Today, the white dress is understood merely as the most traditional and popular choice for weddings. Color, style, and ceremonial importance can put significance as to the type of wedding dress a bride would like to have as can religion and tradition. Weddings during the Medieval Era were not just between two people but the union of families, wealth, and sometimes countries. Brides were to look their best for the representation of the family as a whole. Brides from wealthy families wore exquisite colors and fabrics with furs, velvet and silk adding accent at times.
Queen Victoria on her wedding day in 1840 put the white dress in perspective for others. Before this time women were married in any color except for black which was set aside for mourning and red which was thought to be a prostitutes color. Though it did not catch on too quick, brides still wore cheap wedding dresses of color, while white took off slowly. It finally became the color of choice with tradition setting the course. It was stated in summary by Godey’s Lady’s Book of 1849 that white has became the most fitting hue for the emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood it shows.
The Industrial Revolution around the 1890’s brought about the thought of having wedding dresses that were on display in stores for that one special day. Although white was popular, some frontier brides wore more practical cheap wedding gowns that could be altered and wore more than once. Edwardian brides took traditions of Victorian ancestors to extremes with this only lasting until WWI. Styles had to become simpler with the laced corsets becoming less part of the attire. The short wedding dress was not introduced until 1920’s by the one and only Coco Chanel. It was white with a long train but made a radical move for white to become the universal color for all wedding dresses.
After the war ended, Victorian Era dream weddings became reality again. Grace Kelly’s marriage to Prince Monaco set the stage in a white silk and lace gown. Since 1950’s individuality has been a choice of the bride to be.
Culture among weddings and traditions has also come along way with the white dress being the choice for other cultures also. In modern Chinese weddings the bride will wear white for the ceremony and the exchange of vows. Then they will change into the traditional red or gold gown afterwards which is a sign of good luck. Indian brides often wear a white Sari for the wedding ceremony changing into the Indian attire afterwards. In Japan, the brides wear layers of 3 or more wedding gowns to be taken off for different parts throughout the ceremony. The very first is the traditional white with the last one showing the culturally accepted kimono upon finalizing the marriage vows.
As one can see the across the globe acceptance for a traditional wedding dress is white and is accepted by all cultures throughout the universe.
