History of a Wedding Dress
Wedding dresses over the centuries have definitely evolved into something spectacular. This is the one dress that every girl looks forward to wearing; it is the ultimate dress. So how have wedding dress trends changed over the years? Well the pattern in the fashion industry is to reinvent, recycle popular ideas and to put a modern twist on historical fashion trends. The idea to recycle, reinvent, and morph older designs has been carried through in the designs of wedding dresses over the centuries.
1920’s ¶ Ribbon Straps, Lace across the bust on bodice, Drop Waists.
1930’s ¶ Fitted dresses to show off the silhouette, showing curves, a hugged fit.
1940’s ¶ Broad shoulders, slim waist, pearls & beads with lace & frills, sweetheart neck lines.
1950’s ¶ Full skirts, round shoulders, pinched waste line, ankle length & ballerina length dresses.
1960’s ¶ Scoop necklines, mini skirt length with ‘A’ line skirt cut.
1970’s ¶ Dresses with a medieval flair, soft flowing materials, and high necks with balloon sleeves.
1980’s ¶ Elbow length puffy sleeves, off white, full puffy, broad shoulders, lots of lace!
1990’s ¶ sculpted satin corseted bodice, wide skirts, and dropped waists below the hip with a flared skirt below (better known as the mermaid dress).
21st Century ¶ In this time period we have seen a repeat of almost every style from each decade. The drop has been a continuous trend, copied from the 1920’s. The full skirts and pinch waste line from the 1950’s, is a staple in the wedding dress trends for the 21st century. Sweetheart necklines have saturated the wedding dress fashion trends, since the 1940’s and have continued to be a current trend for the 21st century.
2009 ¶ Mini skirt length dresses with a long back, from the 1960’s are coming back as a current trend for the spring 2009 season. Adding more embellishments like beading, embroidery, and ribbons are re-entering the wedding dress trends for spring 2009, from the 1940’s. Another current trend for spring 2009 is empire wastes with long trains which are being derived from the 1920’s.
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Wedding dress trends have endlessly been repeated throughout the years. This year’s trends are a great example of this and how trends from decades before are being reinvented with a modern hint. For an original dress this year, look back throughout the years and see what styles you liked from the different decades and see if you can create your own, or find an innovative tribute to the history of wedding dresses.
