Will a Princess Cut Flatter Your Little Flower Girl?

If you’ve got an adorable little lady that will be throwing rose petals down the aisle for you on your big day, you want her to wear an age-appropriate dress that suits her little frame and makes her look endearing. Most flower girls are no more than 8 years old, so it’s fun to play up their innocence and charm. What could be cuter than a tea-length dress in a princess cut?

The princess cut or silhouette is really just another version of an A-line dress. While an A-line silhouette may be broken up by a horizontal seam around the waist, a princess cut is made with long pieces of fabric that extend from neck to hem. Like the A-line, the princess cut features a fitted bodice and a flared skirt. It’s a clean look and it has become a popular look for little flower girls everywhere.

The Ultimate “Fit and Flare” Style

The princess cut isn’t just for wee princesses. A bride will often choose a princess-cut wedding dress for herself because of the instant slimming effect. Because the fabric runs vertically, the eye perceives an unbroken line from top to bottom. The bodice and skirt are uninterrupted, creating a true fit and flare profile.

Guess where the princess cut got its name? From a princess, of course. The first woman to proudly sport the silhouette was Princess Alexandra in 1863, when a famous couturier designed a wedding dress made of continuous vertical panels just for her. The effect is proper and clean, so it’s suitable for girls and grown women alike. While the silhouette is distinctively uncluttered, flower girls can add a little whimsy to their look by adding a sweet little sash around the waist.

Your Very Own Mini-Me?

Although flower girls don’t need to worry about looking slender as they sashay down the aisle, brides simply love the timeless style of a princess-cut flower girl dress. Some brides like to match the style of their own wedding dress to the flower girl’s dress. However, there really are no rules about matching. The bride and flower girl don’t have to look identical. The idea is to harmonize, not match. If the bride wants to wear an empire silhouette, the flower girl can still wear a princess cut. The colors don’t even have to be an exact match.

While tea-length is often appropriate for little attendants, you don’t have to get too hung up on the length. The princess cut works on both short dresses and long dresses, so you have a lot of wiggle room in choosing the length that best suits your little gal.

Don’t forget to accessorize your little princess with appropriate jewelry, gloves, and a cute sweater. Most princess-cut dresses are relatively unadorned, but they can be embellished if necessary. With a few fancy touches, your mini attendant will have her very own custom look.

It’s All the Rage

There’s no doubt about it – the princess cut is undyingly popular because it offers a minimalistic design that is appropriate in a range of settings. Even cutting edge designers like Marc Jacobs and Yves Saint Laurent rely on the silhouette to create their classic garments. And if it’s good enough for Marc Jacobs, shouldn’t it be good enough for your little attendant? Even if she trips down the aisle or starts screaming at the top of her lungs, she will look good doing it.

Whether your flower girl is an unpredictable little four year old or a fun but precocious eight year old, you can be confident that a princess cut is perfect for your royal occasion.