Different types of gowns?

Question

What is the difference between a formal & informal wedding gown? How can you tell which one it is by looking at it?

Answer 1

Basically three things tell you whether a dress (wedding or not) is formal or 'informal' (which I am taking to mean semi-formal)

1.  Length.  Due to the impracticalities and expenses of a long train, big/wide skirt and full length dress - this extra material will generally mean a more formal occasion.  A shorter, not-so-full skirt will indicate a more practical and less expensive dress - therefore a less formal occasion.

Formal http://www.tjformal.com/Products/848/Mag...

Semi-formal http://www.tjformal.com/Products/9808/Mo...

2.  Fabric.  More formal fabrics such as silk are much more expensive (therefore you don't want to be wearing them everyday or you would ruin the fabric!)  These are left for formal occasions.  Whereas cottons (for example) are cheaper, courser fabrics which are more casual and better for more general (informal) occasions.

Formal http://www.tjformal.com/Products/29070/M...

Semi-formal http://www.tjformal.com/Products/9811/Mo...

3.  Detailing.  If a dress has a lot of beading and/or lace and/or embroidery then it is more formal.  The more work that goes into a dress the more expensive.  Therefore a more simple dress without this detail is going to be less expensive - and less formal.  There are also impracticalities with beading and lace which would mean you wouldn't want to wear them all the time as you may easily dirty and/or rip off the detailing.

Formal http://www.tjformal.com/Products/8302/Ma...

Semiformal http://www.tjformal.com/Products/30546/A...

All these things help to determine the formality of a dress.  The main difference is the expense that goes into each one.  More expense = more formal.  Hope it helps!

Answer 2

I dont see a difference.All wedding dresses to me are fancy.

Answer 3

I think it is basically your opinion. I think in gown is going to be beautiful & I feel that if you ear a neck a lace you can dress up a gown its all depending on how you wear it.

Answer 4

It really differs from gown to gown and designers and styles.

Gowns with more beading, higher grade fabrics and just a general "formal look" would be a more formal gown.  A full length skirt and long trains also fit in, dresses with lots of detail.

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/...

A more informal gown is on a more basic design, less train, shorter skirts, casual type styles

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/...

Answer 5

From what I've seen & heard, I think it's based on the length of the dress/gown.

A "formal" wedding is in the evening so the gown is  long, has a train, long sleeves, etc; a "semi formal" wedding is in the daytime ( I think I heard somewhere before cocktail time) so the dresses can be shorter (i.e. tea length), less embellishment, etc - although these dresses can still be beautiful.

Whether day or night, it can still be elegant or casual and I don't honestly think these distinctions are as important as they used to be.

Answer 6

formal gowns are more elegant in the manner that it's with straps, maybe with gloves and a longer train than normal.

Informal (not really such a thing) i would think is without a veil or one that behind you, not over your face, a shorter train and a dress that's not as flairy, straighter in style and maybe strapless.