Wedding dresses have changed a lot in the last two centuries. At one time a woman wore her best dress to be married in. It was too expensive for most women to buy something special for the occasion so the dress she wore to church, her Sunday best, was often the one she chose. Royal brides wore anything they wanted. Their weddings were more about alliances than romance. The events were extravagant and so were the dresses the princesses wore. The dresses were made of only the finest materials like velvets, silks and satins. They would have long trains and often had jewels like rubies, diamonds and pearls sewn on them. They were dyed with reds, blacks and purples. All these splendors were only available to the wealthy and they were admired and longed for by those who could not afford.
In 1816 Princess Charlotte wore a white wedding gown showing her interest in a new fashion in wedding dresses. But it was in 1840 when Queen Victoria of England got married to Prince Albert that the white wedding gown truly became the fashion. It was made of white silk and Honiton lace. She was exquisite in her gown and all the women wanted to be just like her. She had bridesmaids in the procession as well and this also resulted in a new tradition in weddings. Victoria was a trend setter. Interestingly even these white wedding dresses were not put aside once they were worn. Women took off the trains and veils and used them as visiting dresses when making the rounds as a just married woman. Queen Victoria did this as well. She took the lace overskirt off and reused it. In 1890 during her Diamond Jubilee she put it over the black gown that she wore.
Each decade had its style. The late 1800s up to the early 1900s saw white wedding gowns worn more and the style of the wedding dresses reflected the style of the day. They were of course fancier, whether with a bustle or not, but they were styled similar to what was worn at the time. This changed in 1920 when a new fashion trend began. Dresses no longer covered a woman’s ankle. The hemlines began to rise as the flapper style came into being. Many believed this to be an inappropriate way to dress and still wore long gowns especially for church weddings. Yet, the style caught on and a portion of woman wore flapper style wedding dresses. The thirties were a time of constraint. They began with the depression and ended with the Second World War. Weddings were a much less fancy celebration. The 1940s saw shortages’ and this too affected what women wore. A percentage of women used discarded parachutes to make their dresses. Once the war was over and the soldiers came back and married a particular style to the dresses of that decade was born. This was the tight waist, the high wide shoulders and the sweetheart neckline.
The 1950s saw another change with the wedding dresses now being more like cocktail dresses. Not all women were getting married in gowns anymore. Many of them were choosing the new style which was just below the knee. This also changed the style of veils which now ended in a point down the back. The early 1960s saw a dress that was shapeless and less flattering until later in the decade when it took on an empire line with a tight waist that came up under the bust. Some girls married in the fashion of the later 1960s and said their vows wearing mini dresses. The 1970s stayed with the empire line for most of the decade adding only fuller sleeves. The 1980s saw a lower waist and a fuller skirt. This style was influenced by the gown worn by Diana when she married Prince Charles of England. The 1990s introduced the corseted bodice, more embroidery and beading also became fashionable. The waist had dropped while the skirt remained full.
This decade has its own style of wedding dresses. Women are more likely to express themselves through their wedding attire. Many like the older styles and are wearing renaissance gowns or retro styles. Many weddings are themed to a particular era. Whatever the bride wears, whatever style catches her eye whether it is a traditional style or something she finds new and exciting she will be beautiful on her special day!
Related Articles:
