The perfect sleeves will make a lot of difference to how your wedding gown looks on you. You want to make sure that your wedding gown looks perfect on every side, including the sleeves. Take some time to pick your wedding gown sleeves, just like you put some thoughts into picking the dress. There are more sleeves styles than just long and short sleeves. Read on!
If you want to show off or cover your arms, you can do so with a fashionable wedding gown sleeves. The perfect sleeves will amplify your entire bridal look. In this post, you will learn about the different types of wedding gown sleeves and find out if they are right for you. Now, let’s dive right into this post..
Names of the Different Wedding Dress Sleeves Styles
1. Strapless Wedding Gowns and Who is it for?
Strapless wedding gowns are just that, strap-less, meaning no straps and no sleeves. The type of wedding dress sits horizontally on the chest. The top (bodice or blouse part) of the gown ends on the chest area, with the bust holding the bodice in place.
According to trusty Wikipedia, “a strapless dress is an outfit that stays put around the upper body without shoulder straps or other visible means of support”. Strapless wedding gowns have tight-fitting bodice (or blouse part), which prevents the gown from shifting away or falling off the bust area.
Suitable For: If you’re flat-chested or very busty or have flabby or very fat arms, this style of wedding dress may not suit you – as it would highlight or make your chest size and arms obvious and the center of attention. With that said, the strapless wedding dresses are very popular among Nigerian brides.
Styling Tip: You need a good bra or corset, especially if you’re busty, to keep your busts in good shape if you’re going for a strapless wedding gown.
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2. Spaghetti Straps Wedding Gowns and Who is it for?
This type of sleeves is skinny, spaghetti-like straps around the upper part of the shoulders. Spaghetti straps wedding gowns do not have sleeves attached. Since wedding dresses with this sleeve style exposes a lot of upper arm skin, it is not ideal for women who are shy of exposing or baring their arms.
Who is Spaghetti Straps Dress Suitable For: These type of sleeveless wedding dresses are suitable for brides with buffed-up (toned) upper arms.
3. T-Shirt Sleeves Wedding Dresses and Who is it for?
T-short sleeves are short and resemble the hand/ sleeves of a T-shirt. Wedding gowns with T-shirt sleeves have short sleeves that stop way before the elbow. Some simply refer to this style of sleeves as “short sleeves”, but there are other types of short sleeves – including cap sleeves. So, when you’re shopping for your bridal gown, be specific with the exact type of short sleeves you ask for.
Note that T-shirt sleeves are not the same as the three-quarter length sleeves, as they are shorter in length than the 3/4 sleeves.
Suitable For: Because wedding gowns with T-Shirt sleeves don’t show the skin of your top arms, this sleeve type is suitable for modest brides who want their arms covered on their wedding day.
4. Cap Sleeves Wedding Dresses and Who is it for?
Cap sleeve is another type of short sleeves you find in women’s dresses, but they are shorter than T-shirt sleeves. As the name implies, this type of sleeves has rounded caps of small fabric that ‘caps’ the top arm, near the shoulders. The cap of the sleeves sits at the area where the arm starts from the shoulder.
Who is Cap Sleeves Suitable For: Cap sleeved wedding dresses are suitable for women who have toned, not-so-fat upper arms and want to show it. Therefore, if you are uncomfortable with showing your arms, a wedding gown with cap sleeves is not for you.
Cap Sleeves vs T-Shirt Sleeves (What’s the Difference): The sleeves length of a ‘cap sleeves dress’ is shorter than the length of sleeves of a ‘T-shirt sleeves dress’. Therefore, this type of dress sleeves exposes plenty of the arm area. In cap sleeves, the sleeves are so short and barely-there that the dress looks almost sleeve-less. You cannot mistake a cap-sleeved wedding gown, once you see very short sleeves capping roundly to the upper arm area of the shoulder.
5. Three-Quarter Length Sleeves Wedding Gown and Who is it for?
Three-quarter length sleeves are longer than the T-shirt and cap sleeves, but is not a full-length sleeve. This sleeve type is neither short nor long. A 3/4 sleeve stops in the middle of the arms, anywhere between the elbow and the wrist. Hence, this sleeve type is also called elbow-length sleeves, even though some 3/4 sleeves are a bit longer than the elbow.
Who is 3/4 Sleeves Suitable For: Wedding gowns with three-quarter sleeves are suitable for women who are uncomfortable showing their upper arm skin, and prefer to cover it.
6. Long Sleeve Wedding Dresses and Who is it for?
Unlike the three-quarter dress sleeves, a long sleeve wedding dress has full-length sleeves that stop at the wrist. Long sleeve wedding dresses are a favourite of royal brides, including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle wore long sleeve wedding dresses.
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Whos is Long Sleeves wedding dress for? Long-sleeve wedding gowns are for women who want to cover their arms, either by preference or out of modesty.
7. Off-Shoulder Sleeves Wedding Gowns and Who is it for?
Off-shoulder sleeves hang down below the shoulder or on the upper arms, appearing as if the sleeves or straps are falling off from the shoulders. In pictures of brides wearing off-the-shoulder wedding gowns, you can see the dress sleeves or straps sitting parallel to her collarbone, and at the same time gripping the top of the gown so well that it’s impossible to fall off.
Who is an Off-Shoulder dress suitable for? If you’re shy or uncomfortable with showing your chest and arms, wedding gowns with off-shoulder sleeves are not for you. That is because in this type of wedding gown sleeves, your neck, top of your chest, shoulders and the skin of your upper arms are exposed.
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8. Detachable Sleeves: Removable Wedding Gowns Sleeves
These are not really a type of sleeves but instead refer to how a sleeve is removable. Any type of dress sleeve can be made detachable by the bridal gown designer. Detachable sleeves wedding gowns make the perfect 2-in-1 option for a dress that converts from a wedding ceremony look (when sleeves are attached) to a reception party look (when sleeves are removed).
You can get any type of wedding gown sleeves in detachable form. For example: detachable long sleeves, detachable three-quarters sleeves, detachable off-shoulder sleeves, detachable cape sleeves and more.
Who is this for: This is the type of dress is suitable for you if you’re looking for a convertible dress that transforms into 2 different looks. Wedding gowns with removable sleeves offer a great way to convert a “not-so-modest” wedding gowns to a perfect covered-up version to make it suitable in certain environments.
This type of wedding gown sleeves are popular among Nigerian brides because most church/ religious houses in Nigeria do not permit brides to wear wedding gowns that expose the skin. A bride can then have the sleeves on for the religious ceremony and remove it afterwards for her wedding reception look.
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What’s Your Favourite Wedding Gown Sleeve Style?
RECAP: Choose your wedding gown sleeve style depending on how you feel about the look of your arms and whether you like to show or hide them. There are so many sleeve options if you choose to show off your nice arms, and there are also different sleeve options to hide all or some of your arms.
If you decide to go for long sleeve or three-quarter sleeves, make it stylish. Options include sleeves designed with nice bridal lace fabrics to cover your arms and also make your dress look more interesting.
So, now you know the different wedding gown sleeve options in the market, and you have seen what they look like. I hope that this post has helped you get an idea of what to look for when you go shopping for your dream wedding gown. The goal of this post is to help you find the very best wedding gown style for your body shape,
OTHER WEDDING GOWN SHOPPING GUIDES:
- Wedding Gown Train Length: What to Consider When Choosing
- 17 Wedding Gown Shopping Tips to Quickly Find the One
- Which Wedding Gown Neckline Will Suit You Best
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Finally, I’d like to hear from you – what’s your favourite wedding gown sleeves styles. Comment down below to tell me.
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