October 6, 2022
As your wedding day approaches, the search for the perfect wedding dress becomes a priority. Of course, the classic white gown is typically what comes to mind, but the tradition of wearing white hasn’t always been the norm throughout history.
Prior to the mid-1800s, bridal attire ranged from colorful robes to the nicest dress the soon-to-be bride had on hand. In eastern cultures, brides donned red gowns, with red signifying luck, life, and celebration.
By the mid 1800s, a new fashion statement hit the Western scene. During her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, Queen Victoria made waves throughout the fashion world when she walked the aisle in a stunning white gown.
She is credited with popularizing the ‘classic’ white dress we know today, though the white wedding dress trend didn’t pick up speed in the US until post WWII. After this point (and the influence of European culture) the white wedding dress became a bridal tradition in modern times.
While in eastern cultures red gowns symbolized luck, life, and celebration, Western cultures started linking white to purity and innocence. Not to mention, black-and-white sepia-toned photography was the norm for those days, so a stunning white gown was sure to pop n photographs.
Today, white gowns remain the norm for many brides all around the world (even becoming popular in the East). With this being said, there are still outliers in the dress world as bridal fashion changes with current trends, embracing self-expression, authenticity, and the modern woman.
For example, fashion trends for 2023 forecast a spike in gowns of light blues and pinks (ironically synonymous with the bridal robes of the past).
So, when it comes to your big day, a Queen Victoria style gown may be the dress of choice but the beautiful thing about bridal is the creativity behind it. With self-expression comes stunning designs that shake up the bridal industry, because when it comes down to it- it’s all about the bride and what makes her feel best on her wedding.
