4 | Weddings

Like prom, weddings are another milestone social event that most people will attend at one time in their lives, whether it is their own or a friend’s. They serve as a great opportunity to dress up your characters. In this chapter, we look closely at the structure of different wedding gowns, and how to convey the texture and stiffness of different fabrics. We’ll also talk a bit more about formal men’s wear, and flashy formal looks for little kids.

A Tailored Dress

The cut of a dress should emphasize or downplay different parts of the body. A high waistline has less attention on the waist and hips, while a waistline right on the waist draws attention to them. Shorter skirts show off the legs, and trumpet skirts emphasize the hips.

Empire style dress with a high waistline

Trumpet style tapered to the knee then gradually flared

Strapless mermaid style immediately flares at the knee

Wedding Dresses

The main variations of the wedding gown are the neck and shoulder cuts, length and fullness of the skirt and where the waistline is located.

Yoke

Empire

Sheath

Drop

Blouson

Shift

Princess

A-Line

Mermaid or trumpet

Ball gown

BACK SASHES

Wedding gowns will sometimes have a sash, either over the shoulder or around the waist, with an accompanying bow or knot. More tame gowns might have a sheerer fabric that only accents the dress. A stiffer fabric can make a huge, puffed out bow creating a layered look.

Dress Fabric

Wedding dresses come in a variety of designs and styles. Fabrics of different texture, opacity and stiffness are used to make sure the bride looks just right as she walks down the aisle. Some fabrics will drape the shape of the body while others are stiffer and meant to hold a unique shape.

In this combination, white flowing fabric can be seen through the sheer, stiff black fabric.

The crisp folds of the train flow naturally around the body.

The fabric in these two examples has no body and falls straight down. With loose fabric, pay extra attention to the folds and drapery for an attractive look.

Despite fitting well to the body, this is actually a stiff fabric tailored tightly to fit her body exactly.

Lace

Lace can be a prominent component of many parts of the wedding gown, including the veil, the sheath over the dress, the trim and the gloves.

DESIGNING LACE

There are few rules when designing lacy veils and accessories. Long, short, covering the face or not, gathered or left loose—do whatever completes the look.

DRAW A VEIL

1Crosshatch some lines to achieve rough diamond shapes.

2Ink the lines a bit unevenly, sometimes lifting your pen entirely off the paper. This will help convey the thinness of the fabric as it catches the light so it doesn’t look like you just drew a grid over your character’s face.

Hair

Hair styling is an important part of designing the bride. A wedding isn’t the time for an everyday ’do. Dress it up a bit with curls, accessories or tiaras.

Formal Shoes

Wedding shoes vary dramatically for style and comfort. Though neutrals are best for men’s formal shoes, they don’t have to be solid black.

Men’s Jackets

You’ll find three main types of lapels on jackets. Notched is common on single-breasted jackets such as business suits or blazers. The shawl lapel is usually what you will find on tuxedoes. Peaked is considered the most formal, and can appear on double- or single-breasted jackets.

TAILCOATS

The front of a tailcoat cuts away and divides into a long flap of fabric in back.

SINGLE-BREASTED VS. DOUBLE-BREASTED

The single-breasted suit has anywhere from one to four buttons in a single column up the middle of the jacket. The more buttons, the shorter the lapel. Double-breasted suits have two columns of buttons and the sides overlap more, resulting in a much smaller opening showing the shirt.

Notched

Shawl

Peaked

Men’s Pants

Pants aren’t all that complicated, but it’s important to know where the seams are and where the pull on the fabric is, or they’ll look flat or badly constructed.

Here are a few examples of different pant cuts and how the hem or cuff falls over the shoe.

Practice drawing seaming and folds so you can get them right from any perspective.

DRAW FORMAL PANTS

1Sketch the general outline of the pants.

2The straight leg won’t have many wrinkles, but the bending leg will have some tension between the underside of the knee and the crotch along the inseam. There will also be some pull over the top of the thigh where the bend occurs.

3Tighten it up. The outer linework should reflect the folds in the cloth. Shading will give it depth, and add details like pockets and belt loops.

Garter Belts and Cummerbunds

The garter belt is an elastic undergarment that goes just over the calf and clips on to socks to hold them up. Though not as common in day-to-day wear, they are still used in men’s formal wear.

A cummerbund is a sash worn around the waist usually as part of a tuxedo or staff outfit. They hook or belt in the back and are worn in place of a vest or waistcoat.

Garter Belts

Cummerbunds

Kids’ Formal Wear

Formal wear for kids is really just miniaturized versions of adult clothes. There is just as much opportunity for variety for kids as with adults.

Kids’ formal shoes

SMALL BOY IN A SUIT

CHARACTERS

There is a tendency to put kids in cutesy outfits, but there is really no reason they can’t dress with as much style and dignity as an adult. This little boy is either an up-and-coming fashionisto, or his mother is training him for good dress-sense early.

1Sketch the lines of the body and the pose. Remember that kids have shorter limbs and larger heads proportionally.

2Fill in the widths of the limbs and start adding clothing guides. Little kids tend to be on the chubby side, and the torso isn’t well-defined.

3Define the fit of the clothes and add details like pockets, buttons, creases and folds.

4Clean up your lines and define the fabric folds.

5Color it! Kids’ formal wear doesn’t have to be bright. It can mimic adult, neutral palettes as well.

Non-Traditional Weddings

Bucking tradition can be part of the fun in wedding outfits. Some couples wish to incorporate their personal style in their wedding outfits; others choose to create a regional theme based around a favorite location.

Manderin

Punk

Southwestern

Zombie wedding

Beach wedding

Bridesmaids and Guests

Weddings are often big deals, so fill out your wedding cast. Along with the traditional bridesmaids, flower girls, best man and ring bearer, don’t forget about the families and possibly even extended families.

BRIDESMAIDS

Bridesmaids traditionally wear the same color, often the exact same dress, which tends to be vibrant and sometimes more overwrought than the wedding gown. Give the maidens something nice to wear, or play it up with bows and ruffles so the bride looks that much better by comparison.

OLDER GUESTS

The level of fanciness varies from guest to guest. Older couples are probably not buying new outfits in the latest fashions to go to a wedding. Their standard Sunday best will do.