Why do brides wear white dresses?
It's interesting:"I think you'll all agree that it's been a wonderful wedding so far. ... But I never received a formal invitation to the wedding, so I just hope I haven't eaten a meal ..."
If you think about the word "bride," most people will conjure the image of a woman wearing a flowing white gown. While there are many attire possibilities for a lady who is to be married, the white (or ivory, off-white or eggshell, among other variations) wedding dress is the one we most often think of in Western cultures. However, brides did not always wear white.
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Fit for a Queen
The first notable modern woman to wear white on her wedding day was Queen Victoria. In 1840 she married Albert of Saxe in an ostentatious white gown. This was unusual at the time because most women sought to wear a dress that would symbolize their innocence for their new husbands. The color of purity was blue and this is what was traditionally worn.
The Meaning of Colors
When a woman got married, she would choose the best materials she and her family could afford for her wedding dress. The richest brides had dresses containing the most material, and this indicated their social status. Blue was a popular choice for both its symbolic meaning and also the fact that it was dark, which is helpful for hiding stains and other imperfections. A white dress indicated wealth and the appearance of the Queen in a white wedding dress only made the color a more fashionable choice. It became stylish for those brides who could afford it to wear a white gown, which showed that they could afford a dress that they would never wear again. Those who could not afford it or did not care about following trends continued to wear different colors for their weddings.
The Depression
During the years immediately following World War I, most women thought it would be inappropriate to have an extravagant dress. Some could no longer afford to have one anyway. It was rare to find white wedding dresses during the Depression and World War II for these economic and social reasons. This resulted in a throwback to the tradition of wearing your best dress on your wedding day. Most women's best dresses were not white.
Popular Again
Coco Chanel launched a knee-length white wedding dress in the 1920s. Her style influence reinforced the popular notion that wedding dresses should be white. Grace Kelly wore an elaborate silk and white lace wedding gown for her marriage to Prince Rainier III. The image of a fairy tale wedding came to include a bride in a lavish white dress.
Bridal Gowns Today
Fashions shift and change with the times, and today's brides can acceptably wear anything they want on their wedding day. The variety of colors, styles and fabrics available for a wedding gown are as varied as the brides themselves. However, white and light-colored wedding dresses are still the most popular. White is considered the traditional symbol of purity, virtue, happiness and joy.
Tags: wear white, could afford, wedding dress, white wedding, wedding dresses, white gownSource: www.ehow.com
