The fashion industry is a vast space, and it is open to all creative minds. Fashion silhouettes are one of the essential parts of creating a dress as they determine how it will look when worn by people with different body dimensions. There are 7 basic fashion silhouettes to choose from.
Simply put, the dress silhouette is the outline of the dress. It is the first thing you notice at one glance when searching for your desired dress. Without the dress’s silhouette, it will not be easy to manufacture.
In this article, we will discuss the importance of fashion silhouettes and the basic fashion silhouettes you will come across when you enter fashion.
Table of Contents
Basic Silhouette Fashion
The silhouette is the overall outline or shape of a garment when viewed from the side. It is the basic form or shape that defines the garment’s overall appearance. The shape can be described in various ways, such as straight, A-line, hourglass, bell-shaped, or empire.
Key points to remember:
- Silhouette is a visual element that contributes to the overall aesthetic of a garment.
- The choice of silhouette can significantly impact how a garment fits and flatters the wearer.
- Different silhouettes can create various styles and trends in fashion.
1. A-Line Silhouette
A-Line Silhouette resembles the shape of the capital letter A. This fashion shape shows a garment that is narrow at the top and broadens out toward the bottom. The A-Line is not a fitted shape, and it flatters all figures.
Whenever you look at the clothes worn by celebrities, you will notice that most of them have dresses that are fitted around the bodice but flare out around the waist. This is the A-line silhouette first coined by the famous fashion designer Christian Dior. This dress shape has been around for a long time, and since then, it has been a fan favorite out of all the types of silhouettes in fashion.
You will not find any fashion walk that does not feature at least one A-line dress. A-line silhouettes are the most common type of dress as they flatter almost every body shape. It is known as the A-line because the flaring out part in the waist forms a triangle shape like the letter capital A. The A-line silhouette dresses help to make your hips seem broader while keeping the waist narrow. Gowns or mini dresses, can also be found in the same category.
2. Sheath Silhouette
The sheath silhouette is a body-hugging dress structure. The sheath silhouette type dresses hug the entire body from top to bottom. They have a form-fitting at every point of the dress, which many curvy people avoid wearing as the curves get more accentuated. Many people do not want that. If you want to show off your curves, you should go with a sheath silhouette dress out of the seven basic fashion silhouettes. The dress tends to stay fit on the entire body.
Slimmer women tend to reach out for sheath silhouette dresses because the dress accentuates the body’s curves. You will find various dresses, mini dresses, gowns, tops, or skirts with a sheath silhouette. Often, the dress comes with a side slit so that the wearer can have adequate space for movement. You may only find a few fashion walks that feature sheath silhouette dresses, as these dresses are primarily intended to be worn at parties.
3. Empire Waist Silhouette
The empire waist dresses are just like how you imagine them to be. As the name suggests, these dresses were mostly worn by princesses and upper-class women in the medieval period, and now, they are featured in silhouette fashion.
The empire waist silhouette is fitted around the bust area. Still, then it starts flaring out immediately from below the bustline. This dress has no well-defined waistline, which gives the wearer a slimming effect.
The cinch is well above the waistline, creating an illusion of a higher waist. It is because the wearer’s frame is elongated because of the long silhouette of the dress. If you want to pay little attention to your waist, you may wear empire waist silhouette dresses. You will notice a lot of brides going for this dress type as it gives off the royal vibe. This dress silhouette is familiar for bridesmaids and is generally worn at weddings.
4. Hourglass Silhouette
Hourglass silhouette shows the bust and hip at approximately the same width, while the waist is narrower.
The hourglass silhouette is the most common dress celebrities wear to the red carpet. As the name suggests, the dress creates an hourglass look, with the waistline being narrow and the hips and bust being more expansive than the waist. This dress is fitted at the waist, but it is fitted all over. These dresses are also used to emphasize body curves, making them a good option for people with narrow waistlines.
In most cases, the hourglass silhouette dresses are short and do not have sleeves. You can customize hourglass dresses according to preference and add details. The measurements of the hip and bust are almost identical for this dress. Still, the waist is made narrower than usual. People with round shoulders and bigger thighs tend to wear the hourglass silhouette dress as it takes attention away from those areas.
5. Ball Gown
The ball gown shape shows a fitted top with a full, bell-shaped skirt. The bell shape draws the eye’s attention to the waist and hip area.
Ball gown silhouette dresses are also known as bell-shaped dresses. These dresses start from being fitted to the waist, and then they start widening out towards the hemline – Sherri Hill has a great range of ballgown dresses that follow this style.
