What is the story of a wedding dress?
From the past to the present,,,,
Nowadays, it is strange to choose a wedding dress other than white. This is a ritual that most cultures and societies follow today, but when did it start? How did we get to these beautiful designs gradually? What did brides wear in the past?
Brides wore dresses related to their different cultures, religions and customs. But what we will present here is the story of the white wedding dress and what did the brides wear before it.
What did the bride wear before the white wedding dress?
The concept of wedding dress changed over time until we came to wearing white. In the Arab region, the bride wore traditional dresses dedicated to the bride. The bride wore seven dresses over the 7 days before the wedding day.
On the wedding day, she shines in the traditional dress, which differs from one region to another. That was in several Arab regions, such as Palestine.
traditional dresses in Salt- Jordan / Palestine
In the city of Salt in Jordan, the bride wore – Alkhlkah Alsalteya-. It is in red and black and has embroidery on the edges. While in medieval Europe, the bride wore the most beautiful dress she had, regardless of its color.
Who was the first to wear a white wedding dress?
- The first wearing of a white wedding dress back to 1406, when Princess Phillipia wore it in England on her marriage to Eric Pomerania. In a royal wedding she wore a tunic with a white silk cloak.
- Queen Mary of Scotland wore a white wedding dress in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis Dauphin of France. Although it was the color of mourning for French queens, it was her favorite color.
- In 1840, Queen Victoria wore a white silk ivory wedding dress when she married Prince Albert. It was the real idea for a white wedding dress. That is why the designers and the most famous tailors at the time copied the idea of the Queen’s wedding dress to be the perfect dress for many brides.
Queen Victoria white wedding dress
- In the nineteenth century, it was common for bridesmaids to wear white dresses and white veils covering their hair.
bridesmaids wear white dresses
- In the mid-19th century, white wedding dresses actually appeared among most social classes. It is made of embroidered silk and lace.
- At the end of the 19th century, the high neckline and long-sleeved designs of wedding dresses with elegant gloves and a full-length skirt became the hallmark of Victorian dresses.
Victorian dresses
- In the early twentieth century, the comfort style of the Edwardian era was common. Wedding dresses showed the sudden transition, with dresses becoming loose-fitting and gowns made of delicate fabrics like lace.
- The gowns covering the bride from the neck to the bottom of her feet also continued.
- In the second decade of the twentieth century, low-waist wedding dresses began to become very popular with long veils. Brides also started using hair accessories to match the veils and tiaras.
- After the 20s of the twentieth century. the risk of designs began to appear, as the lengths of wedding dresses became shorter, reaching just beyond the knee.
- The prevalence of the flower bouquet, which is carried by the bride. It was known as shower bouquet, the waterfall, or the fountain. It was circular from the top and drops from the bottom.
The flowers bouquet
- In the 1950s, the trend was more romantic and feminine. The dresses of Jacqueline Kennedy at her wedding to John F. Kennedy in 1953, and actress Elizabeth Taylor, had their influence on fashion.
- Tea length dresses – from below the knee to a few inches above the ankle – were also very popular in the 1950s.
Tea length dresses
- In the early 1960s, the short veil became popular, and the sleeves were shorter to three-quarters in length.
The early 1960s Dreese’s
Wedding Dress 1980-2023 and the royal influence on fashion
- Princess Diana’s dress in the eighties of the twentieth century had a major role in changing the fashion of wedding dresses for puffed sleeves and long tails.
Princess Diana’s dress
- In the 1990s, off-shoulder dresses, and bows on the back of dresses, became popular.
Off-shoulder dresses in 1990
- In the early 2000s, wedding dresses were strapless, or strapless with thin straps.
2000s wedding dresses
- In 2011 Kate Middleton promoted long lace sleeves when she wore them to her wedding to Prince William. which and continued for a long time after.
Kate Middleton wedding dress
- In 2019, Meghan Markle wore a simple, boat-necked wedding dress by Givenchy. The dress also became an icon for a while, due to the royal influence on fashion.
Meghan Markle wedding dress
- As for the fashion of wedding dresses in 2022, and the fashion lines of wedding dresses for the year 2023. They varied between short-long dresses, accordion sleeves, and long puffed sleeves.
Written by: Rania Abu Jbarah