A-line and Ballgown Bridal Dresses: Tips and Suggestions

25th Oct 2018

Great! You've set the date and started dreaming about that special day. Deciding on the perfect bridal gown style is not always an easy task and may take time to find. The first question that would be useful to ask yourself is whether you would prefer a flared or fitted style. If you are reading this article, you are probably leaning towards a flared design so we will give you our expert's advice to help you make the right decision.

We will be focusing on two very popular bridal styles, A-line and ballgown dresses. What are some of the similarities and differences between these two styles and how to best choose between the two ?

A-line and ballgown styles can sometimes be confused with each other as they can be very similar, specially when the ballgown dress isn't extra flared, or the A-line dress more flared than usual. The tops can differ but usually both of these styles are flared from the waist down.

Ballgown styles tend to have much bigger skirts as they have more underlying fabric than A-line dresses. This can usually be seen by having more layers of tulle, or similar volumizing fabrics to create that extra volume. For this reason, ballgown dresses tend to be much fuller around the hip area, whereas A-line gowns usually fall much closer to your hips as the fabric is often thinner and without much layering.

If ballgown and A-line dresses both equally appeal to you, below are a few factors that you can take into account when choosing between these two styles.

Comfort

It wouldn't be surprising to imagine ballgown dresses to be much heavier than A-line styles, as they usually require multiple layers or stiffer fabrics to have that voluminous skirt. Some brides are ready to compromise a little on the comfort if they love a certain design, while others put comfort as their top priority. Keep in mind that ballgown styles usually have trains to have a nice and harmonious continuity, rather than having a lot of volume that suddenly gets cut at floor level, which we wouldn't recommend at all. Trains are always advisable for wedding gowns, as long as they don't get too heavy or uncomfortabe throughout the day. If you're opting for ballgown styles, make sure that only a few layers are extended to the train rather than all the layers of the deress as that would be too heavy. Needless to say, if comfort is your top priority, A-line dresses are your best bet. However, some ballgown styles can be light and very comfortable depending on the fabric that is used. The ballgown picks in our selection below are light and don't come with that extra heaviness that usually accompanies that style.

Bodice

Another factor to take into account is the gown's bodice style you are most keen on. For halter neck designs, we would recommend A-line dresses as that would help you avoid a look that looks or feels heavy, which usually happens when you combine a high neck and closed bodice with a voluminous skirt. Also, if you're going for off-shoulder sleeves, avoid the ballgown look as off-shoulder sleeves give a widening effect to your upper body, which wouldn't be the most flattering when combined with a big skirt. When most top styles are fine with A-line dresses, ballgown styles will look much more flattering and look lighter, more breathable when combined with open bodices such as strapless, sweetheart or deep V necklines that will create that beautiful balance with the heavier lower part of the dress.

Height

Even though we don't often think of height when looking for bridal gowns, it is an important element to take into account as well. Taller women can much more easily get away with ballgown styles as they tend to make the person look a little shorter than they really are, whereas the A-line style will have more of an elongating effect. So unless you're average or on the taller end, it would be best to opt for A-line gowns.

Our Top Picks:

Here are our top picks for ballgown and A-line designs. You can find all these dresses in our beautiful bridal store in Wahroonga. You are most welcome to book an appointment with us to see those gowns or other similar styles in our bridal range. Our stylists will help you find the perfect dress for your special day!