Adding sleeves or straps to a dress is a regular pastime for seamstresses up and down the country, and they can help to transform a standard, off the peg, bridesmaid dress into something more bespoke and amazing.
If you are planning to incorporate either straps or sleeves into the bridesmaid dress designs, you don’t need to worry too much about finding an exact material match; chiffon, either on its own or overlaid against a similar colour and material, in a complementary colour normally works wonders.
This article outlines the most common and suitable sleevs and straps that can be inccorporated into a bridesmaid dress.
|
|
Spaghetti
Thin (1cm) to very thin (4mm) straps either singularly or in pairs or threes. They can either sit on the shoulder in standard fashion or can used as part of the off the shoulder design where they would drape down prettily on the upper arm. Where a single strap is used they can be made to be adjustable with a bra-like adjuster to change the length. They can also be decorated with crystals, beads or pearls or be made to match one of your wedding colours. Spaghetti straps don’t work with sleeves. |
|
|
Standard Straps
Anything bigger than spaghetti straps (e.g. 1cm) is considered to be a standard strap. They can extend to around about 2 inches and can be used in conjunction with different sleeve options. These are less likely to be decorated ornately, or at least any differently to the rest of the bodice as they tend to be cut in a single panel with the bodice rather than added separately as for spaghetti straps. |
|
|
Cap Sleeves
A sleeve which basically covers the very upper arm and shoulder. They tend to be shaped from the under arm out in a curve to a point no more than 1.5inches below the tip of the shoulder. An ideal style for any junior bridesmaid. |
|
|
T-shirt
Half way between cap sleeves and short sleeves, these sleeves will end half way between the shoulder and the elbow. Another style perfect for a jr bridesmaid. |
|
|
Short
Reaching the elbow, short sleeves are a life-saver for anyone living in fear of their upper arms. Having said that - people will be looking at your beautiful smile and how happy you look, not your arms! This is a very traditional option for bridesmaids for a formal wedding. |
|
|
¾ Length
Again, a relatively straight forward description. ¾ length sleeves stop half way between your elbow and your wrist and hence cover three-quarters of your arm. |
For those of you interested in strapless dresses -these are covered in our necklines article - click here to view.
If you haven’t already, make sure that you read the articles on ‘Dress Profiles’, ‘Bodices’, ‘Skirts, Hemlines & Trains’ and ‘Necklines’. Once you have done so, you should be armed with all the information you need to go and make the decision of what to go for - and remember that not all of the Bridesmaids need to wear exactly the same.
The only things left to read up on now are the ‘Shoes’ and the ‘Accessories’ articles.
.
.
Related: There are hundreds of wedding articles on the site, each filled with superb ideas, advice and inspiration. Check out the links in the left hand column to read more. Alternatively, to search for a local wedding venue, product or service provider, try our Wedding Directory. With over 13,000 companies already listed, you're sure to find what you're looking for.
