1.   

  The modern day bride almost always dreams of wearing a white dress on her big day. It is the tradition in America and many other countries such as England, Russia, and Australia. How did this fashion item get assimilated into the mainstream?


 

During medieval times brides wore expensive gowns made of fur, silk and other textiles. Extremely long sleeves were common. The extravagant style reflected the social status of the family. These dresses were then worn for other special occasions after the wedding day (that would be unheard of today). Blue used to be a popular color for the wedding day attire because it represented purity. The earliest white wedding gown documented was that of Princess Phillippa, daughter of Henry IV of England in 1406 (Italian wedding designer). Mary Queen of Scots also wore white for her wedding in 1559. White only became a color in widespread use after Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840.



 

At that time, and throughout history, wedding dresses have been modeled after the current style of dress. For example in the 1920’s brides wore short dresses, or ones with fringe like the flappers. Dresses were long for the 30’s and 40’s then some were short during the 1950’s. The 60’s saw a return to the long romantic style of dress. The 70’s was modeled after the long hippie child look, and the 80’s was all about wedding extravagance with huge sleeves and gaudy sequins. Today about 75% of all dresses are strapless because they are easy to alter and that is just a popular and flattering style. However, there has been a rise in the sleeved wedding dress started last year by royal Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen. Ivanka Trump, Lily Allen, Princess Di, and Lauren Bush Lauren have all sported sleeves on their gown.


 


 

The white dress has now been cemented into our minds as typical wedding day attire thanks to movies such as Runaway Bride, Father of the Bride, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Today, white symbolizes purity in the sanction of marriage, although variations such as ivory, ecru, eggshell and pearl are common. The rise of primarily wedding dress designers has also helped the dress come into mainstream fashion. Famous dress designers include Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Lazaro. Even J. Crew has their own line, which leads me to believe what’s next? When will Target have their own line of designer wedding dresses? Popular TV shows such as TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress”, and David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding” have helped to popularize the extensive process of purchasing a dress and what styles and designers are appropriate. Looking like a princess is still a popular dream for many women on their day. Surely whatever the dress chosen, this idea will never go out of style.