Vintage wedding dresses - an overview of models and styles of different centuries with a photo

What dresses were worn for a wedding in the old days?
What wedding dresses were fashionable in the 20th century?
A selection of beautiful vintage bridesmaid dresses

The wedding at all times was, along with the birth of children, the most significant date in the life of a woman. It is logical that the dress for this special occasion tried to make appropriate. Interestingly, the wedding dress used to be any color - not necessarily snow-white. And the style is often very different from the usual for us. Let's take a tour of the history of wedding dresses - from the Middle Ages to the present day.

What dresses were worn for a wedding in the old days?

In the Middle Ages, representatives of powerful families often married not for love, but for political reasons. It is clear that the girl at the wedding should have looked simply stunning, because she was also evaluated along with the honor and wealth of the whole family. Then, for the sewing of wedding dresses, refined and expensive fabrics were used - silk, satin, tulle and velveteen, which were generously decorated with embroidery with gold threads, valuable fur.

In accordance with the customs of that period, the outfits were closed, and the hem and sleeves had a maximum length. Paints of that era were made from natural components, so bright shades (scarlet, blue, pink) were only able to afford representatives of rich families. Dresses of natural "earthly" colors were widely used by wealthy girls..

Expensive dresses were decorated with jewelry: pearls, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires. Sometimes there were so many adornments that the material of the dress itself was practically hidden from the eyes of outsiders. They say that the Countess of Flanders Margaret dressed a very rich dress decorated with thousands of jewels at the ceremony of her own marriage. She did not even have the strength to take a few steps; in the literal sense of the word, the countess was brought to the church.

Since the 17th century, weddings have already played a dynastic role. However, the brides did not stop trying to impress the guests with their own outfit. But sometimes people did not appreciate their choice, in different countries the fashion was different. For example, the Portuguese princess Katrina Braganskaya came to the wedding with the English king in a pink wedding dress with an inner frame, fashionable in her homeland. But the British reacted dryly. True, later the fashion for such outfits reached England..

18 century

In the eighteenth century, girls from middle-income families wanted their wedding outfit to look rich. To this end, dresses are often trimmed with natural fur. Mink or sable fur was an expensive option; hare or fox was more economical. Representatives of rather poor families could simply use linen cloth instead of the usual rough fabric, from which ordinary clothes and even linen were sewn. And the length of the train and sleeves was a sign of the status of the bride and groom.

For girls from ordinary families, their wedding attire often remained «weekend» and wore them on every significant holiday. Interestingly, the shade of the dress played a large role. With regard to color, there were many superstitions and prejudices. For the bride’s wedding dress in the 18th century, the following shades were mainly chosen: blue and pink.

White, despite the association with purity and purity, was an impractical color, because such an outfit was very easy to stain. In this regard, often a blue color was often used for a wedding dress. He was associated with the innocence of the virgin Mary. From here in the English-speaking countries the custom was born to take something blue with them to the wedding ceremony. Pink was also widespread..

So, in the 18th century, the wife of British sculptor Joseph Nolekes dressed up for her own wedding in a light openwork white dress with embroidered pink thread flowers. Shoes decorated with floral embroidery were matched to his tone. The heel was very high for that time - as much as 8 centimeters. Incredibly, the attire of the girl liked everyone present.

The shades of red were not used for wedding dresses for a long time. This tone is used to associate with promiscuous women. A similar fate was expected and the green color - he was considered the color of forest spirits, elves and fairies. In order not to attract unnecessary attention from the young people, they tried to avoid such shades. Black was considered mourning at all. At some weddings, even guests were not allowed to come in black clothes, so as not to post unnecessary troubles.

The brown tone has been used by poor brides for decades, and the yellow one only then reached the peak of its popularity. Three centuries ago, it was fashionable, but was considered the characteristic color of the Gentiles, so the church did not perceive it very well. In the poor layers of society, a gray color was also used for a wedding dress, primarily due to practicality. After about a hundred years, they began to associate him with a servant.

19th century

At the beginning of the 19th century, a new tradition appeared - to decorate wedding dresses with colorful ribbons. They were needed so that the guests, tearing off the ribbon, left it for themselves as a souvenir. Later they were replaced by flowers. Guests came to congratulate the newlyweds with beautiful bouquets, and a special wedding arrangement was an accessory for the young wife. Flowers could still be fixed on the dress or in the hair of the bride. Widely used rosemary, myrtle, orange blossom. The tradition is still alive..

The first wedding dresses remotely similar to modern models began to be sewn at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Then the machine production of fabric began, import of material from India gained momentum. Dresses with a veil have become popular. In the middle of the century, openwork gloves and various precious stones began to be widely used. Among the minerals, pearls and natural crystal were especially popular, and satin made of fabrics. Narrow skirts became fashionable by the end of the century..

What wedding dresses were fashionable in the 20th century?

At the beginning of the 20th century, wedding dresses with large-volume skirts were no longer considered fashionable. They began to trim the so-called «good» - small wooden cones wrapped in lace. Wedding dresses were sewn so that even the bride’s neck was closed. For this, a stand-up collar was used. The length decreased, only the ankles covered the edge of the skirt. The corset was no longer a fashionable attribute, but from time to time was used to highlight the silhouette and hide the flaws of the figure.

50s style

In the middle of the last century, the popularity of the romantic style returned. Long skirts, cream tones, fragile slippers and dresses with a slightly lowered waist came into fashion. These accents made it possible to visually transform the bride's gait, making her light and airy. Dior became the trendsetter, and he began to sew fitted dresses with a voluminous skirt reaching approximately to the knees.

Enchanting breakthrough in the world of wedding fashion of the 50s was the outfit Grace Kelly. Her dress is hard to call a word other than «masterpiece». To create a dress for a famous American actress for her wedding with the Prince of Monaco took more than a thousand meters of transparent silk taffeta, as well as light Brussels lace from roses (which at that time was more than 120 years old).

60s style

In the next decade, minimalism gained popularity. The length of the wedding dress decreased, it looked strict and concise. The number of decorative details was minimal. The most popular were simple dresses of short length without any jewelry - even without beads. Geometric lines should be clearly visible in the style.

The skirts had an original shape - a bud, a bell or a flower. Many brides of that time walked down the aisle and in a trapeze dress (with a tight top and an expanded lower part of the robe). True, the mini outfit was not to the liking of all the girls. But most of all, most celebrities and representatives of the royal families did not want to follow the new fashion trend.

80s style

Finally, in the 80s of the last century, wedding dresses became very elegant. Designers made extensive use of loose fit, fine lace and romantic ruffles. The latest fashion trend was considered decorative embroidery on wedding dresses. Instead of veils, hats were often used. Toward the end of the 80s, a new trend appeared in bridal fashion - more and more often brides did not even wear dresses, but trouser suits.

A selection of beautiful vintage bridesmaid dresses

Modern wedding dresses can look very different, because the choice of materials is unusually large, and the brides' imagination has no limits. Often, girls prefer to return to the origins of fashion, ordering themselves outfits that resemble old wedding dresses. If you also dream of such a wedding robe, look at the photo selection below, which presents beautiful wedding dresses made in retro style.