History of Fashion – The Wedding Dress

In the Western world, the white bridal gown is an iconic piece of clothing. Despite only being worn for that precious single day, choosing a wedding dress can often be an important, agonising (and expensive) experience.

The bigger the better

Before the Victorian era, Western wedding dresses were rarely white. They were vibrant, opulent gowns made from furs, silk and velvet. This was due to the fact that weddings primarily served as a business contract between families. The bride’s dress acted as a symbol of a family’s wealth and social status – a plain, simple white gown just wouldn’t cut it.

A new era

This all changed in 1840, when Queen Victoria wore a lace white gown at her wedding. Published images of the gown inspired other brides to follow suit, starting a style trend and boost in popularity for white wedding dresses.

The modern wedding dress

In modern society, white is still a highly popular choice. Often brides opt for a softer shade than a dazzling diamond white, such as ecru or ivory. However, many brides make a bolder statement in a colourful gown – such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s dip-dyed dress, or Victoria Beckham and Dita Von Teese’s vibrant purple choices.

To make matters even more tricky for the bride-to-be, there are numerous dress styles and cuts to choose between. There’s no shortage of options for individualising a bridal gown – from A-line to ballgown, mermaid to trumpet and sheath to short.

Busy with bridal designs?

Designing a unique gown for a bride’s special day is no mean feat. If you’re a wedding dress designer, we’ve got the perfect finishing touches for your garments. Browse our high-quality minimalist labels, sleek swing tags and gorgeous ribbons.

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