Page 23 - May-JOA-22

photograph of the queen in her gown standing The earliest recorded instance of a white
next to her husband was shared far and wide, and wedding dress in Western culture is that of the
the gown was soon copied by brides all over the English Princess Philippa at her wedding to the
Western world who fancied her look and aspired Scandinavian King Eric in 1406. She was dressed
to be like her. Illustrations created at the time in a white tunic lined with ermine and squirrel
did not reflect the details as they appeared fur. In 1558, Mary Queen of Scots wore white
(mainly because many illustrators were working during her wedding to the soon-to-be King of
from descriptions given by those attending), but France, despite the fact that white was a color of
the photograph was praised as true to form. mourning for French Queens at the time.
HRH Victoria's choice of white as a color For the next few centuries, white remained a
further cemented the tradition of white as the popular but by no means obligatory color for
preferred color of wedding dresses in this mod- royal weddings (Princess Charlotte, when she
ern age of bridalwear. The Honiton lace that married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
trimmed her practical and simple garment in 1816, wore an empire-waisted dress in metallic
quickly became a hot trend for both wedding silver lamé). White dresses did not symbolize
attire and clothing of all kinds. Even today, lace virginity or even purity, but rather were costlier
is an embellishment that continues to be popular and harder to keep clean, and thus communicated
among brides. the status and wealth of the wearer.
As she wrote in her diary of her wedding When Queen Victoria chose off-white as her
ensemble: “I wore a white satin gown with a very wedding gown color in 1840, she did so not
deep flounce of Honiton lace, imitation of old. I only because a white wedding gown reflected
wore my Turkish diamond necklace and ear- innocence, purity, and good sense but because
rings, and Albert’s beautiful sapphire brooch.” she wanted to wear only British-made materials
Victoria also wore her wedding gown to pose Photograph of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and to support the lace industry in England,
in a portrait which she gave to Albert as a first- on their wedding day which was at the point of decline at that time.
anniversary present. Furthermore, years later, She saw a white wedding gown as the preferred
Victoria and Albert posed in their wedding attire so color to show off a lace maker’s artistry.
they could have photographs taken as the technology By 1849, women’s magazines were already pro-
became more advanced. claiming that not only was white the best color for a
When the Queen died, she was buried wearing her wedding dress, but that it had in fact always been
wedding veil and a white dress. the best and most appropriate choice. In a bit of
Over the next century and a half, wedding dresses revisionist history, Godey’s Lady’s Book announced
evolved with the fashions of the day, from the cut and that “[c]ustom has decided, from the earliest ages,
shape of the neckline to the style of the dress and that white is the most fitting hue [for brides], what-
sleeves, and the length of the train. Victoria's train ever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity
was so long it took twelve train-bearers to get her and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart
down the aisle. Bustles in the back, gloves, fabrics, she now yields to the chosen one.” Victorian ideals of
bodices, corsets, and hemline lengths came and went weddings, romantic love, and purity were projected
with taste and trends but a special white dress for that backward to rewrite the white dress as a symbol of
special day continues to be every bride’s fantasy. innocence and virginity rather than wealth.
Initially embraced by wealthier brides and royalty,
The Evolution to White the fashion of a white wedding gown eventually
China may be the first place where brides were spread across all economic levels and was cemented as
expected to wear a particular color. During the reign “tradition” in the 20th century, where it remains
of the Zhou Dynasty some three thousand years ago, In this detail image from Portrait of today. Yet celebrities and royals continue to inspire
brides and their bridegrooms both donned sober Queen Victoria in her wedding dress by bridalwear trends that, in time, become iconic works
black robes with red trim, worn over a visible white Franz Xaver Winterhalter, circa 1842, of art as fashion, and make every bride feel like
undergarment. Colored gowns and kimonos were the details of the satin, lace, and overall “Queen for the Day” on this most important day of
also historically a part of weddings in Japan and style of the bodice shine their life.
Korea, where tradition dictated color.

Audrey Hepburn (1954) Princess Diana (1981)
Designed by Pierre Balmain, the tea-length Designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel,
creation featured a high neck and ballgown sleeves, Princess Diana's wedding dress became instantly
paired with classic elbow-length white gloves. iconic and sparked a thousand knockoffs. The
silk-and-taffeta featured hand-embroidered with
Grace Kelly (1956) mother-of-pearl sequins and an estimated 10,000
Grace Kelly’s stunning satin and pearls. The gown took the duo of designers
lace gown was made by the months to prepare. The famous 25-foot-long
wardrobe department at MGM. train, adorned with lace that
With rose point lace details, seed once belonged to Queen
pearl accents, a fitted long-sleeved Mary, defined a decade of
bodice, and a flared skirt, the brides in the 1980s, who all longed for that same
gown was an elaborate creation show-stopping, dramatic entrance.
constructed in four separate parts.
Kate Middleton (2011)
Pricilla Presley (1967) This is the dress that launched a thousand
Priscilla Wagner met her future husband at the
age of 14 in 1959. He was 24. Eight years later, she imitations. Set in ivory satin with appliquéd lace
bodice, lace long-sleeves, a low neckline, and a full
wore an off-the-rack wedding dress when she wed skirt, was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative
the King of Rock ‘n Roll Elvis Presley in 1967 after director of Alexander McQueen.
she turned 21.

May 2022 21