It’s no secret: shopping for a plus size wedding dress is hard.
The majority of wedding boutiques in the United States do not carry sample sizes above 14.
We couldn’t believe this statistic when we heard it, but it’s true: millions of curvy and plus size brides are left out of the traditional wedding dress shopping experience.
For too many plus-size brides, what should be a joyful experience shopping for a wedding dress turns into one of the most anxiety-inducing parts of the wedding.
As Anomalie bride Chelsea Miller has noted: in the rare cases plus size brides can find dresses in their size, they are often forced to select from options that don’t fit their personal style.
Body-inclusivity is an issue for many brides-to-be: if you are curvier, more petite, or taller than the average sample size, there will be less options at many stores.
But there is hope.
Anomalie was created to bring more body inclusivity to bridal. In the past four years, Anomalie has helped thousands of plus size brides create wedding dresses to their unique style and measurements.
If you can’t find your perfect dress at the boutiques and are curious about going custom, get started here with a free sketch and fabric samples mailed to you.
What are the top styles for plus size brides in 2021?
Plus-size brides should make no concessions with their wedding dresses. Below are 20 of the top trends we are seeing in 2021 from Anomalie brides.
1. Just a Pop of Color for Curvy Brides
Pop the cork for this stunning champagne-colored ball gown. The floral lace trickling down her skirt match so effortlessly to her bouquet. Though many plus size brides struggle to find colored wedding dresses, Anomalie can offer a wide range of colors, even black plus size wedding dresses.
2. Going for Gold
This soft white full a-line, a silhouette popular for many plus size wedding dress designers, has a wonderful pop of gold from its pre-beaded gold lace cascading from bottom towards the waistline.
3. Fun in the Sun for Plus Size Brides
Feel that ocean breeze in this sleeveless fit and flare featuring all-over geometric lace and a peekaboo center front illusion panel. We love how lovely our plus-size bride looks against this beach wedding backdrop!
4. Something Short and Sweet!
This vintage rose-colored tea-length plus-size wedding dress is such a soft look. We love how the bride incorporated pleats in her skirt and adorned the sleeves of her plus-size wedding dress with floral lace.
5. I Can Hear the Bells with the Empire Waist!
What better way to add some flare to your dress than bell sleeves and an empire waist! This bride’s blush-colored all-over floral lace plus-size wedding dress is perfect for spring or fall!
6. Floral Ballgowns for all
We’re in love with this plus-size sleeved wedding dress – soft white lace paired with a blush-colored ball gown skirt makes us swoon! Also, those illusion sleeves with scattered lace *chefs kiss*.
7. Darling in Duchess Satin
This bride stunned with her plus size structured A-line dress and off-the-shoulder sleeves.
8. A Vintage Vision.
Nothing quite screams vintage like a structured ball gown with pleats. Add in an all-over lace bodice and you’re fit to a T!
9. Simply Sweet!
This blush-colored relaxed A-line wedding dress with a dropped waist and non-floral cascading lace is perfect for any outdoor wedding!
10. Long Sleeve Sleek
We love how sleek this plus size mermaid-style wedding dress with long sleeves looks matched with a moderate fit and flare skirt, horizontal flare seam, and floral lace. Such a classic beauty!
11. Halter at the Alter
This plus size ball gown wouldn’t be complete without its halter neckline and tiered skirt.
12. All the Bells and Whistles
This bride is showcasing a beautiful silk chiffon circle skirt with a floral lace sheet lace boat neck bodice and unlined lace bell sleeves. If you’re looking for something even shorter, Anomalie can help you custom design a tea length plus size wedding dress.
13. Honey be Mine
A silk chiffon circle skirt with a honey-colored tulle bodice. This wedding dress also features these cute unlined short sleeves constructed from a large floral sheet lace.
14. Sheer Brilliance
This bride’s unlined off-the-shoulder sleeved wedding dress is creating a statement with the stunning floral lace accentuating her arms.
15. Sweeter than Honey
Pictured here is a silk chiffon circle skirt with a honey-colored tulle bodice and adorned with our most popular floral lace.