This gives the dress an appearance that is similar to a bell-shaped skirt. Ball gown dresses are very common for ballroom parties, or you may have noticed a lot of Disney princesses wearing ball gowns. Petite women or women with narrow waists usually go with ball gowns, as the gowns are cinched at the waist.
If you want to camouflage your hips, you can go with these gowns, as the bottom portion is wide enough to keep your hips hidden. Ball gown dresses always consist of various embellishments and details. It makes them perfect for parties or red-carpet events. The skirt consists of layers of fabric or tulle and even structural pieces to make it seem more rounded. Ruffles, hoops, petticoats, and various other undergarments are also included in the skirt of a ball gown silhouette dress.
6. Trumpet Silhouette
The trumpet silhouette dress is also known as the mermaid silhouette dress. These dresses are also standard for brides to wear on their big day. The trumpet silhouette starts by hugging the body up to the knee, then forming the shape of a bell. The bottom part of this dress is a bell-shaped skirt, which usually consists of many tulle or ruffles. That is why it is known as a mermaid dress because it resembles the tail part of a mermaid.
The waist is narrow, but it is not defined. Curvy people usually want to go for trumpet silhouette dresses as it help to accentuate the curves and sit perfectly on the body. You will find these dresses in mostly sleeveless forms, but you can customize the sleeves according to your preference. The dress comes with a long zipper, so the wearer does not have to go through so much trouble to put the dress on.
7. Shift silhouette
The shift dress silhouette, also known as column dress, is the only dress type that does not have any definitions all over it. The shift silhouette dresses flow straight from the shoulders and do not have much difference throughout the body. The measurements vary for the hips, bust, midsection, and hem, but other than that, the dress has a straight cut.
In the summertime, you will notice various people wearing these dresses as the boxy shape does not fit the body. It helps air pass through and keeps the wearer cool during the hot weather. You may only see a few models wearing a shift silhouette dress on the runway. Still, these dresses are ubiquitous because of their comfortable shape. Not only that, but they are also straightforward to store, and you do not have to put in a lot of effort to accessorize them.
Other silhouette types in fashion
Tubular shape
A popular shape for both women’s and men’s fashions. The tubular shape shows the shoulder, waist, and hip with little difference. Tubular-shaped garments do not cling to the body. The tubular shape draws the eye’s attention up and down the length of the body. Use this shape to smooth out the body’s lines.
Wedge shape
A popular shape for both women’s and men’s fashions. The wedge shape shows width at the shoulders, while the garment narrows in at the bottom. The wedge shape draws the eye’s attention to the shoulder area. Use this silhouette to make shoulders appear broader.
What is a silhouette in fashion?
Fashion silhouette, also known as dress silhouette, is the outline of a dress. Silhouette meaning in fashion determines the dress’s shape and how it will look on the wearer. To make things easier for you, the dress silhouette is the first thing you notice when searching for a dress. The silhouette of the dress consists of only some of the dress details.
There are a lot of different dress silhouettes, and all of them wear differently on each type of body. Some basic silhouette fashions emphasize some bodies, while others tend to flatter. It all depends on the type of dress you choose for yourself. Such as A-line dresses or ball gowns have a particular silhouette that emphasizes a tiny waist.
Meanwhile, empire or shift silhouette dresses focus less on the waist. There are various types of silhouettes in fashion. But the seven basic fashion silhouettes are what we will be focusing on. Now that you know what a fashion or dress silhouette is, let us discuss why they are essential.
Why are Fashion Silhouettes Important?
Fashion silhouettes are crucial because not every type of dress or gown flatters all body types. When manufacturing a design at your warehouse, you must first create an outline. In the fashion industry, your silhouette fashion is the actual shape that makes your clothes a shape when it’s hanging on your body. That is when fashion silhouettes are most important. With the dress’s silhouette, you can put all the other pieces together.
Moreover, only some details will look good with all the dress silhouettes. Indeed you can mix and match and find which suits you best, but it can be guaranteed that details that look good with one dress silhouette will not suit another type. It also helps you understand the body part that needs to be accentuated or other parts that need fixing. They are also a primary factor in fashion walks or catwalks.
Final Words:
Among the seven basic fashion silhouettes, the ones mentioned above are the most common silhouette types. There are various other types of dresses you will find in the market, but these are the most common ones. Not all dress silhouettes complement every body type, so it is essential to know which dress will look best on your body.
Moreover, you cannot wear a ball gown to the office, so you should know which type of dress is appropriate for the occasion. This article has given you enough insight into fashion silhouettes and the seven basic silhouettes.
Hi readers! I’m Imara Azad. I have been a fashion enthusiast for a long time which led me to become a fashion content writer. I’m currently studying at the Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Brac University. I am researching traditional clothing all over the world. One day I will publish the research paper about it.
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