Bridal gowns come in every different shape and style you could ever imagine (and then some), but not every bride wants the trendy sheer bodice with a plunging neckline that hits just about the belly button. Seeing these trends flood Pinterest pages can worry some more modest brides, making them think they can’t get a beautiful wedding dress without making a large amount of custom changes to a gown. It is possible to look beautiful and elegant without showing much skin in the process. Below are our favorite neckline and sleeve options for a more modest bride to look absolutely stunning on her wedding day.
Neck lines:
-Boat neck- this neckline accentuates the collar bone by falling just below while scooping up at the top of the shoulders.
-Scoop neck- a mix between a boat neck and a sweetheart style, this neckline shows slightly more chest while still keeping you covered from all angles.
-Mock neck- a turtleneck's little sister, the mock neck style shows off your long neck while allowing optimum detail to fill the neckline.
-Illusion neck- most of these necklines could also fall until the illusion neck family. Illusion is simply tulle that is either your skin tone or ivory (white in the bridal world). This is then covered in pieces of lace appliqué and could be either lined or unlined underneath. Illusion is intended to give the tattooed lace look, as if there is nothing there but the beautiful lace. The more lace on the illusion, the more modest the final look is. This also leads to much easier alterations if you love a gown, but wish it covered more surface area.
The sleeve lengths are a little more self explanatory. It’s also good to keep in mind that any full sleeve can pretty much be altered to any of the other sleeve lengths:
-Sleeveless
-Cap sleeve
-Elbow length
-¾ sleeve
-Full sleeve
Another great option to cover a more revealing gown is a bridal jacket, or bolero. These can be removed after the ceremony, or sewn onto the gown for permanent coverage. These come in hundreds of different styles and can be easily added to any gown. They do work best with sweetheart necklines typically. These are also great for anyone’s winter wedding when trying to get photos outside!
With these options alone, you have hundreds of unique combinations for your ideal wedding gown to make you feel comfortable and confident!
Lauren Allen, Author
Lauren is a bridal consultant and self-published author, with a background in celebrity styling and bridal make up artistry. You can find her with an oat milk cappuccino in the morning, and a glass of Cabernet at night, her real passions. Get enough wine in her and she will tell you about her perfectly planned wedding. Just promise not to ask about the groom, that’s one detail she’s still working on. Lauren is based in NYC and her book “How to Be 23” can be found here
