Wedding dresses

Over the centuries, wedding dresses have changed, but a bride has always wanted her dress to be special, to make her look more beautiful. Centuries ago, only the wealthy could afford red, purple, and true black materials; therefore, wealthy brides would wear colorful dresses adorned with jewels. The bride would really shine in the sun. The dress with flowing sleeves or a train was a status symbol, as the poor had to use the material as sparingly as possible. Factory-made materials, with their lower cost, lost the original meaning of the train of a wedding dress, but over time it became a tradition.

Fashion changed from colored dresses to white, or a variation of white, but since it was not a practical shade for most purposes, blue became another favorite, as did pink. In the 1800s, gray became a color for wedding dresses for the lower classes because the dress was repurposed as the bride’s best Sunday. For those who had to wear a dress that would be worn for regular occasions after the wedding, many brides would decorate the dress for the special day with temporary decorations.

The “traditional” wedding dress as it is known today did not appear until the 19th century. By 1800, machine-made fabrics and inexpensive muslins made the veiled white dress the prevailing fashion. In the 19th century, a bride wearing her white dress after the wedding was accepted. Re-trimming the dress made it appropriate for many different functions.

Over time, women’s fashion changed. The hemlines rose and fell, but the long dress, with or without a train, remained the preferred length for brides. Sleeve lengths and neck styles changed with current fashion, but mostly remained modest. Wide sleeves, fitted sleeves, and sleeveless styles came and went and came back. Over the years, simple designs have been found to make.

The fashion for wedding dresses today seems to be the strapless gown, which looks charming on some figures. Some brides still want styles from the past.

The main consideration for a future bride is what clothes are appropriate for her. The style should match her figure and her financial means, as well as the setting of the ceremony. For example, a corpulent woman should try on dresses that she likes and then choose one that flatters her. Every bride wants to look beautiful on that special day. If she has $500 to spend on a dress, then she shouldn’t be looking for $5,000 dresses. If the wedding is to be held in a garden, she may want to avoid a heavily beaded dress.

Suitability is the key word when a bride searches for the perfect dress, whether in real life or written in a story. A full-length mirror often tells the truth anywhere.