Fishtail and Mermaid Bridal Gowns

The mermaid is a silhouette built for an entrance: close-fitting through the bodice, waist and hips, then flaring out at or just below the knee into a full skirt, often with a trail. « Fishtail » describes the same idea, usually with the flare placed lower or sweeping out behind into a tail. In South Asian bridal wear the shape arrives covered in embroidery, as a gown, a mermaid lehenga or a fitted maxi, and it’s most often chosen for the Walima or a reception. It’s also the gown that depends most on accurate measurements. Each one is made to order, and for this shape, sending your own measurements rather than choosing a standard size is worth considering. Check where the flare starts on each design, since it decides how easily you’ll walk and sit.

7 résultats affichésTrié du plus récent au plus ancien

7 résultats affichésTrié du plus récent au plus ancien

Mermaid, fishtail or trumpet?

The three names overlap, but there’s a useful distinction. A mermaid fits closely all the way to the knee and flares sharply from there; it’s the most sculpted version. A trumpet begins its flare higher, at mid-thigh, so it’s a little easier to move in. Fishtail is the word many South Asian designers use for a mermaid whose flare extends into a longer tail at the back. If comfort matters, a trumpet, with its higher flare, is kinder than a full mermaid.

Wearing a fitted gown for a whole evening

A mermaid gown looks its best standing and walking, so plan for everything else. Sitting calls for a wide chair and a little care arranging the flare. Stairs and stage steps are easier with someone lifting the tail. Dancing is possible, but short steps are the rule. Many brides choose the mermaid for the entrance and photographs at a Walima or reception and keep a lehenga for the Baraat. Heavy embroidery on a fitted shape also adds weight close to the body, so a lighter fabric in the skirt helps.

Fit and measurements

Because the gown follows your shape down to the knee, small differences in hip and waist measurements show more than on any other silhouette. If you’re sending your own figures, take the hips at their fullest point and measure twice. Measurements are worked in inches at our workshop, with the size guide’s centimetres given as rounded conversions, so check each figure if you measure in centimetres. Height goes on the order form measured barefoot, so settle on your heels first.

Other gown shapes

For a softer line with more movement, see the fuller skirts of our Pakistani bridal gowns, or the fusion shapes among the Indo Western bridal gowns. More evening options are in our reception gowns, and every gown style is gathered in our bridal gowns.