Dream Wedding Dresses

Dream Wedding Dresses

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The 1980s Wedding Dresses

The Princess of Wales' wedding dress with extravagant skirt and huge sleeves proved to have influenced the 1980's brides a lot.

In the previous decades, the bridal gowns were designed in restrained outlines. In the 1980s, most of the brides wanted something different like a fairytale crinoline and tiara. Waistlines of the wedding dresses had already gone to the natural position.

Davies got married with Thomas Barnes in 1979, when the skirts of wedding dresses had already begun to get fuller. Glynnis's wedding gown was made from ribbon lace with wide spreading train. With her wedding veil attached to the back of her matching headband, she carried yellow roses as her wedding flowers.

Then we are here to talk about the famous princess Diana in history. She had a great royal wedding with a great dream princess wedding dress which made her look like a girl from a fairy tale. After that, wedding dresses like hers become a fashion. Everyone picked wedding dresses with full skirts gathered to the waist, and big sleeves to the elbow. Also they will add flounces and bows and lace embellishments to the bridal gown. Fabrics like taffeta and silk are becoming popular. Her wedding flowers were trailing greenery.

However, it soon became clear that not all of the brides would look wonderful with a wedding dress like that. The styles of wedding dresses in fashion were always changing as the times gone!

Monday, November 28, 2011

The 1970s Bridal Dresses

The biggest feature of seventies dresses were sleeves. In the 1970s, Princess Anne had her wedding ceremony being dressed in a wedding dress with her extravagant Tudor sleeves, and the brides. From then on, in this decade wedding gowns with sleeve styles culled from every era were very popular among the brides.

The shape of the wedding dress was changing also! It moved gradually from the narrow, high-waist empire style to the more flattering princess A-line style. However, the wedding dresses were with little or no train during the decades. As time gone by, the waist gradually fell to its natural position by 1980. Pinafore wedding dress styles were very popular at that time.

Wedding gowns in the mid-seventies were typical with the same Simplicity Pattern. When Trudy Pope married Stephen Hutchings in May 1976, she was being dressed with a slightly high-waist princess A-line wedding gown with a scooped neckline and bishop sleeves. Carrying white tulips at her wedding ceremony, she was a great bride. In the same year, Elizabeth Locking got married with Edward Davies and she made a satin gown for her wedding day. The wedding dress was with high neckline and multi-caped sleeves. So here was the wedding dress history of the 1970s.
  
1970 wedding dresses

Thursday, November 24, 2011

The 1960s Wedding Dresses

In the early 1960s, there were little changes in the wedding dresses. This was a time when girls still wore circular skirts, which were sometimes supported by crinolines, tight sleeves and short veils. The only real change for brides at that time was that the wedding veils became more bouffant. To go perfect with the back-combed hairstyles then in vogue, this kind of wedding veils were in need. They would also use a large single rose which could also bring great beauty to the bride’s over-all look. In contrast, tight little posies were used instead of the large flowers before.

Princess Margaret had her great wedding ceremony in 1960, but it was quintessentially of its era. The only difference was that she made a matching long veil for her long and noble wedding dress. During the middle years of the 1960s, however, the influences of the "Swinging Sixties" designs of Mary Quant and co were beginning to work. Waistlines first dropped, and then straight, shift-style bridal dresses began to be seen during the bridal dresses at that time. Along with the narrower line, returned the train and the "cathedral" veil! Maybe they think these changes were too shapeless for the wedding dress fashion. As the times come by, it quickly evolved into the empire wedding dresses times, with the waist tight under the bust which can make the bride look taller and elegant. Influenced by mainstream design, floral bonnets and floppy hats were becoming more and more popular among brides at that time. These trends tend to be popular during the next decade, when hoods attached to the dress, and Juliet caps worn with or without a veil, also became popular headgear.
1960 wedding dresses

1960 wedding dresses


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The History of Wedding Dresses: The 1940s

During the war years, white wedding dresses virtually disappeared for a time. Clothes rationing was introduced in 1941. Fashion almost ceased to exist during the war years. Some brides who were brave would try to borrow gowns from her friends or family members. Most brides wore uniform for their big wedding day. Those brides who are not in the services also tended to wear a suit. They called the suit "costume" at that time, with a floral corsage pinned to the lapel.

Betty Hutton, the Woolworth heiress got married being dressed in a blue silk costume with matching veiled hat for her big wedding day in 1942. After the war ended when the economy was down and the people needed to save money for the developments of the country, rationing was still in force, but nobody thought that Princess Elizabeth should do it. In 1947, she got married with her husband with a great wedding dress in 1947. Consequently, her gown was sumptuous, with embroidery and beading decorating the flowing satin skirt, with its long train and silk net veil. A royal wedding needed a great royal wedding dress to match it. The sweetheart neckline and wide shoulders continued to be popular for the following few years. However, it was soon to give way in the late 1950s, when Dior made great wedding dresses with narrow shoulders, nipped waist and wide skirts showed to the world.

In fact, the fashion has great connections with the environment, right? 


