Victorian dresses for the mother of the bride

It's interesting:
"My first impression of Linda was that she was such a beautiful, witty, charming, clever, friendly and thoughtful person. And when she agreed to marry Paul, it totally proved to me that old adage – opposites really do attract."

The Victorian era was lengthy, stretching from 1837 to 1901, through Queen Victoria's long reign. Queen Victoria herself was highly influential in fashion- her wedding gown in 1840 began the tradition of the white gown that today's brides wear. The wedding day was a most important day for a bride and her mother. The mother of the bride had a large role to play as hostess, and her attire suited this significant family occasion.

Does this Spark an idea?

1. Dress Style

   • Corsetry allowed Victorian women to wear their fancy dresses.

     A mother of the bride wore a reception toilette, a dress fancier than her daytime costume but less formal than an evening dress. Underlying all dresses was the corset, which drew the woman's frame into the desired hourglass shape, and the crinoline, a petticoat-like lattice or stiff-starched skirt that allowed the skirt of the dress to hold its shape. Weddings were daytime affairs, so necklines were high and modest. From the beginning of the Victorian era through 1868, the crinoline created a dome or bell-shaped skirt. Following this time, the bustle was added to greatly exaggerate the fullness of the behind. The introduction of sewing machines at dressmakers' shops and in homes allowed a greater amount of ruffles and other decoration previously impossible for the average woman to create.

   Colors

   • The advent of synthetic dyes allowed fabrics of many colors.

     The introduction of synthetic dyes allowed a much greater and brilliant array of fabric colors for women to choose from. While the mother of the bride could wear any color, later in the Victorian era it was considered appropriate for her to wear black. Women in mourning could put aside their black crepe for this occasion to wear purple silk or velvet if they were American, or bright cardinal red if British.

   Materials

   • Silk and velvet were always popular fabric choices.

     Silk and velvet were popular choices throughout the Victorian era for a mother of the bride's dress. Satin, tulle, merino, net and tarlatan could also be worn. Black crepe was never worn, because it was considered to be the fabric of mourning.

   Accessories

   • Accessories completed the outfits.

     Gloves were a necessity for every woman, including a mother of the bride- all women wore bonnets to the church, but could forgo them for ceremonies at home, and didn't wear them at evening receptions. For jewelry, the cameo was a popular accessory. Shoes were hard leather and worn as tightly as possible. Other possible accessories included tortoiseshell combs, hairpins, tiaras, handbags, sashes and shawls.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: mother bride, dresses mother, dresses mother bride, dyes allowed, Queen Victoria, Silk velvet were