If you're shopping for a wedding dress in Los Angeles or Southern California and love the look of a long-sleeve wedding dress, there are a few important things to consider before saying yes to your gown. Long sleeves can create a romantic, elegant bridal look, but they can also affect how your wedding dress fits, feels, and moves throughout your wedding day.
In this video, Nayri, Wedding Fashion Expert and bridal stylist at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, California, shares her expert advice on shopping for long-sleeve wedding dresses, including what to know about sleeve fit, comfort, mobility, and alterations.
Watch the Video: What to Know Before Buying a Long-Sleeve Wedding Dress
Before choosing a long-sleeve bridal gown, watch this video as Nayri explains some of the details brides often overlook when trying on wedding dresses with sleeves.
Are Long-Sleeve Wedding Dresses Flattering?
Many brides are drawn to long-sleeve wedding dresses because they want additional coverage for their arms. While sleeves can be incredibly beautiful and flattering, Nayri explains that the fit and design of the sleeves can sometimes draw more attention to the arms rather than minimize them.
For example, sleeves that are too loose or feature certain embellishments may create a fuller appearance. It's also important to remember that sample wedding dresses are not always fitted to your exact measurements, so the sleeves may look very different once alterations are complete.
Nayri recommends trying on a variety of wedding dress necklines and sleeve styles, including strapless, off-the-shoulder, square necklines, and spaghetti straps. Take photos of each wedding dress while you're wearing it so you can compare how the different styles look in photographs, not just in the mirror.
The goal is to find a wedding dress that makes you feel beautiful and confident, whether that includes long sleeves or not.
Consider the Fabric, Beading & Embellishments
One detail brides may not think about when shopping for long-sleeve wedding dresses is how the sleeves interact with the rest of the gown.
For example, long sleeves with beading or lace embellishments can sometimes catch on the fabric of the wedding dress, particularly if the bodice and sleeves feature similar textured materials.
This can cause snagging, uncomfortable rubbing beneath the arms, or restricted movement.
Nayri demonstrates how a wedding dress with different materials on the sleeves and bodice can help avoid this issue. While some brides are perfectly comfortable prioritizing the aesthetic of an embellished long-sleeve gown, it's important to understand how the fabric may feel and function throughout the wedding day.
Think About Comfort & Arm Mobility
Long-sleeve wedding dresses can also affect how easily you move your arms, especially once the gown is properly fitted.
When trying on a sample wedding dress that's too large, you may have more room to move because the sleeves and armholes are sitting lower and looser than they would in your actual size.
Once the gown is altered, the armholes may sit higher and the sleeves will fit more closely, potentially limiting your range of motion.
Nayri recommends keeping this in mind when trying on long-sleeve wedding dresses, especially if you plan to dance and move around throughout your wedding day.
Another consideration is temperature. Long sleeves can make a wedding dress feel warmer, which may be appealing for winter weddings but is something to consider regardless of the season.
Long-Sleeve Wedding Dresses May Require Additional Alterations
Another important consideration is the cost of wedding dress alterations.
Long-sleeve bridal gowns often require additional adjustments to achieve the proper fit, including sleeve width, sleeve length, shoulder proportions, and sometimes the back of the wedding dress.
Because alterations are generally priced according to the labor involved, these additional adjustments can increase the overall cost compared to a simpler strapless gown.
Nayri also recommends thinking carefully about where you want your sleeves to end. She personally loves a sleeve that extends toward the knuckles for a romantic, elongated look, while still allowing the engagement ring to be visible.
These small styling details can make a big difference in the finished bridal look.
Consider Detachable Sleeves or a Bridal Bolero
If you love the look of a long-sleeve wedding dress but want more flexibility, detachable sleeves or a bridal bolero may be worth considering.
A bridal bolero is a separate jacket-like piece that can be worn over a wedding dress to create additional coverage. This allows brides to enjoy the look of long sleeves for part of their wedding day while having the option to remove the additional layer later.
It's a beautiful alternative for brides who want a modest bridal look without committing to a fully long-sleeve wedding dress.
Wedding Dress Shopping Tips from Lovella Bridal Los Angeles
We hope this guide to the top wedding dress trends helps you feel inspired as you begin your bridal gown shopping journey. At Lovella Bridal, we share expert bridal styling advice to help brides feel confident and prepared every step of the way.
For more wedding dress inspiration and helpful tips, explore these related posts:
- How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Dress Silhouette
- What Brides Should Know Before Wedding Dress Alterations
- Unexpected Truths About Special Ordering A Wedding Dress
- What To Expect When Wedding Dress Shopping For The First Time
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
Meet Lovella’s Wedding Fashion Expert in Los Angeles
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
