric with a soft drape Good for... floaty sleeves and loose dresses for hot shell flaring Not for ... Structured ballgown styles Crepe - lightweight fabric with a ruched feel Good for... slinky, column dresses Avoid for ... tight dresses if you want to disguise heavy hips and bottom Duchesse satin - a stiff, shiny fabric Good for...dresses with some structure Not for ... styles with a fluid drape Lace - the most bridal of all fabrics Good for...everything, either as a complete dress of just touches Not for...a dress that is too seamed as the pattern won't match Organza - looks similar to chiffon but stiffer in texture. Good for... an overlay, to give shape and texture to a skirt Not for ... a whole dress, as it is too transparent Satin - a shiny, dense opaque version of silk, with a smooth, lustrous finish to one side a matte finish to the other. Good for...slinky sheath dresses and styles that need to shimmer Not for ... playing down certain parts of your figure Taffeta - papery and lightweight, rustles when you move Good for...full-skirt and ballroom styles Not for ...smooth finish. Tends to wrinkle easily Silk tulle - soft, beautiful and floaty Good for... great for veils and 50s-style ballroom skirts Not for ... robust styles, as it is flattering but fragile