In bridal fashion, a waistline that sits just below the bust and creates an elongated skirt is an empire waist.
The empire line places the narrowest seam or visual break high on the torso, immediately below the bust. Fabric then falls away from that point, producing a long, flowing shape. Wedding dresses using this construction may include soft chiffon, silk, lace, or other fabrics that emphasize movement rather than a close fit around the waist and hips.
The name comes from the Empire silhouette associated with the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, particularly the period of the French First Empire. That historical style drew on classical ideas of dress and proportion and often used high waistlines and column-like skirts.
An empire waist differs from a dropped waist, whose seam sits below the natural waist, and from a basque waist, which usually forms a pointed or elongated V below the waistline. The term identifies placement, not color or fabric.