Apparel In-Depth: Fabrics, Lengths, and Necklines
So what exactly is organza, and how long is a chapel train? Here’s the lowdown on fabric types, train and gown lengths, necklines and veils.

• Brocade: Jacquard-woven fabric, satiny background with design woven in.
• Charmeuse: lightweight, smooth, semilustrous satiny fabric.
  
• Chiffon: a sheer, drapable fabric made of silk or rayon.
  
• Crepe: slightly textured silk or rayon fabric
  
• Dotted Swiss is a sheer, lightweight fabric with evenly-spaced, flocked polka dots
  
• Eyelet: fabric consisting of embroidery-finished holes in a floral pattern
  
• Faille: a tightly woven silk or rayon fabric with a sheen and ribbed texture.
  
• Linen: a strong cloth made of flax.
  
• Moire: polyester or silk taffeta with a wave pattern and sheen.
  
• Organdy: sheer, transparent crisp silk or rayon fabric; sometimes printed or embroidered.
• Organza: sheer, crisp fabric like chiffon, but with a stiff finish and reflective appearance.
  
• Satin is a smooth, opaque fabric, shiny in appearance.
  
• Slipper Satin is a light, soft, closely woven, smooth feeling fabric that shines in the light.
• Italian Satin: heavy satin with a sheen and heavier body.
  
• Silk Gazar: a rough-textured, four-ply silk.
  
• Silk-faced satin: smooth weave fabric with one side glossy and one side matte finish.
  
• Taffeta: smooth fabric with a small rib and matte or shiny finish, used for lining or outer fabric.
  
• Tulle: open-weave net in nylon, silk, cotton, or rayon, often used as stiffener in skirts or in veils.
• Voile: sheer fabric similar to linen.

Necklines:

• High: Fitted high collar, close to the neck.
• Halter: Sleeveless, often low cut with straps angled toward the back of the neck.
  
• Sabrina: follows the collarbone to the tip of the shoulders.
  
• Portrait: off-the-shoulder, often with additional folds of fabric around the neckline.
  
• Jewel: round neckline below the throat.
  
• Queen Anne: high at the back of the neck and low to a bare yoke.
  
• Sweetheart: a double curve like the top half of a heart.

• Street Length styling just covers the knees.
• Intermission Length falls between the knees and ankle.
• Ballet Length flows to the ankles.
• Floor Length lightly touches the floor.
  
• Hi-low Length is intermission length in the front and floor length or longer in the back.

• Bird Cage: Small veil worn over just the face; may be chin-length or only cover the forehead. Created with many types of net, fastened with combs or worn with flowers or fascinators.
• Blusher: veil worn forward over the face and flipped back over the headpiece after the ceremony.
  
• Flyaway: layered veil, shoulder length and usually worn with informal dress.
  
• Fingertip: several layers that touch the fingertips.
  
• Ballet-length/Waltz-length: falls to the ankles.
• Chapel-length: 2 1/3 yards in length from the headpiece.
  
• Cathedral-length: cascades at least 3 1/2 yards from headpiece
  

Train Lengths:

• Sweep Train: shortest, only about a foot along the floor.
• Court: three feet from the waist
  
• Chapel Length Train: 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet from the waist.
  
• Semi-cathedral Train: 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet from the waist.
• Cathedral Train: 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 feet from the waist
• Fishtail: train that’s tight through upper leg and flows out at the bottom in a pool behind the heels.
• Grand Cathedral: 7 1/2 to 9 feet from waist
  
• Monarch Train: This train can extend 12 or more feet from the waist.
  
• Watteau: attaches at the shoulders falling to hemline
• Detachable Train: The train is joined to gown with hooks and eyes rather than sewn into place so you can remove it after the ceremony.
• Bustle: This procedure entails pulling the train up and attaching it to the wedding gown, usually by the use of tiny hooks sewn into the back of the gown and the train.