Wedding Dress Trend 2011: Would You Wear A Gown With Sleeves?

Spring is on its way (finally!)—and with it a flux of engagements and wedding planning.

If you're a newly minted bride-to-be, you're probably researching wedding dress trends and wondering what's being forecast for the upcoming year. 2010 saw a return to classics, with elegant mermaid dresses, flowing Grecian gowns, and structured 1950s inspired pieces all becoming popular. According to bridal sites like WeddingGownTown and OneWed, 2011 is poised to be the year of the detail. Ruffles, bows, lace, accent beading and tulle are all rumored to be make comebacks, as are fairy-tale princess ballgown skirts.

One trend, however, may surprise you: a return to long-sleeved wedding gowns.

Why are they coming back now? And more importantly, could you rock one?

Sleeves are back for several reasons. First, there's the 20-year swing. What goes around comes around, and sleeves were all the rage back in the late eighties and early nineties, so it makes sense that we're seeing them again now.

Second, there's a royal wedding coming up, and royal romances are notorious for influencing fashion trends. (Knockoffs of Kate Middleton's engagement dress and ring sold out across the UK and America for weeks after she and William made their announcement.) The upcoming nuptials between the prince and future princess are being held up to the fairytale standard set by Princess Diana and Charles's 1981 extravaganza, and if there was ever a wedding dress with memorable sleeves, it was Diana's.

Peta Hunt, fashion director at You & Your Wedding magazine, told UK's The Mirror that the influence of Diana's dress still lingers: "It took us years to get over that dress. Year after year people looked back on it and said they wanted it." When asked to speculate on what we might see from Kate Middleton's wedding frock, Hunt said "I think it will be hand embroidered and I think with lace. She must have some sort of crown or tiara. I would imagine shoulders would be covered at some stage." In other words, there will be royal sleeves. Love Trends in 2011: Our Top 10 Predictions