Pearl vs. Ivory

White, Ivory, Off White, and Pearl are all just different shades of white. There is generally only a slight difference, but if you are looking at them only they can appear to be different than what they are in real life. I would suggest ordering color swatches, if possible.

So I'm going to give you an example that is not related to wedding dresses. I am a kitchen designer, I sell cabinets. I can't tell you how many people agonize over which WHITE to get their cabinets in. I will tell you what I tell them...you are only ordering one color, therefore you won't have the others to compare yours to when it comes in.

Also what pearl is to one manufacturer may be ivory to another manufacturer. Unless they are the same designer it's hard to give feedback. Do you have pictures in both? Which color did you feel was the most flattering to your skin?

Exactly this! The color name is just a name, and likely varies considerably from one manufacturer to another. A manufacturer (and their marketing team) may decide that "pearl" sounds more "luxurious" than "ivory" and will, therefore, be more popular with brides, so they name the color "pearl" but it's the exact same color that someone else designates as ivory. You can't really know unless you see the actual fabric, and as Megan suggested, consider it against your skin tone.