When Did White Wedding Dresses Become Popular?
In many countries today, it is automatically assumed that the bride will wear a white dress, a traditional color for a wedding dress. However, brides have only been wearing white for a relatively short period of time. The popularity of the white wedding dress started in 1840, when Queen Victoria was married, and by 1890, it was considered the only suitable color for a bride.
Previous Wedding Traditions
Prior to the popularity of the white Simple Wedding Dresses , brides wore a dress of any color. Buying a new dress or cloth for a dress was very expensive and making new clothing, sewn by hand, was time-consuming. A bride would either wear her best dress, or would wear a dress that could be worn again for other occasions for practicality. Some would adorn a dress with ribbons or flowers to make it a bridal dress. Only the richest could afford luxuries like a dress that was only for the purpose of getting married.
Symbolism of White
In society, every color has common symbolic associations. White is typically associated with purity and innocence, very fitting for a new bride. However, because a dress needed to be reusable, white was not a common color because it was not practical. White clothing is easily stained or discolored. Blue was very popular for brides in the past, as it is associated with the Virgin Mary, eternal love and with fidelity. It is still tradition to wear something blue to ensure that the bride’s husband will be true. Gray was also popular because it was practical and suitable to reuse and wear to church.
Queen Victoria
In 1840, Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and chose a white wedding gown for the occasion. The gown was made from satin and lace, and she wore a wreath of orange blossoms. Her daughter, Princess Alice, also married in white with an orange blossom wreath, thus continuing the tradition. Women at the time wanted to emulate the popular Queen by following suit, and white became the most desired color for a bride.
The Industrial Revolution
The combination of the Industrial Revolution and Queen Victoria’s wedding prompted the popularity of the white wedding gown. By the 1890s, department stores were common and most people were able to buy many sets of clothing due to improved manufacturing techniques, which greatly reduced prices. Cloth was much less expensive to buy, as well. Most women could buy a brand-new white gown for a wedding, according to the popular trend, rather than only the wealthiest women. However, for many years it was traditional to re-use parts of the gown or dye it to make the gown suitable for other occasions.