While most plus-size brides opt for a gown with sleeves, strapless and corseted dresses can be flattering on fuller figures as well.For the bride-to be, the search for a wedding dress is a big deal. When she is plus-size, it becomes an even bigger one. About 70 percent of women in the United States wear a size 12 or larger, according to Census Bureau statistics. The sample size for most wedding gowns is an 8.
“Plus-size women frequently have a difficult time shopping for bridal gowns or special-occasion attire,” said Geri Brin, editorial director of Figure magazine, which is geared to plus-size readers. “Retailers don’t have appropriate sizes in stores for them to try, and the selection of fashionable styles is few and far between.”
At Wedding Wonderland, a bridal boutique in West Knoxville, plus- size customers add up to a lot of sales.
“It’s probably about 45 to 50 percent of our business,” said Monta Vaden, a salesperson and certified wedding consultant for the store. “We have a lot of plus-size girls that come in.”
The percentage includes customers who wear 10s and 12s, which are not typical plus sizes. In the bridal gown game, though, women usually have to go up in sizes because the European-cut frocks run small. That means that size 10 becomes a 14 and the 12 an 18. In the bridal gown industry, plus sizes begin at 14 and can go up to size 32.
At Wedding Wonderland most of the plus-size brides-to-be wear sizes 22 to 24. Many women in this size range look for certain features in a dress.
“They are looking for dresses with more of a sleeve,” Vaden said. “That can be hard to find since the trend is strapless right now. They want the short sleeves, cap sleeves, the angel sleeves. Also, they want the fuller gowns that are going to hide some of the things they don’t want to show. For most of them, anything slim is out of the question. They don’t like dropped waists either. They go for empire waists or something that flows.”
Bodices and skirts light on embellishment are also in demand.
Vaden said Victorian-flavored gowns with full split-front skirts, a la “Romeo and Juliet,” are popular, as are traditional styles reminiscent of their mothers’ wedding dresses.
However, Vaden and other co-workers at the store are trying to steer their full-figured customers to more daring styles.
“We are starting to get them into corset backs,” Vaden said. “It took awhile to get them convinced they could wear it. We have a dress that has a corset over a zipper that is one of our best sellers.”
As for strapless gowns in general, “as long as they have the chest and a nice shoulder frame and are comfortable in it, they can carry it off.”
The experts at Bride’s magazine encourage plus-size brides to go for the less-is-more approach when it comes to silhouette.
“Big is beautiful, so don’t try to hide your size under a poufy gown,” the magazine says. “Show off a full, toned figure with a slim silhouette in a fluid fabric that skims your body.”
Many leading designers, including Bonny, Allure, Alfred Angelo and Mon Cheri, offer plus-size gowns. However, some companies stop at a certain size, such as Pronovias, which goes to size 20.
When a dress is ordered, it takes about three months to arrive after being made to order.
Although more material is used, the cost is usually about the same as a misses-size gown. Some makers tack on an extra $50 to $100 because of size.
