A2 - History of the white wedding dress
Wedding Dress History
Philippa of England was the first recorded princess to have worn a white gown to her wedding ceremony in 1406. With this said Mary Queen of Scots however was the first 'high profile' bride to have worn a white wedding dress in 1559. But despite the earlier appearances of the white wedding dress it wasn't until 1840 after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg, when Victoria wore a white gown trimmed with Honiton lace, that the white wedding dress became popularised.
During the 19th century after 1840 many brides followed the trend from Queen Victoria and continued to wear layered, wide dresses. Many were made from lace and silk and worn as a symbol of wealth.In the early 1900's many brides wore loose and floaty dresses, in they could move about easily. Dancing at weddings became custom during this era therefore brides wanted to be able to move freely so turned to this style. As the roaring 20's came around brides were heavily influenced by the 'flapper' dress style. The dresses had a high scoop neckline, with a straight, slim fit with a low waist and lacy veil. This dress style became very popular amongst brides during this time.
Moving into the 30's bridal trends were simple, with high necklines but sleeves became popular and lots of brides opted for a silk or rayon for a cheaper option for their dresses. However during the years of the great depression the white dress trend became scarce as many brides couldn't afford to buy and expensive outfit they would only wear once therefore brides chose to wear their best outfit which was usually a suit or a dress of a darker colour. Once the economy started to pick back up the trend of high necklines and long sleeved continued into the 40's.
When the 1950's came around so did the 'ballgown' dress trend. This trend began to dominate the fashion industry meaning hundreds of brides opted for this 'lampshade' style dress. Brides who were not considered 'fashion conscious' even became fussy and wanted a ballgown wedding dress. Another trend that came along in the 50's was strapless wedding dresses as a reaction to the previous trend of high necked long sleeve dresses.
The 60's brought slim 'collum' dresses and also shorter wedding dresses, with mutton sleeves and puffy elbows. Sleeves continued to get bigger into the 70's. Dior debuted a high neck dress with a 'puff at the elbow' which inspired many brides. In the 80's the strapless trend was back as it was very popular in the fashion industry and hard to escape. Tighter fitting dresses also became well loved along with the puffy shoulder sleeves.
As the 21st century was around the corner the demand for sleeves was back and so was the new trend for the 'flirty' silhouette. When 2000 hit, so did diversity. By now there was so many styles available for brides and the amount of styles have continued to grow. There are now wedding dresses available in any colour, style, and at any price point. There is something for every bride on the market. The majority of brides now choose to wear a white wedding dress however a vast amount of brides choose alternative options which are just as widely available.
Philippa of England was the first recorded princess to have worn a white gown to her wedding ceremony in 1406. With this said Mary Queen of Scots however was the first 'high profile' bride to have worn a white wedding dress in 1559. But despite the earlier appearances of the white wedding dress it wasn't until 1840 after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg, when Victoria wore a white gown trimmed with Honiton lace, that the white wedding dress became popularised.
During the 19th century after 1840 many brides followed the trend from Queen Victoria and continued to wear layered, wide dresses. Many were made from lace and silk and worn as a symbol of wealth.In the early 1900's many brides wore loose and floaty dresses, in they could move about easily. Dancing at weddings became custom during this era therefore brides wanted to be able to move freely so turned to this style. As the roaring 20's came around brides were heavily influenced by the 'flapper' dress style. The dresses had a high scoop neckline, with a straight, slim fit with a low waist and lacy veil. This dress style became very popular amongst brides during this time.
Moving into the 30's bridal trends were simple, with high necklines but sleeves became popular and lots of brides opted for a silk or rayon for a cheaper option for their dresses. However during the years of the great depression the white dress trend became scarce as many brides couldn't afford to buy and expensive outfit they would only wear once therefore brides chose to wear their best outfit which was usually a suit or a dress of a darker colour. Once the economy started to pick back up the trend of high necklines and long sleeved continued into the 40's.
When the 1950's came around so did the 'ballgown' dress trend. This trend began to dominate the fashion industry meaning hundreds of brides opted for this 'lampshade' style dress. Brides who were not considered 'fashion conscious' even became fussy and wanted a ballgown wedding dress. Another trend that came along in the 50's was strapless wedding dresses as a reaction to the previous trend of high necked long sleeve dresses.
The 60's brought slim 'collum' dresses and also shorter wedding dresses, with mutton sleeves and puffy elbows. Sleeves continued to get bigger into the 70's. Dior debuted a high neck dress with a 'puff at the elbow' which inspired many brides. In the 80's the strapless trend was back as it was very popular in the fashion industry and hard to escape. Tighter fitting dresses also became well loved along with the puffy shoulder sleeves.
As the 21st century was around the corner the demand for sleeves was back and so was the new trend for the 'flirty' silhouette. When 2000 hit, so did diversity. By now there was so many styles available for brides and the amount of styles have continued to grow. There are now wedding dresses available in any colour, style, and at any price point. There is something for every bride on the market. The majority of brides now choose to wear a white wedding dress however a vast amount of brides choose alternative options which are just as widely available.
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