The basque waistline is a popular style in women’s formal dresses, including wedding dresses, accentuating the hips with a ‘V’ or ‘U’ shape. It originated from a Victorian-era jacket and is recommended for tall women. The style features a full skirt and fitted bodice, often with boning or lacing.
A basque waistline is a waistline style found on women’s formal dresses, including wedding dresses. This usually starts just below or at the actual waist of the wearer, and then the center dips downward to form a ‘V’ or ‘U’ shape. These shapes tend to accentuate the hips. The basque waist is also known as the dropped V waist.
This style is very popular in wedding dresses, and is often referred to as one of the defining characteristics of the wedding dress. Other styles include empire waist, A-line, and ball gown. A basque waist wedding dress is recommended for tall women or those with longer legs. This dress may not be as flattering on a short woman. Wedding dresses are often a combination of several different styles, so it is wise to assess the exact characteristics of each dress individually.
The word basque originally referred to a fitted Victorian-era jacket that was designed to resemble a corset. These garments fit well in the midsection and flare out at the hips. Today, the word generally refers to an undergarment that is styled like a corset, without the compression. It usually has brass cups and is longer than a bodice, usually to the waist. A Basque is also known as a torsolette or merry widow.
Basque, pronounced as ‘bask’ in English, is a French term that may actually have its origins in the Italian word basta, meaning ‘tuck’. Not to be confused with the group of people known as Basques. This is a group of European people who live in Spain and France, but whose language is not Indo-European.
The ‘U’ or ‘V’ shape found in a basque waistline can either cut extremely deep or dip just below the natural waistline; there is no hard and fast rule for this. Sometimes the dropped waist features embroidery or sequins, but it can also be kept plain. This waistband style offers many options to the wearer.
Typically, any dress that features a basque waist will also have a full skirt and fitted bodice. Although not as risqué as its cousin, the simple basque, a basque waist dress shares similar characteristics. Both often include some type of boning or lacing along the back to keep the bodice in place, albeit without the pressure applied by a corset.
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