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The History of Wedding Dresses: the 1930s

As the steps of the time, the wedding dresses trends had great changes in fashion during the 1930s. Waistlines returned to their natural position, and became more defined. The hemlines of the dresses dropped back below the knee, though they were never to reach the floor again for day wear. Maybe the boyish look had been popular among the girls the time before. Women put focus on showing their beautiful curves and figures one again in the 1930s. This was more pronounced as the decade wore on, with the introduction of bias cut gowns that hugged the female figure. In 1931, Nora Pennell got married with Arthur Williams when she was wearing an oyster pink silk crepe dress in the currently fashionable style of boat shaped neckline, fitted bodice and a short skirt to just below the knee. The over-all look of the bride looks sweet and beautiful, right? The wax headdress and silk net veil also went perfect with her bridal dress and added great beauty to her look. Her three bridesmaids wore similar outfits respectively which made a great match with the bride, and carried mixed sweet peas. At that time, it was called a "Rainbow wedding" and Vicar said it was the prettiest he'd ever seen. From then on, wedding dresses which show the special beauty of women went back to the wedding dress stage once again. Just like that the mermaid wedding dresses today are very popular among modern brides who love chic and elegant looks!!!
Nora' wedding dress

1930 wedding dresses


1930 wedding dresses



Sunday, November 20, 2011

Wedding Dresses: The 1920s

When Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon got married with the Duke of York in 1923, their wedding ceremony took place in Westminster Abbey. The wedding dress for her was the traditional and classic with full length. A court train is flowing behind. The dropped waist and generally unshaped bodice were fashionable at that time, and in the way the headdress was worn low over the brow, clasping the veil to the bride's head in a way that echoed the cloche hat every woman was wearing then. In the contemporary press this style was described as "medieval". However it is really very trendy all those days, except for the length. She chose a traditional bouquet (which does not appear in her official photographs as she laid it at the tomb of the Unknown Warrior on her way out of the Abbey, in memory of her brothers, and others killed in the War). Many brides made the medieval effect shown better by carrying sheaves of white lilies which were very popular brides at that time. Elsie married Charles Locking in in 1925 who was also a stylish bride at that time. When she was 26 years old, she chose a casual wedding dress which she could wear again to dances at parties. She uses fabric like beige lace over old gold silk. Her wedding dress looks just like a casual dress which you could use at normal occasions. The design was casual but very beautiful. With shapeless bodice, dropped waist and short skirt, she could have felt very comfortable with a wedding dress like that. Her big extravagance is that she made the dress herself. She carried bronze chrysanthemums to use for her wedding flowers for her big wedding day.
1920 wedding dresses
1920 wedding dresses



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

History of The Wedding Dresses: Following

In the last article, we have talked about the wedding of a princess or brides form the tops scale of the society. Of course, most brides were not princesses and most could not afford to buy a wedding dress like the royal family. 

However, in order to win a stunning look on her big wedding day, a bride would usually try to copy form a bride from a higher social class. A well-to-do middle class girl would aspire to velvet or silk fabrics which are also very great for a dress. You know she may not usually afford mink or sable. To impress her friends, she could use her own way which is different from the higher class. Then the poor bride's dress would be made linen, or fine wool which would be much cheaper. And she would use as much fabric as she could for her dress. At that time, a gown with flowing sleeves or a train was a big status symbol. You know long times ago, the length of the train is the symbol of your wealth. In modern times, however, the symbol of the bride in her train had gradually become a tradition.
vintage wedding dresses


An ordinary girl, who could not afford very much in the way of decoration or trimming on her wedding dress, still wanted a special and great bridal dress for her big wedding day which means a lot to her. She could have it by adhering to the rules and traditions of wedding costume.
vintage wedding dresses   

Before modern medicine, it was not so easy to achieve a long and healthy life. So people tried to ensure good luck by following superstition at that time. This would be why so many superstitions grew up around weddings, to bring about a girl's happiness in her new home and of course to guarantee her fertility. You know the color of the wedding dress was a great source of luck. And we will talk about the color of the wedding dresses later.


Monday, November 14, 2011

History of Wedding Dresses: The Beginning

As wedding is a great event to all of us, so there is no doubt that the wedding gown is unique. Along with baptism and burial, marriage is one of the three great public occasions in a person's life. A marriage can fully appreciate the glory of your central role. Maybe it is the most important choice for a girl when she is considering to get married. Throughout history, women have tried to make their wedding dress special to make her the focus and the most beautiful one on her big wedding day. To make this, a great wedding dress is necessary.

vintage wedding dresses


At the top of the scale, royal princesses have always tried to be most princess-like on their wedding days. In medieval times, when royal marriages were of great political importance and used to seal alliances between two countries, it was also necessary for the young bride to look magnificent to uphold the prestige of her country. In this way, she can impress the groom's country with her own nation's apparent wealth. So as to make this, the wedding dress and wedding jewelry is of great importance to them.

vintage wedding dresses


To this end they used as much material as they possibly could. Of course, they used the most costly materials, like velvet, damask silk, satin, fur and fabrics woven with gold and silver thread which can show their wealth and status. In days when all fabrics were hand woven and dyed, it is a great and hard work to make a wedding dress for them. The skirts would be gathered and full. The sleeves would be long enough to sweep the floor and trains would fall behind to a length of several metres. At first, the colors would be rich too. You know at that time only the wealthy could afford expensive red, purple and true black dyes. Additionally, the dress would be sewn with precious gems. They used diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and pearls so that the bride would glitter and flash in the sunlight. In some cases, the gown would be so thickly encrusted with jewels to make that the fabric beneath was hidden. In the fifteenth century when Margaret of Flanders was married, the bridal gown was so heavy that she could not move in her robes and had to be carried into the church by two gentlemen attendants! I just want to say that to be a bride of the top scale is not an easy thing!!! My dream wedding dress is a causal and light one….It would be okay.
vintage wedding dresses


Monday, November 7, 2011

A Old Poem Abour Why The Brides Must Choose White Wedding Dresses In The Old Times

Married in white, you will have chosen all right.
Married in gray, you will go far away.
Married in black, you will wish yourself back.
Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead.
Married in blue, you will always be true.
Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl.
Married in green, ashamed to be seen, Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow.
Married in brown, you’ll live out of town.
Married in pink, your spirits will sink.
This poem sounds interesting, indeed. However, as days gone by, we may have got to know that we should choose whatever color is suitable for us rather the only wedding dress color: white!  As a modern bride, we have so many choices for us to choose from, right?

Queen Victoria