This week’s masterclass is led by Motivational Speaker and Plus Size Virtual Gym Owner Sarah Taylor. Join us in the TCF Style Lounge as we discuss self-love through fitness.
Stunning Wedding Looks and Inspiration That Go Beyond the Binary
It’s #BridalWeek at The Curvy Fashionista, but we know not everyone planning a wedding is a bride! We are excited to bring you rad, non-traditional, plus size wedding outfits and inspiration for non-binary, transgender, genderfluid, and gender diverse folks.
If you spend five minutes looking for non-binary plus size wedding outfits on Pinterest or even googling them, the results are disappointing and often still feature thin people that are overwhelmingly white.
There are very few options ready-made or off-the-rack available for purchase for gender diverse plus size folks. Many items have to be designed custom, including time for alterations, and require months of advance notice.
We know that’s typically the case when it comes to wedding planning, but shopping for fashionable, creative plus size wedding looks for all genders should be less about who you know and more about access.
We hope this article helps bring representation to non-binary, transgender, and gender diverse folks looking for wedding outfit inspiration!
A huge shout out and thank you to the folks who contributed their own wedding outfits and details to help make this possible – all photos are linked and credited below.
Wedding Dress Options for Every Body
For gender diverse folks looking for non-traditional, plus size dress options for their wedding look, Hannah Caroline Couture offers custom-made gowns (and a few jumpsuits!) made to stun on your wedding day. Their website allows you to browse by style, silhouette, material, or place a custom order.
“We don’t have a set inventory of pre-made garments sitting in a warehouse somewhere. Instead, we make every garment to order based on the style and fit preferences of each customer. “
Hannah Caroline Couture
Their designs offer a wide range of color and material options, all fully customizable allowing you to curate a perfectly unique look for your wedding day!
For folks deciding whether or not to wear a veil, or looking to add flair to their wedding outfit – a cape adds a layer of mystery and intrigue to any wedding look whether it be a dress, jumpsuit or suit. We love this simple yet stunning design from Torrid which goes up to a size 30 in dresses. A cape can also be incorporated with a jumpsuit, dress, or suit- making it a wonderfully neutral piece of formalwear.
Check out: 14 Plus Size Brides on Instagram that Took Our Breath Away!
The Perfect Wedding Suit
Navigating the wedding industry and its unnecessary gender norms is an already exhausting experience, but for gender diverse folks, finding the perfect look for the wedding day can involve some trial and error.
For example, Rah Foard (they/them) featured above says, “I discovered that holding flowers in my hands made me wildly uncomfortable, so I decided wearing the florals would be more rad and more my style.” Their bold flower sash combined with a gorgeous suit from Bindle and Keep created a stunning wedding look.
Bindle and Keep’s “Suits for Every Body” just about sums up their entire mission. They offer custom designed suits at multiple tiers for folks to design and purchase. Their exquisite suit-making experience offers clients a safe place for custom fittings, and their garments include free alterations for the lifetime of a garment. This shop is ideal for folks who may be new to wearing suits or looking to customize their wedding outfit.
Another option for folks looking to coordinate suits on their wedding day is Men’s Wearhouse, where Konrad (he/him) and Robert (he/him) found their wedding looks. Konrad says, “We were inspired by classic and complimentary looks. We wore matching suits, while Robert wore a bow tie and I wore a traditional tie.”
Purchasing suits “off-the-rack” has its benefits, where couples can typically find coordinating looks, and the immediacy of their purchase allows time for alterations. Men’s Wearhouse offers suits, suit separates, and other formal wear options up to 6XLT, 66-68 Regular, and Long options.
Custom Wedding Jumpsuits
A jumpsuit is a great alternative for folks who might not enjoy the aesthetics of a suit but aren’t committed to wearing a skirt or dress for their wedding day. This glossy jumpsuit gives all the formal vibes for a wedding and could easily be dressed up or down with a personalized blazer or jean jacket, depending on your wedding’s theme. This jumpsuit by JIBRI goes up to size 28 (in dress size, 54″ bust and 48″ in the waist).
Since we’re talking jumpsuits, we would be remiss not to mention Smart Glamour! The clothing brand is dedicated to creating clothes with all bodies in mind, they offer customized sizing up to 15x, and this jumpsuit’s train is removable! Perfect for that transition from wedding to reception. Smart Glamour carries an entire line of wedding and formal attire for plus size gender diverse folks.
Their website speaks to their mission, “SmartGlamour is an affordable, inclusive, and customizable ethical clothing line for people of all shapes, sizes, heights, ages, identities, and styles. We make plus size clothing, straight size clothing, petite clothing, tall clothing, and everything in between and beyond. Every design is available in XXS to 15X and beyond. Every item can be customized to fit any and every body.“
Or like these beautiful African inspired jumpsuits by Afrikrea, offering sizing up to 7XL. According to the brand: “At Afrikrea.com, we do not believe in the myth of predefined sizes. Each body is different and deserves an outfit just as unique.”
Their stunning jumpsuits are customizable and perfect for folks looking for a non-traditional wedding look!
Wedding Flower Arrangements
Natural, extravagant bouquets are all the rage in the wedding industry today, but some folks may be looking for unique ways to incorporate flowers in their wedding outside of gender norms.
For example, Rah, mentioned earlier, wore their bouquet like a sash for their ceremony instead of in their hands as a bouquet.
This couple’s bouquet was filled with bold greens and fanned out leaves from Bespoke Blossoms rather than a traditional flower-filled bouquet. The bright natural green colors contrast with their stunning formal wear, creating an iconic and beautiful look for this photoshoot.
Bouquets don’t necessarily have to include flowers, buds, or even blooms and can be an arrangement of whatever plants are meaningful to you or your spouse-to-be.
An alternative to holding or even wearing your flowers as a sash is an impressive flower crown, such as is worn by Naomi above, created by Little Botanica! A gorgeous way to incorporate your favorite blooms into your wedding day without the worry of losing a bouquet.
Flowers themselves aren’t inherently gendered, but expectations on grooms and brides alike to carry or wear them can lead to frustration for gender diverse folks.
Our advice? Do you! Whether you hold, wear, or carry your flowers – if you even have flowers at all, whatever is most comfortable for you is what really matters.
Are you planning a wedding? What are you most looking forward to in the planning process?
About the Author
Liz Brinks
Liz (they/them) is a genderqueer bisexual based in the Midwest. They enjoy writing about internet culture and gender stuff, reading angsty LGBTQ+ YA novels, creating queer content and hanging out with cats. They have a newsletter called "The Gender Issue", and can usually be found tweeting about Steven Universe.
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