The bodice is one of the five main components of every wedding dress. It’s important because this is where the bride’s waist and shape will come together, and either make her look like a million dollars or at least give the bride a chance to work with what she’s got to look as good as she can.

There are nine different types of descriptions for the bodice of a wedding dress recognized by designers. Let’s take a look at each one of them.

The corset is at the top of the bodice list because it’s what most wedding dresses contain for brides who need some cinching up. These are usually lacy with strings to help bridesmaids get a little more waist out of what they have.

The halter bodice is sexy because it wraps around the back and shows the shoulders and arms. Sometimes a woman will wear a jacket with it to cover the arms, but it’s not necessary. Also, halters can be shaped around the breasts to give it even more shape and sexiness. And it looks really dangerous when it’s backless.

The midriff bodice is for women with tiny waists who want to try to enhance it in some fashion. This style of bodice works well for women who are ready to eschew the traditional wedding dress and purchase something else, then have it altered to look like one.

The drop waist bodice can make a bride’s waist look longer than it might be, which gives it a slimming effect. It usually stops just above the hips to maximize as much waist as its possible to make.

The tank bodice offers comfort, yet is still flattering and can actually be very sexy at times. It has a short, sleeveless top with wide armholes, where some women will wear a jacket to cover it up, but the daring bride will go without.

The surplus bodice is sexy because it’s meant to follow the curves of a woman’s body, and if she’s in shape it will highlight it perfectly. Its basic style is to wrap around the body either in the front or the back in a crossing pattern.

The empire bodice is often work by petite brides, but can work on any body type. It ends just below the bust, then flares out as a skirt, which is a very cute style rather than being sexy.

The asymmetrical bodice means it drapes only over one shoulder, which makes it comfortable and sexy at the same time, but of course not every woman can wear it.

The princess line bodice is the type that’s been worn by royals for many weddings in history, which is where it gets its name. It can give the illusion of being both taller and slimmer because it has two vertical and parallel seams going from the bust to the hem of the wedding dress.

The proper bodice with the right silhouette can make a bride look like a million dollars on her wedding day.