What kind of bride are you?

Today, Vera Wang talks about being the bride and choosing the perfect dress for your special day. Read on to find out more...

THE TRADITIONALIST looks beyond fashion to style. This may involve careful assessment of all her features, strengths and flaws and how she can make them work to her best advantage. Everything she wears conveys a distinct message of confidence and an unyielding devotion to style. Style icons like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy characterized a timeless beauty, poise and nonchalance that are still being emulated today. What they wore and how they looked seemed to express an effortless elegance. In reality, they were only being true to themselves – unique women with their own take on American style.

TO CONSIDER

• The Traditionalist’s allure stems from a subliminal kind of sex appeal. • Part of her fascination is a natural inclination toward casual grace. • She is a woman who intrigues others by inspiring an aura of curiosity. • Her wedding gown is dignified and refined. Subtlety can be captivating, when what lingers in the mind is barely perceptible at first glance. • Decoration should be distinctive yet understated, as with hand-tied bows, fabric-covered buttons, delicate lace trims or subtle embroidery. • A Traditionalist’s gown is always relevant and timeless.

FOR A MODERNIST, a sense of daring is always implied. Another frame of reference definitely represents an acquired taste, and one that arises from visualizing shapes in ever-changing contexts. Often rigorous or highly exaggerated, it also indicates a style of dress that requires thought.

TO CONSIDER

• A Modernist design defies convention and frequently provides some rather extreme counterpoints. • Blending textures and shapes, as well as adding function, is a trademark of a bride who always looks toward the future. • A Modernist’s dress might appear to be more of a concept than something to wear, and, like art, it may not necessarily relate to daily life. • It demands great intellect and energy to be a Modernist. • A Modernist is the ultimate nonconformist.

THE SENSUALIST is obsessed with experiencing pleasure on every level. For her, a wedding gown should suggest, seduce and adorn. The sensualist doesn't wear a dress, she experiences it. She delights in her body and revels in her powers of seduction. Physical sensitivity guides her every consideration. And style is a natural extention of her being.

TO CONSIDER:

• Fit is only se• Fit is only secondary to comfort and ease, while texture and weight determine the outcome. • Fabric should drape and fall suggestively against her skin with nothing to confine, restrict or bind. • Luxury and extravagance equal sensuality. A gossamer silk tulle veil or an ivory pashmina could be the ultimate wedding accessory. • Clothing is part of her life, and her wedding gown is the ultimate tribute to her lifestyle. She is the quintessential courtesan.

THE INDIVIDUALIST: Her desire for self-expression transcends all other considerations. The Individualist will go to any length to make a deliberate fashion statement. Personal expression is the key. Unlike the vast majority of brides who embrace the convention of a white wedding gown, the Individualist prefers to follow her own dictates, whether that translates into the choice of an unusual color or a more unexpected silhouette.

TO CONSIDER

• Outward appearance reflects her innermost vision and every creative impulse. • Head-strong and opinionated, the Individualist wears her individuality like a badge of honor, since her wedding attire provides the ultimate forum for self-expression. • Although she may not set trends, she is most definitely not a follower. • Rely on the Individualist to provide a hint of the unexpected.

THE ROMANTICIST is ruled by higher passions than the reality of the world around her. She considers life a marvelous adventure and revels in the opportunity to realize her deepest emotions. The Romanticist is transported by a dress. For her, fantasy is always a reality. Her innate femininity and love of beauty can inspire a gown of great fragility and enchantment.

TO CONSIDER

• Delicate ruffles, billowing sleeves or a lavish, fully-bustled train are some of the extravagant details that epitomize a romantic wedding gown. • Whether it’s a tulle confection worthy of Degas or an ode to Scarlet O’Hara, the Romanticist refuses to shy away from anything pretty. • Her choice of attire never betrays her true nature. For her, looking girlish need not mean sacrificing style. • Femininity and flirtation are her preferred tools of seduction, and she embraces them equally.

THE MINIMALIST: For those who favor a spare aesthetic, a minimal wedding gown can be utter perfection. A Minimalist adores any version of clean, straightforward design with little or no excess. While her clothes may often appear deceivingly simple, they are frequently anything but. True minimalism requires a certain complexity of design and detail. It takes a confident individual to look minimal at her own celebration.

TO CONSIDER
• Because a woman feels her most effusive just before a wedding, the bride who chooses a pared-down effect must maintain the discipline to edit when it can be so easy to add. • For the Minimalist, a subtle wedding gown can make a powerful fashion statement. • Her unique appeal lies in her purity of vision and the discipline to follow her convictions.

THE EXHIBITIONIST: Sometimes too much is not even enough. While every bride is hopefully the primary focus of her wedding day, the Exhibitionist takes added delight in pushing the proverbial envelope. Subtlety, intellect or art need not apply all the time. There is something so refreshing about such a direct and honest point of view.

TO CONSIDER
• Nothing could be more glorious than a sultry beaded wedding gown, important jewelry or an outrageous veil. • No matter what, the Exhibitionist is always certain to follow her own instincts. • The Exhibitionist is convinced no one can ever attract too much attention. • What she wears clearly proclaims her sense of self and how she views the world.