HISTORY OF THE WEDDING DRESS…
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
Together with baptism and burial, marriage is one of the three main milestones in one’s life. A bride will use her wedding day as an occasion, where she will display her best dressing style. This is how the ‘Wedding Dress’ began. The wedding dress is unique… None are ever the same- they are made to suit the size and shape of a bride, as well as make her look beautiful. A bride’s dress portrays her style and taste, as it is usually something that she has chosen, herself.
The traditional Wedding Dress first commenced in the early 18th Century, in London, when machine-made fabrics were first made available. The first to wear these elegant garments were the royal princesses. It soon became a royal competition- to try and outdo each other with their dress creations. It became necessary for a royal bride to look nice on her wedding day, as it was important for her groom’s country to be impressed with her style and wealth. In order for this to happen, she created a wedding gown of utter extravagance- with an overabundance of costly material (usually velvet, satin, damask silk, fur, and fabrics woven with thread of gold or silver). Typically the skirts would be gathered, full, and flowing- it was considered that a full skirt illustrated wealth and importance. Sleeves would brush against the ground, and trains would trail several metres behind the bride. As for colours- only the wealthy could afford rich, vibrant tones, so these royal brides wore deeps reds, purples and true black materials. In addition, the dress was densely covered with diamonds, rubies and other gems- sometimes so much, that the material was hidden beneath them!
Of course, when royal brides started out with the trend of...
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...he other popular option was a dropped waist gown; with a long, flared skirt- this was also commonly seen.
21st Century
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the wedding gown style has changed in many ways. Dresses, now days aren’t exactly chosen by what’s in fashion- but by the bride’s personal style and imagination. Her dress could be either straight- or have a full skirt; puffy, long sleeves- or sleeveless. A lot of beading is used, now days, and lace is also a common embellishment. Most brides get their dress made by professional dressmakers, and very few actually make it themselves. No doubt the wedding gown will continue to develop, and alternate between styles and fashions. Moreover, there is equally no doubt that it’ll prevail in our weddings, and in decades- or even centuries to come, we will still be wearing such an elegant garment on our wedding days.
was frowned on. Skirts would fly upward and legs would show! And it was not
is related to her appearance. Usually the dress is what makes the girl ornamented and adds more
Bridesmaids would wear matching blue jean cut-offs and halter tops – with more skin showing than not.
Female attire tended to fall into two categories: tailored suits and ball dresses, reflecting the way of life for the more wealthy. During this time, dresses tended to extend out in the shape of a bell where the end of the skirt was flared. To further describe how these dresses appeared, in an essay by James Laver, he remarks, “It is impossible to put a photograph of a fashionable woman of 1895 beside a photograph of a lamp of the same period without being struck by their close resemblance in every detail. The unmistakable sweep of the Art Nouveau line was completely parallel in the dresses of the time, in particular by the fall and swirl of the skirt.” The characters Gwendolen and Cecily are wearing ball dresses like the ones described in the Victorian era in my sketch. Their dresses are shown to be tighter in the waste (flattering their body shape) and become much wider toward the end. On the shoulders of the dresses, it fluffs up to add a decorative
The bride is then assisted in adorning herself for the public ceremony which begins with a feast at the family’s home.
The ladies dresses of the early Middle Ages were influenced by the classical styles of the Greek and Roman women. Their dresses were tight to display the elegance of their figure. Dresses were embroidered and luxuriously decorated. Some dresses consisted of two tunics and of a veil or drapery. The veil was thrown...
The dress was adorned with ruffles all the way around the top of the sweet-heart neckline and sleeves, and also all along the bottom. The garment also had multiple layers. One layer was of a lavender color. There was also a layer on top of that, which was made of a more sheer-material and had stripes of off-white and lavender. This second layer was subtle enough to add shiny detail, without taking away from the beautiful purple color. The dress also had a sash of the second layer’s same material, around the waist. My garment was rich in
The 18th century fashion for men and women was influenced by the royal court and Puritans. Women’s fashion was very elegant and colorful, more so than the men’s fashion. The shoes worn by the women of the 18th century were made of silks and satin. They were decorated in laces and had a square or round shape. They also began to wear shoes of different and vibrant colors with higher heels. A majority of the time their shoes were not shown because of their extravagant skirts and petticoats. Lace was a stylish detail to women’s fashion during that time. They wore lace gloves and their petticoats were trimmed in lace. Men wore knee high boots that were either high-heeled or flat along with their knee length trousers. Their shoes were often neutral colors dark brown, light ...
uncovered the shoulders revealing lavish necklaces. The goal of women’s clothing was to be elegant and full of character at the same time (Middle Ages Ladies dresses).
The future of women’s fashion is uncertain—in that shock value is harder to come by with each passing year. There is a concept in fashion that nothing is new, everything has been done before. This theory is coming closer to obvious reality, as fashion shows of recent years have visual throwbacks as late as the Victorian era. Although the direction is not yet decided, it is almost definite that women will use fashion as an important tool for expression and freedom in the future.
The Chronicle of Western Fashion: From Ancient times to the Present Day.
The “little black dress” has become a staple for every woman’s wardrobe. It was designed to be simple, versatile and affordable. The “little black dress” was cut in a black crepe with a high neckline, long fitted sleeves and hemline that stopped just above the knee and paired well with long white pearls. It was known as a fashion basic that every woman must have in her wardrobe. The concept for the dress was that it could be worn during the day as a more casual outfit or dressed up as elegant evening wear. Although the color black was previously used for mourning she made it chic and
The chosen garment that will be discussed in detail in this essay is the Royal wedding dress designed for Catherine (Kate) Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge made by the English designer Sarah Burton creative director of the fashion label Alexander McQueen. This essay will cover the topics of this dress in terms of historical and cultural context, the formal elements and its meaning.
If you’re a fashion designer, you know that a dress form is capable to make sewing apparel and costumes much easier. All you need to do is pin your patterns to the form and start altering. Although you know what a dress form is, and what advantages it has, there are still many things to know before you decide on buying one. So here we’ll show you a few things you need to pay attention to prior to making a decision. Once we finish sorting some things out, we’ll be ready to present you one of the options that you have – the professional dress forms.
Your wedding preparation is tedious. It requires hard work, planning and time. Some people spend weeks, whereas others may spend months in choosing the right gown, finding the perfect shoes and selecting the wardrobe for the entire party. However, it is also important to find the perfect look for this special occasion. You do not necessarily have to try something completely new and different. The perfect look can be achieved by practicing until you get the look that you desire. That is why make up is a wonderful creation; it will wash off, so you are free to play with the looks that you want.