I had my neighbor try on 6 wedding guest dresses under $40. Five didn't work for her apple shape.
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I am not a stylist. I should not be writing a wedding dress guide. But I'm a 1-person apparel store owner, and last month my neighbor asked me to help her pick a wedding guest dress for her sister's outdoor June wedding.
She is apple-shaped (midsection weight) and was tired of department store options that did one of two things to her: clung wrong, or drowned her.
So she came over and tried on 6 of my own dresses from my own store (I bought them with my employee discount). I took photos. She told me the truth.
What we tried
The Velvet Wrap V-Neck Bodycon ($39.99)
This is my best-seller, so I had hopes. The ruching on the torso hides — but on my neighbor she said it kinda looked like she's "smuggling a pillow." Hers didn't flatter. For me it looked fine. Body shapes are weird like that. Both sizes medium.
The Work Sheath Midi ($32.39)
This one surprised me. V-neck in front and V-neck in back. The knee-length hem and the structured sheath made my neighbor say "I look 5 lbs lighter on this one." She bought it. For me it was OK but I'm not the wedding guest demographic.
The Flowy Shift Dress ($26.99)
I expected this to win. Shift dresses are usually the safe pick for apple shapes. On my neighbor she said it looked like a tent. The fabric was too thin on her. She passed. I would wear it for brunch, not a wedding.
The Faux Wrap Sundress ($29.99)
Empire waist sits just under the bust — exactly where apple shapes want definition. On her, this worked. The spaghetti straps were too thin for her shoulders (she's not a 22-year-old) so she wore a cropped cardigan over it. Still bought it.
The Long Sleeve Tunic Top ($19.79)
Not a dress. But her sister's wedding was casual so I told her to consider wearing it as a top with dress pants. Looked great. $19.79 vs $89 at Ann Taylor. Done.
What I learned
I have 11 years selling on Amazon and 1.5 years on Shopify. I know how to write product descriptions for SEO. I do not know how a real woman feels trying on dresses in her bedroom. That neighbor fitting saved me from writing product copy that "sounded right" but fit wrong.
If you want to see the 3 she bought in person (me + neighbor both wore them):
- dress-297 Velvet Wrap Bodycon on me (not for her)
- dress-230 Work Sheath Midi on her (the winner)
- dress-jt276 Faux Wrap Sundress on her (with the cardigan)
I run aphratti.com — 1 person, Guangzhou factory, US fulfillment. Returns free for 30 days so you can try at home. If it doesn't work, ship it back.
Have a wedding coming up and don't know which one? Reply on this post or email me at the address on the contact page. I'll tell you which one I'd pick for your shape even if you buy it elsewhere.