The new bridal-gown collections offer something for everyone

NEW YORK — For every woman who has her heart set on a pouffy princess wedding gown, you'll find another who wants a sleek sheath. The good news for next year's brides is that there is a gown out there to suit any taste.

Designers recently previewed the styles that will arrive in salons this fall and Brides magazine editor-in-chief Millie Martini Bratten saw something for everyone.

Ballgowns in light fabrics? Check. Strapless dresses with pleated bodices? Check. Formfitting gowns that flare out at the bottom? Got 'em.

"There was either sleek and bling, or soft and minimal - that could be the goddess influence from fashion," says Bratten.

The green movement also has reached the bridal industry with gowns made of organic cotton and hemp, and vegetable-dyed silks.

"Everyone wants to wear something that feels great," says Bratten. "If you want something, it's available to you. That's what's great about the season."

Oscar de la Renta purposely created a range of silhouettes - short and long, silky or embroidered.

"The key was to make sure each one was still unique and special in its own way, whether that meant adding a feminine detail, like a dramatic bow, or a touch of color with a blue satin belt," he says. "Each look stands out, just like a bride should on her big day."

Mark Badgley of Badgley Mischka says that often a woman comes into a store thinking she knows exactly what she wants. She'll leave with the exact opposite.

The new Badgley Mischka collection was inspired by torch singers in the 1940s and '50s, women such as Billie Holiday and Julie London. They wore dramatic silhouettes but little embellishment, James Mischka explains, which fits in with the slightly simpler gowns brides seem to want these days.

"The modern bride today likes a silhouette that comes from ready-to-wear - something sexy and slinky, but there has to be something `bridal' about it. It might be a slim sheath but then there are yards and yards of volume at the hem," Badgley says.

The one silhouette that Bratten saw emerge as a trend was the one-shoulder gown, like the one Katherine Heigl wore to the Oscars.

"There was a lot of Hollywood influence and red-carpet glamour. There's so much crossover between ready-to-wear eveningwear designers and their bridal collections."