16. Empire Waist Wedding Gowns Out of a Fairy Tale
This simple but ethereal look is a soft white relaxed A-line with an empire waist bodice. The wedding dress has all-over sheet lace and a stunning scalloped edge at the hem.
17. Tiers and ruffles for the Plus Size Bride
A soft white A-line plus size wedding dress with ruffled tiers and a flattering drop waist.
18. Lace for Days
This champagne bubbles Aline with lace cascading towards the center of the skirt is unmatched. We especially love the natural lace edge popping off her unlined short-sleeved wedding dress.
19. A Clean Classic Look
Although this chiffon wedding dress is very clean with no lace, the bride still was able to add some flare with her amazing sheer bishop sleeves.
20. Curvy Bellini Beauty
Our gorgeous bride used our Bellini Tulle Stackup in her fit & flare gown. She incorporated tiers at the bottom of her flare to add some movement to her skirt. If bellini isn’t quite your color, Anomalie can help you design a wide range of colored plus-size wedding dresses, even black plus-size wedding dresses.
Where are the best places to buy a plus size wedding dress?
For brides on a budget (under-$1,000), David’s Bridal has made great strides in body inclusivity and carries a large selection of dresses for brides in any budget. If your budget is above $5,000, some boutique designers such as Pnina Tornai have created expanded plus size offerings.
Increasingly, plus size brides are creating their gowns online with Anomalie. Anomalie’s unique model pairs brides with online tools to visualize their dress and a dedicated stylist to make sure every detail is perfect for them. Each Anomalie dress is custom made to your style and measurements, and the majority cost less than $2,000. If you can dream it, Anomalie has probably done it, from Boho plus size wedding dresses to wedding dresses with sleeves to sheath silhouettes to short wedding gowns.
Get free fabric samples and sketches by scheduling a Design Appointment here.
What are the best silhouettes for curvy or plus size brides?
Traditionally, wedding experts have said that Ball Gown and A-line wedding dresses are the most flattering silhouettes for plus size brides. Experts also recommend an empire waist often.
However, Anomalie was founded on the premise that every bride is unique and deserves to feel beautiful on their wedding day. As shown in the pictures below, Anomalie has helped plus size brides create wedding dresses in almost any style: long sleeves, mermaid silhouettes, sheath silhouettes, boho flair, or black fabric – Anomalie has done it all.
How does Anomalie ensure a wedding dress ordered online will have the perfect fit?
Since the company has worked with thousands of plus size brides, it has developed processes to make sure fit is perfect. When a bride uses Anomalie:
- She enters general size information online,
- Anomalie will send you 1-2 fitting shells based on your initial measurements (*This is not a sample of your wedding dress). These patterns were developed from analyzing hundreds of thousands of measurement sets of our previous brides. You’ll try on the fitting shells and take photos.
- The Anomalie team will review the photos in addition to your provided measurements & fit notes to help achieve the best fit of your dress.
Trusting an online wedding dress retailer?
Anomalie’s CEO, Leslie, started the company to improve body inclusivity in bridal. She had trouble finding a Ball Gown with sleeves that fit her tall frame and used her manufacturing connections to make her dream dress directly at a top workshop.
Numerous plus-sized friends heard this story and called her to share their struggles with finding a dress that fit and asked her to make them dresses. Soon, so many friends began asking Leslie to help with their dresses that she quickly quit her job to create Anomalie and bring the same personalized, body-inclusive experience to every bride.
In the past several years, Anomalie has worked with thousands of brides to make their wedding dresses and a trend has emerged: brides often can’t find the dress of their dreams at boutiques and are forced to settle.
Anomalie doesn’t put brides in a one-size-fits-all box. By partnering with the best factories in the world and working directly with brides, the company is able to offer more transparency, customization, and value than any other wedding dress company.
Anomalie’s secret weapon is its stylist team, which helps brides turn their dresses from dreams to reality and walks them through each stage of the dress production.
Ready to design your dream wedding dress?
Get started with free fabric samples and a sketch. Get started here.