Midi range: Show a glimpse of stocking with a classy, shorter silhouette

Much like wedding dress silhouettes, brides have a variety of hemlines they can choose from when shopping for their gown.Just like the shape of the dress (A-line, mermaid, ballgown), the hem length can also be dictated by the wedding’s style, formality and venue.“A bride who may be getting married in a restaurant or at a courthouse may choose a dress with a midi hemline,” said Dorothy Silver, senior director of merchandising at Kleinfeld Bridal.“A midi-length wedding dress is worn to a super high-fashion city wedding or a less formal one,” added Mark Ingram, owner of the Mark Ingram Atelier and designer of Mark Ingram Bride.Ingram explained that ballet, intermission-length, calf and midi are four ways a designer may describe these style dresses.A champagne-colored sequin midi-length wedding dress, “Gigi” has an internal corset for sculpted support and a draped skirt.

$2,690, Katherine TashThis David’s Bridal Collection sheer tulle wedding dress is adorned with lace appliques.$799, David’s Bridal, 153 Route 4 W., Paramus, NJ; David’s Bridal“A midi-length dress has a hemline that falls below the knee and above the ankle.

The silhouette can be a narrow column or a full skirt,” he said.“While more traditional gowns are still the popular choice for the ceremony, a dress with a shorter hemline is what brides are changing into for their second dress.”Many of the above-the-ankle hemline dresses have a vintage look to them, with either a full tulle circle skirt reminiscent of Dior’s New Look or a narrower skirt that was trending in the mid to late ‘50s.

“My mother wore that length to her daytime, informal wedding in 1955,” said Ingram.“It was the fashion then for evening dresses and bridal.”Today’s midi-length dresses come in a range of shapes from slim pencil styles to voluminous ones.

Fabrics and adornments can range too.Softer tulles and laces may feel more appropriate in an outdoor garden setting, while a mikado or charmeuse...