Any dress is going to look fabulous on the modals in the magazines, but for the rest of us real people, we have to be more realistic. Unless you have a proportionate and slender figure, at least half of these can be eliminated as options right off the bat making your shopping trips less intense and stressful. You should look for a simple style. Too much beadwork or beaded lace can make you look shorter as well if it covers up the heightening princess seams. These make you look wider and that will also make you look shorter. Gathered skirts or tiered skirts, these will also make you look shorter.
You should look for styles that will make you figure look longer and leaner. Vertical silhouette lines like A-Line, princess and strait styles will achieve this. Do not pick a dress that is clingy or too tight. The dress should just skim the body and flow down without hugging your curves too much. You should stay away from bouffant or tiered silhouettes and very full veils. These will give the illusion of more bulk, and that is what you are trying to avoid. Stay away from large prints, even if the pattern is all one color. You are also the minority, but you are the category of women that most designers target. So you have the most options available to you. You will also look good in fitted styles of any type. The princess cut, strait style and A-Line gowns will look good on your body. Things to Avoid: Very large or very tiny prints are not flattering for you. Heavily beaded gowns or heavy fabrics should not be used when picking your dress since these can make you look heavier. Avoid any dress that hugs or is snug around the waist or hips. These will just make you look larges and accent curves that are best not showing off. Round necklines can also make your face look rounder. You may not want this with your body type. A-Line, strait or princess styles all will accomplish this, especially an empire waist that will hide your waistline.
This will make you look thinner and accentuate your height. Full skirts and veils, puffed sleeves or gathered waists will add bulk and not be your best choices. Very heavy or heavily beaded fabrics will make you look larger, and shiny fabrics could draw attention to areas that you want to keep un-notices. You should look for simple designs that hide some of the bulk of your figure. Things to avoid: A tight fitting dress or clingy fabrics will accentuate curves that you may want to hide. A full veil or long train is also not the best choice if you are trying to minimize your figure. Gathered skirts or full skirts can make you look bigger. Textured or printed fabrics will give the illusion of more weight, compared to a plain matte satin or luster free fabric.