Today’s advice post is going to be one that our petite brides or brides who have a smaller chest size are not going to want to miss. Every bride wonders what style or silhouette wedding dress is going to look and feel the best on their body and the bust can play a big part of this. You might think that if you have a smaller bra size that you won’t be able to wear a strapless wedding dress or if you are large chested that you will have to wear a wedding dress that has straps and more support. One of our biggest beliefs when it comes to bridal fashion is that there are no rules. No matter your body shape or size, you can wear whatever style wedding dress you love. That said, we do have some things to keep in mind for our small chested brides to help them prepare for wedding dress shopping.
If you're doing your research, be sure to get more of our bridal fashion advice including the truth about strapless wedding dresses, what brides need to know about long sleeve wedding dresses, and all about open back wedding dresses.
Video: Wedding Dress Styles For The Small Chested Bride
Every bride wants to look and feel their best on wedding day and find the perfect wedding dress that makes them feel like a bride. Whether you are a bride who knows what style wedding dress you are looking for, or are not sure what silhouette will look best on your body, wedding dress shopping is bound to bring up a lot of questions for brides. If you are a bride who is more on the petite side, be sure to watch our video sharing the best wedding dress styles for small chested brides before you head out shopping so you will know exactly what to expect in bridal stores.
Start With Research
We always recommend brides do their research before wedding dress shopping in person. When you are narrowing down what bridal store to visit, be sure to look at their website and even social media to get an idea of what bridal designers and dress styles they carry in store. This can be a great starting point for learning what types of dresses you are drawn to and want to try on. You don’t need to necessarily show up to your bridal appointment with a list of specific dress styles you want to try on, but if you have an idea of what elements you like, it will help point you and your bridal stylist in the right direction.
Our Wedding Fashion Expert is herself a smaller chested woman, so if you fall into the same category, we recommend watching some of our social media videos and Youtube videos that feature Nayri trying on some of the gowns we have at Lovella. It’s always going to be helpful to have a visual example, and while the same dress might not look the exact same on your body, it will at least give you an idea of what a certain dress style looks like on a person with a smaller bust size. In the end though, it will depend on how you feel with your chest size in the different styles of wedding dresses.
Bridal Sizing
We have discussed bridal sizing before, but it’s important for brides to know before their dress shopping appointments that bridal sizes are different than your ready to wear, everyday clothing sizes. Do not even pay attention to the size number on the tag when you are trying on wedding dresses. Remember that your bridal dress is going to be ordered based on your body measurements and then tailored to perfectly fit your body during the alterations process.
When it comes to measuring for your wedding dress, your bridal stylist will measure your bust, waist and hips and then consult with the designer’s size chart to see where your proportions fall based on their dress sizes. Your wedding dress will be ordered based on the largest measurement. So if you have a smaller chest size, your hips may be your largest measurement and that means your wedding dress will be ordered in whatever that size is that fits your hip measurements. You might be a size 4 in regular day to day clothing but an 8 or 10 in bridal sizing. This is what the alterations process is for. A dress that is ordered to fit your hips is obviously going to be large in the bust for you but your seamstress will tailor your dress to fit each part of your body perfectly.
It’s important to keep the sizing scale in mind when trying on wedding dresses because you might see some gaping or feel like you are swimming with too much fabric at the top of a dress. Know that your bridal stylist has tips and tricks to cinch or clamp dresses to give it a better fit on your body to help you visualize what the dress will look like more fitted to your body.
Bust Appearance
If you are wanting to give the appearance of a fuller bust, there are some tricks you can employ to kind of trick the eye. You don’t necessarily need more padding in the bust, this is more like a makeup artist contouring the face to give a different appearance. If you opt for a wedding dress that has some ruching or draping fabric across the bodice and bust, it can give the illusion of more volume or fullness up top. Even something like floral detailing or any type of three dimensional detail that will add a little bit of volume is going to work in your favor for giving the illusion of a fuller chest. In most wedding dress styles, the waist is going to be the smallest portion, while the dress skirts flare out at the hips with more volume, so adding a little volume at the top can be a nice silhouette for smaller chested brides.
We certainly have had plenty of brides who want to really amp up the appearance of their chest and this can be done in the alterations process by adding more padding. This route is more like wearing a push up bra to give you more lift and the appearance of fullness. If you are thinking you might want to go this route to really accentuate your bust, we would suggest wearing the sticky bra pads that give you lift and volume when you go try on wedding dresses as it will give you a better idea of what the dress will look like after alterations.
No matter what look you are going for on wedding day, remember that you will not need to wear a bra with your wedding dress. Your seamstress will add any needed cups during the alterations process and will ensure you have the level of coverage and padding you desire. Everything will be sewn in as one piece so you’ll be super comfortable throughout wedding day.
More Helpful Bridal Fashion Advice
We hope you have found this advice helpful when it comes to wedding dress shopping as a small chested bride and considering what style bridal gown to wear. For even more helpful advice when it comes to shopping for your dream wedding dress and finding your bridal style, be sure to check out our past posts:
- The Truth About Strapless Wedding Dresses
- Is Wearing A Bra Necessary With A Wedding Dress
- Tips For Wedding Dress Shopping as a Petite Bride
- How to Choose the Right Size for Your Wedding Dress
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
