Best and Worst Wedding Gown Trends for 2017

It’s always fun to look ahead to what new items designers of wedding dresses will try to entice brides with each year.  Fashion can be fun, even as a spectator sport.  And if you are looking for a wedding dress, here are some trends you might see.

Here comes the bride, all dressed in, Whaaaaaaaaaat is she wearing?!

They Are Trends, But…

Yes, color once again is walking up the runways with much ado about pink.  So from soft, barely-there pink to shocking, steal-the-show pink, there are designers wanting you to blush.

And blush you might if you were to wear the barely-there gowns that give the illusion of flesh under feathers or floral lace.  It is difficult to imagine the wedding that these dresses would complement, but for the celebrity in need of more media coverage, these dresses offer the illusion of much less dress without the fear of a wardrobe malfunction.

Then there is the return of the plunging neckline that does not go to the naval but nearly does.   Like a boomerang, this trend, much like the use of pink, has returned.  It is eye-catching, and for those wanting to grab social media’s attention, these immodest dresses will fill a news feed.

Also a trend, but kind of pointless, is the wedding-dress-but-not.  They are dresses that in some way declare that the person wearing them is the bride, but this is accomplished because the dress or suit is all white.  Or the person is holding a bouquet.  Or maybe they are walking down the aisle and…. OH!  She’s THE bride!  I almost didn’t realize.

And the use of color is a continuation of what we’ve become accustomed to seeing.   I do think brides ought to look at colors for their gowns as some are just too beautiful for words.

Best of the Wedding Trends              

The trend that is very elegant and sweet, however, is the return of the off-the-shoulder wedding gowns.  If you have pretty shoulders, like people who have pretty backs, then that is a look worth trying.  The best of these gowns are light, flowing frocks that have ethereal or flower-child qualities.

The trend that is practical and perfect is the modular dress.  If a big, poofy gown is attractive, but getting around in it is not, the idea that you could detach a wedding gown’s beautiful, albeit cumbersome, feature is appealing.  Many of this type of gown start with a column or shaft-style dress which by itself is very beautiful and elegant on slender models.  It would be difficult to gauge if a full-figured woman would be happy with the results; however, satisfaction would depend on how body confident the bride would be.  Some women are very good with their curves.

What I Miss

If there is a trend I miss it is the mod-inspired dresses with their belted waists and A-line skirts.  I also like the shorter lengths and cocktails dresses.  They of course didn’t disappear and should be on the racks, but the designers weren’t putting an emphasis on them this time around.  Hopefully they haven’t gone anywhere.

Making It Your Own

After seeing so many gowns, I have to say my favorite, especially from real weddings, has to be the gowns that have a tailor or seamstress touch-up, most conspicuously with a little color.  There was a gown I saw with a tartan belt that was just beautifully tied in with the wedding.  I also adored a Tiffany blue touch on a tea-length gown that was beautiful.  I’d love to see some gold or yellow touches on a gown.  The touches of black or red, whether in piping or embroidery, are always reliably beautiful, too.

I think anything you do after-market to make your gown unique is very desirable.

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