Naked Dresses Are Now The Wedding Gowns Of Choice

How low will they go? That’s a new question that has arisen for both designers and brides at the Fall 2016 New York Bridal Fashion Week shows. From David’s Bridal to Vera Wang runway looks are leaving little to the imagination. In only a few years brides have gone from asking for traditional wedding-day attire to gowns that not only reveal skin, but as much as lady of the moment wants to show. Plunging necklines, extremely low backs, thigh-high slits, and barely-there fabrics highlight their favorite features.

“There’s always going to be the traditional bride,” explains Kleinfeld Bridal’s Fashion Director Terry Hall, “but for the most part brides today have worked hard to get their bodies in shape and they want to show it.”

You know who else likes to show off their hard bodies? Celebrities. Is it a coincidence that “naked dresses” continue to be worn by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé? (We think not.)

While the A-listers favor designers like Givenchy, Roberto Cavalli, and Zuhair Murad for their barely there looks, in the bridal world the trend is dominated by gown makers Pnina Tornai, Inbal Dror, Galia Lahav, Berta, and Alon Livné, among others.

This racier look and silhouette has even permeated the suburbs. “We tend to have a slightly more conservative and traditional bride in Connecticut,” Beth Chapman, stylist and owner of The White Dress by the Shore, tells Yahoo Style. “However, they are still being influenced by the trend toward more revealing silhouettes that they are seeing on Pinterest and Instagram. Our brides are asking for low backs or plunging backs that have a layer of illusion, as it is slightly less daring.”

It could also be the heat, but down south, brides are a bit more liberal with their attire. “Brides want to bring out their inner sexiness in their wedding gowns,” Karen Kaforey, the owner of b. Hughes Bridal in Nashville. “They are able to channel who they are right now in their lives, and loving a little bit of the sexy mixed with a little of the traditional.”

So what does it take to pull a Beyoncé at your wedding? If you want to channel the Queen Bey it will require a gown with sheer paneling, strategically placed lace, and lots of sequins. (Bonus points if you also opt for the high ponytail.)

Whatever your style, just know that however you want to play it on your big day is up to you. (So what if your wedding gown makes your dad’s golf buddies blush?) “Brides are trying to figure out the perfect marriage between who they are now and who they were growing up, and making everyone happy,” says Kaforey. “That’s what’s most exciting about the collections coming out now because they’re a little bit of both.”

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