Your Neckline
Whatever your shape, the most important decision starts with your waist. You can go with your natural waistline, move the gown's waist line up or move it down. Depending on your body type, each has an advantage.
Higher waist lined gowns are advantageous for women with larger hips. Moving the waistline up de-emphasizes your hips. It has a slendering effect. An empire waistline is placed just beneath your bust.
Another possibility for those with a small waist but larger hips is the princess seam. These designs create vertical lines that draw eyes upward while slenderizing the hips.
Brides with large busts and a small to average waist are the best candidates for a lowered waistline. The most common is the Basque waist. This is placed lower than the natural waistline and comes to a point at the front. It's often defined with cording or embroidery, and helps slenderize most body types.
