Cheap Party Dresses - What do you think of the strapless wedding dress phenomenon?

What do you think of the strapless wedding dress phenomenon?

I've found in browsing wedding dresses that it's nearly impossible to find a designer that doesn't have their collections dominated by strapless dresses. I personally don't like the way strapless dresses look on me so this is pretty frustrating. What do you think of this trend? Do you prefer strapless dresses? Do you think the straplessness takes away from the class and distinction your wedding dress is meant to invoke? Thanks!

Public Comments

It's been going on for a good ten years now. I don't personally like it because the majority of brides always have to "boost" their dress up continually during the ceremony and reception. It looks so tacky. And you have to have the right body to pull it off (most don't)! You can find beautiful dresses with elegant straps though. Keep looking!
It is not a trend, it is simply a popular design. Really, how many options are there: straps, halter, one shoulder, strapless, sleeves...that's it. I share with you the will to find something different and that is not been worn but everyone else and it is difficult to get something that is more of an acquired taste. Bridal salons are a business and the floor samples should be those that people ask for it the most. You can buy from a catalog or online to search for better suited designs. Good luck
I wanted sleeves - I mean, real, flowy sleeves - for my February wedding, but I couldn't find anything like this. I went with a strapless because I liked the skirt, and there were only a few halter-top options, certainly no sleeves. I don't think strapless gowns are un-classy, but I do wish there were more options, because they don't suit all body types, and they certainly don't suit all seasons.
As a professional dressmaker who alters her fair share of wedding attire, I am personally SO DONE WITH STRAPLESS, but there must be a demand for it or it would not continue on as it has for way too many years. I think this is a trend that has outlived it's time. It is sadly true that finding a ready made gown that is not strapless is nearly impossible. That is why clients approach me (and other pro dressmakers) for custom gowns that cover what they want covered. And those cheap little boleros that bridal shops sell for covered religious requirements at some churches are so much less attractive that a nice little sleeve could be. Thanks for a forum for my rant.
I think a strapless gown looks very nice on a woman built just like the models they photograph in them for their ads. However, very few people ARE built like a model, and those dresses aren't very forgiving. I've seen people wearing them who really shouldn't have. I had no intention of wearing a strapless dress when I married 2 years ago, and it was tough to find something with more than spaghetti straps, if any at all. It would be nice if 95% of the dresses they made weren't strapless if for no other reason than so brides could actually look different. There's truly only so much that can be done with a strapless a-line gown.
I think that it is a little distracting to be constantly anticipating the bride's bodice becoming disengaged from her bosom. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a dress that emphasizes a less sexualized version of bridal beauty.
I think a strapless wedding gown in a church wedding is tasteless and tacky. Get married in Las Vegas if you want to look like a show girl. The strapless gown is uncomfortable to wear! I look awful in a strapless gown and I know it. Lots of girls are wearing them who don't seem to have taken a real close look in the mirror. It is almost laughable. I especially have to remain calm when an obese girl, in a strapless gown suited to a slim model, walks down the aisle on her father's arm. She does not look lovely. She could look elegant or even regal in a gown suited to her body. Oh! the worst is girls in strapless gowns with tattoos! What a riot.
I actually love strapless dresses, on the right person. For me, I have a sweetheart neckline, it looks perfect on me for how I am shaped. They can be tasteful, if worn correctly, with doublesided tape, so you don't have to constantly adjust. They can also be VERY tacky, though. If they aren't worn with the proper under garments and on the right shape. I have seen some absolutely GORGEOUS dresses with sleeves and halter tops also, you just have to really look for those. There is a particularly gorgeous halter top style, at David's Bridal. It has a modesty panel in the front, and a corset closure in the back. Its actually very demure and tasteful, and the modesty panel comes in many colours and it has a matching sash around the waist. Just keep looking, you will find the perfect wedding dress for you.
I think that strapless gowns do not look very good on most body types.
I do not want a strapless dress. The bridal consultants tell me straps or cap sleeves had be added to most strapless dresses. But I worry if the straps/cap sleeves will mesh with the dress or stick out like a sore thumb afterthought.
I wanted a sleeved wedding dress at my wedding. I think the strapless look is unclassy. If you are looking for one, I know it's a little weird, but there are a few Mormon dress vendors who sell attractive, inexpensive, sleeved dresses. My only problem is most of them are short sleeved. I think their long sleeved dresses are seasonal. Anyway. I would check out http://www.latterdaybride.com/modest-wedding-dresses.php Or http://www.beautifullymodest.com/store/wedding-dresses/
I hate strapless dresses and had a doozy of a time finding a dress (eventually) that had straps -- and that was a compromise because I really wanted a nice dress with sleeves, but everything with sleeves was "modest" -- I'd have been perfectly happy with a sweetheart neckline on a dress with sleeves, I didn't want a dress that covered me to my neck.
I wore a strapless dress. I didn't consider anything that wasn't strapless. I do *like* a lot of gowns with sleeves, and if hubby and I could have gotten married multiple times I probably would have chose one with sleeves. When we renew out vows in 5-10 years, I'll probably do sleeves. I don't think there is anything "unclassy" about strapless gowns. Strapless gowns are a perfectly acceptable formal style of dress that has been around for many decades (although only more recently in wedding gowns). Bare shoulders may be inappropriate for some churches, but there are bridal shrugs to address that problem, and not everyone gets married in a church. I didn't. PS... Trust me my strapless did not move ANYWHERE! It stayed put with no problems. Wearing proper foundation garments under the gown, instead of relying on boning/corsetry in the gown itself, helps keep the dress in place and makes it look like it's supposed to look. Also, I'm not fat or particularly busty, so I didn't have stuff popping out on my wedding day. ;p
I love them! I chose a strapless dress and I love it so much. I do appreciate that not everyone does though, so I allowed my bridesmaids to each pick their dress style according to their own taste.
I think that the type of dress someone chooses should be whatever they want it to be. I like strapless, myself, although some people don't look good in them. And I certainly don't think they are classless or anything like that. As long as your boobs aren't sticking out for the world to see, I think they can be just as classy as any other gown. I wore strapless last September and I doubt anyone would have said it wasn't classy. It did not fall so I never had to yank it up, and I am not large so I didn't have rolls hanging over it either. And best of all, My husband loved it and that's all that matters. :) And just so you know, many designers offer attachable straps or cap sleeves on most of their gowns, so don't completely cross a dress off your list for that reason alone.
Goodness I do not dig strapless dresses at all. Like stated before, they look beautiful on slim models but average brides don't look like that. What I really don't get is plus size women who think that's the best shape for them, it makes them look bigger! Like they are spilling out of the thing! I personally love dresses with cap sleeves or a princess neckline, so much more romantic and chic.
I don't dislike strapless dresses in general, and I don't think they lack class or distinction (after all, a strapless ball or evening gown is a classic look from back in the day), but they're not my favorite neckline for my body. And, like you said, they're really hot right now so everybody is wearing one, and that alone makes me want to find something different. Fortunately, most dresses can be altered to have a sleeve or straps added in a matching fabric, so I hope you can find something that works for you. And though it takes some looking, more designers are doing tank, halter, and sleeve dresses.
Don't worry about trends, just find what looks good on you. White dresses is a white dress. They'll have different dresses in stores. I wasn't very excited about the idea of a strapless dress either, because I usually look bad in them, but when I tried different ones at the store, strapless looked the best. The dresses have corset bones so they give you a nice elegant look. Don't get set on a dress in a magazine, get some general ideas, then go to a couple of stores and try different things to see how you look.