How the Tradition of the White Wedding Dress Got Started

In your dreams, ever since you were a little girl, you have always imagined yourself walking down the aisle in a beautiful white wedding gown. Am I right? Why? The color white does not always look "figure flattering" or appeal to all skin tones! So, why white? Where did this tradition start? Why was it extravagant to wear a white dress and wear it once? To answer these questions, let's discover the history on the white wedding dress!

Did you know that wearing white originally had nothing to do with virtue? In fact, the color blue was the sign of "purity" and so brides wore blue on their wedding day. The color white didn't symbolize "purity" until 1840, when Queen Victoria surprised the noblemen and wore a white gown during her wedding to Albert of Saxe. Leave it to the "rich and famous" to start a trend! The only reason why Queen Victoria's dress was white was because she wanted to use some of her white lace material that she had available. People saw the dress and thought it was a sign of wealth, class, and style. So, the wealthy started following her trend and had their dresses made from expensive white fabrics! Thus, a tradition begins!

Why only the wealthy? A white dress was extravagant in those days! The wealthy only wore the dress once because white was not an easy color to clean! Yes ladies, women in those days wore their dresses more than once! Thus, the masses wore many different colors on their "special day" for many years to come!

During the Industrial Revolution, with the popularity of the department store, most brides could realize their dreams of buying a "brand new" white wedding gown. The availability of the fabrics and styles made it more accessible to most brides. Also, the prices came down and the "white dress" was not only for the wealthy anymore. Even though this period of time helped make white a popular dress color, brides still preferred to be practical. They usually wore a dress that they could wear again, usually, not white!

As World War I approached, the wedding dress got simpler and shorter. In 1920, the" trend setter," Coco Chanel, created the knee length white wedding gown with an extravagant train. This dress helped set "white" as the "universal color" for a wedding dress.

However, during the great depression, brides couldn't afford a big lavish wedding let alone a white wedding gown. So, women wore their "Sunday best." This trend lasted for many years. Again, if they did wear white, they were usually wealthy. Or, they purchased a short white dress for their wedding day, dyed the dress, and wore it again.

After the war, prosperity made it possible for the masses to have their "dream weddings." With that prosperity, brides could now purchase that "dream white dress!" In fact, the tradition of the "white dress" got "set in stone" in the 1950's. While the world was watching the "rich and famous" appear in white on their "day," couples too wanted that "Grace Kelly and Prince Monaco's fairy tale wedding. " This included her grand white satin and lace gown!

Most brides nowadays, wear dresses in all lengths, styles, and fabrics. They design their dresses to fit their wedding themes, personality, and formality of their event. With current economic troubles, do you see the trend of the "white wedding dress" going back to color? Or, will the tradition remain the same - - all brides will continue to wear that "fantasy white dress."

Sources:

Reno Charlton, "The History of the White Wedding Dress," ArcaMax Publishing

Kelsey McIntyre, "The History of the White Wedding Dress," From Times Past

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