Fabric gives a dress its drape, its light and its movement. Here are the main families of materials, their character, and the dresses in our Lyon boutique that showcase them.
Two dresses with the same silhouette can look completely different depending on their fabric. A fluid material follows your movement and glides over the body, a firm one holds its shape and sculpts the figure. Fabric also plays with light: matte, shiny, sheer or textured.
It is also a question of comfort and season. A light fabric will be more pleasant for an outdoor summer ceremony, while a denser material suits a winter wedding better.
Lace is the most iconic wedding dress material. It comes in many families: fine, light Chantilly lace, guipure with its bolder relief, or corded lace, whose patterns are outlined with a thread.
Kitty by Katy Corso is cut from floral guipure. Cascadelle by Ricca Sposa combines ivory corded lace and pearls. Bruna and Jenna come with a detachable Chantilly lace piece. See all our lace wedding dresses.
Fine and sheer, tulle adds volume without weight. Layered, it creates ethereal skirts; embroidered, it dresses sleeves and sheer bodices.
Dahlia by Ricca Sposa is a princess dress in milk-coloured tulle. Essens by Rara Avis layers tulle ruffles on a mermaid silhouette. The detachable sleeves of Liora, by YolanCris, are in tulle embroidered with floral appliqués. See all our tulle wedding dresses.
Smooth and softly lustrous, satin catches the light and reveals the line of the dress. In stretch versions it hugs the body; heavier, it holds structured volumes. It is the fabric of clean, minimal looks.
Miressa and Rieti are in stretch satin, ideal for a mermaid cut. Ernesta by Katy Corso uses a dense matte satin embroidered with beaded flowers. Barbie, a strapless mini dress, uses heavy satin for its tulip skirt. See all our satin wedding dresses.
A natural fibre, silk offers an unmatched touch and drape. It can be smooth, crinkled or textured, like Dupioni silk and its slightly irregular grain.
Benjamin by Rara Avis is a fitted natural silk dress with a draped corset. Celestial is in crinkled silk, Faurelle by Ricca Sposa in Dupioni silk, and Dorofea comes with an airy silk cape. See all our silk wedding dresses.
These firm fabrics hold their shape: they allow full skirts, crisp pleats and sculpted bows. Mikado has a noble matte finish, taffeta a light rustle and a brighter sheen.
Tafrielle and Maorine by Ricca Sposa are in taffeta, Bruna in ivory mikado. See all our mikado and taffeta wedding dresses.
A photo cannot show the weight of a fabric, or the way it moves when you walk. During your bridal fitting, we show you dresses in several materials so you can compare their drape and comfort. To learn more about cuts, read our advice on which wedding dress suits your body shape.
