 |
Wedding Dresses Weren't Always White
A
wedding dress is simply the dress worn by the bride on her wedding day. Brides
the world over and through the centuries have celebrated their wedding with
special dresses and ceremonies. The ceremony celebrated not only the marriage
but marked the bride maturing from girl to womanhood.
Both Indian and Chinese
brides traditionally wear red. In ancient Rome a bride would wear a new white
tunic and yellow sandals. During the Renaissance the bride's dress reflected
the wealth of her family. Rich brocades, sumptuous silks, vibrant colors, and
even fur and jewels were incorporated into the dress.
Prior to the Victorian
age wedding dresses were not usually white and were worn not only on the
wedding day, but afterwards as the woman's 'best dress.' Because the dress had to last, it was often
of a dark color and heavy material. The styles reflected the fashion of the
times. While the dress was dark colored, brides in the early 19th
century would often wear a long white veil.
Thanks to Queen Victoria, wedding dresses became wedding gowns and white was the color of choice. Her Spitalfield's satin dress was narrow waisted with a scoop neckline that bared her shoulders. Full sleeves were caught above the elbows and flared. The dress was accented with handmade Honiton lace. Over 200 people worked on the lace alone. The pattern was destroyed after the lace was completed for her dress so no one else could ever wear the same lace. Her lace veil fell nearly to the floor. Photos show that her gown was caught and draped with fresh flowers around the hemline.
Queen Victoria set the
standard for breathtaking gowns and set a trend among brides. Although she
wasn't the first queen to wear white, Mary Queen of Scots wore a white dress for
one of her weddings. She didn't have the best luck with husbands. Queen
Victoria's choice become the color of choice for brides in the Western world
from that moment forward.
The second half of the
19th century marked the beginning of the professional couture houses
in France and Paris became the center of fashion. The Paris designs filtered
down to the mass markets through inspired dressmakers and retailers. The
industrial revolution signaled an era of progress. Due to technological
advancements ready-made garments were offered through catalogs. Brides could
now order their wedding dress for their very special day. That tradition
remains to this day.
Come back next week and read about the different types of fabrics - silk, taffeta, or velvet. Which do you like best? Find out next week.
No comments