WEDDING

Best Wedding Dresses for Apple (Round) Shaped Body Types

Bride and groom in their wedding day

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Knowing what body shape you have is helpful when it comes to finding the perfect wedding dress for your special day. If you know your body shape and understand the types of clothing that will highlight your best features and minimise the problem areas, you will be able to select a wedding dress that makes you look your best.  

Every body type has its pros and cons and can be dressed to bring out its best look. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the round body type (also known as the apple body type) and highlight the best wedding dresses that complement this shape.

Let’s dive right in!

Apple Body Type

Apples tend to be well-proportioned but their weight tends to rest around their midsection. People with this body type tend to have a full bust and midsection, broad shoulders and back and slim legs. If this is your body shape, your best features probably going to be your bust and legs. The problem area would be your midsection with a less defined waist. Drawing attention to the assets and camouflaging the weaker points, like your midsection, is the best way to go.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between the apple and pear shape, people with apple body types carry most of their weight around their midsection and above the waist. Pears on the other hand tend to be heavier below the waist.

Famous Celebrities with Apple Body Shape

Many celebrities have an apple body type including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Drew Barrymore, Dame Judi Dench and Adele. These ladies are all apples and rocking it! If they can do it, then so can you!

drew barrymore

Courtesy Drew Barrymore/Instagram

If, like these celebrities, you too have a round body shape and you’re having a hard time finding the perfect wedding dress for your shape, we’ve got some tips that could help you decide.

Style Tips for Round Shaped Bodies

When looking for the best dress silhouettes to flatter your shape, look for ones that are free flowing or draw attention to the upper half of your body. It’s a good idea to avoid wearing belts or sashes right over your midsection since they tend to emphasize it, making you look larger in the middle. If you love belts or sashes and are planning to wear a dress with one, make sure you place it higher than your natural waist to make it look more defined.

Figure hugging dresses like mermaid, trumpet and sheath dresses tend to accentuate the problem areas you don’t want to show off since they follow the contour of the body from the top to the bottom. While wearing a Cinderella ball gown can conceal problem areas, choosing one with a high empire waistline and a structured corset-style top would complement your body.

Avoid having a skirt with a leg slit because it can make the lower half of your body look narrow and this tends not to complement apple shaped figures who already have slim hips.

Best Wedding Dresses for Apple Shape Bodies

Empire Waisted Dress

Empire waist wedding dress white

Empire waist wedding dress by Wedding Beautiful Day. See it here.

One of the best dress silhouettes for an apple is the empire waisted dress. These dresses have a high waist that sits just under the bust with the rest of the dress making up a slimmer skirt. The high waistline works well in drawing the attention away from your midsection and to your upper body, concealing the problem areas. You can either opt for a skirt made from flowing material like chiffon or charmeuse, or one made from more structured fabric like satin or taffeta which will hold the shape well.

A-line Dress

Bride wearing a line wedding dress

A line wedding dress by New York City Bride. Check price here.

A-line dresses tend to flatter an apple shaped body since they are cinched at the smallest part of the waist and the skirt flares out gently to create an ‘A’ shape. Like empire waisted dresses, these too take attention away from the waist. A beautiful A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and lace skirt that fans out softly from your waistline would give you a gorgeous look and accentuate your bust and shoulders. The lower half of the silhouette is emphasized, and this creates a balance on the top, giving you a flattering and even silhouette.

Ballgown Wedding Dress

Bride wearing princess line wedding dress

Princess wedding dress by Luxbridal Studio. See it here.

Ball gowns can be a good choice for apples since they create a subtle curve around your bust area. Having a corset style bodice that stops high on the waist and then cascades out into pleated, ruffled or ruched skirt also works well as it highlights the waist and the bust and distracts from the midsection.

Best Necklines for Apple Body Shape

Along with the wedding dress silhouette, one of the most important things you need to think about is the neckline of your dress and how to choose one that would suit your apple shaped figure. Most brides tend to think that the neckline is a minor detail but it is an essential factor in hitting on the right look with your dress.

The type of neckline that tends to suit apple body shapes is one that balances wider shoulders and highlights them along with the bust. Open necklines can make your shoulders look narrow and showing some cleavage has a slimming effect on your waist so if you’re comfortable with flaunting what you’ve got, go for it!

V-necklines

Bride wearing v-neck wedding dress

V-Neck wedding dress by Yasmin Varsano. See it here.

This neckline looks good on every body type but it’s especially beautiful on round body shapes. It can give your body an elongated look, so if you’re a bit on the short side you may find that this neckline works for you.  If you’re going for a traditional look, then an A-line dress with a deep V-neckline would make an excellent choice.  

Square and Scoop Necklines

Square necklines have a modest look and they sit well on apple shaped figures, making the shoulders and back look narrower. A scoop neckline is a deep U shape and is wider than the base of the neck. For an apple shaped girl, it can de-emphasize the width of the shoulders and can give the neck an elongated appearance.

Sweetheart Necklines

Bride wearing white sweetheart neckline wedding gown

Sweetheart neckline princess wedding gown by Lucent Bridal. See it here.

This neckline goes well with almost every body type which is why it’s the most popular option when for wedding dresses.  It is very flattering and you can have it made as revealing or concealing as you want it to be.

This neckline looks good with any wedding dress silhouette and complements round body types perfectly. A princess dress with a sweetheart neckline will highlight your bust and draw the attention towards your upper body.

Wrapping up…

Make sure you pay special attention to every part of your wedding dress in order to get the best result. You want to look and feel your best on your big day so choose according to your body type and make sure that you are comfortable with your choice.

At the end of the day, regardless of what the guidelines suggest, pick a dress that suits you and makes you feel gorgeous. Because you’re the bride and you can do it your way.