A few months ago we wrote about the difference between mermaid and trumpet style wedding gowns. We still get a lot of questions on this, so we thought we'd revisit the topic.
In a nutshell, we said that mermaid wedding dresses are usually fit snugger (more snuggly??) through your hips and thighs, to your knees, before they flare out. And the flare is usually quite severe. Trumpet wedding gowns, however, are not usually so tight through the thigh, and the more gentle flare starts above the knee.
But then I looked at our stock, and the description of the dresses on the manufacturers' websites, and I decided it doesn't really matter what you call them. Read why…
This wedding gown from Allure Bridals is probably the most mermaid-ish style we have in our Phoenix bridal store right now:
See? Fitted through the thigh, flares at the knee. But when I look on their website, it just calls it a "fitted skirt". Hm.
So I pulled out one of my favorite lace trumpet gowns from Eden Bridals. We call it a trumpet wedding gown because it fits looser through the hips and thighs, the bell shape of the skirt starts higher on the leg, and it doesn't flare as dramatically as the mermaid dress.
We all see those features, right? Well, their website calls it a mermaid style gown. So there ya go–even the experts don't all agree.
To throw another wrench in this style-naming scheme, we also should mention that some wedding dresses seem to change shape a bit in larger sizes, as the manufacturers sometimes change proportions a bit. That means that a straight (small) size mermaid wedding dress might, as a plus size wedding dress, look more like a trumpet gown because it is cut fuller through the legs. Wedding dresses look so different on the size 4 models than on plus size brides, so that makes it so important to try them on.
I will reiterate, though, that mermaid gowns show off the full shape and curve of your hip. The trumpet style gown shows off the top curve. So if you think you are "hippy", you may not like the mermaid style. The mermaid wedding gowns typically are more flattering on brides with a defined waist and fairly proportionate bust and hip size. Trumpet gowns are more forgiving.
As I've said before, Phoenix brides, when you visit Strut you don't have to know exactly what you're looking for. It's our job to help you find the perfect dress–one that fits and flatters and makes you feel beautiful!
