Franklin Dean
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. Before this, brides wore their best dress, which was often their Sunday dress, in a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, black, brown, or grey. White wedding dresses were initially a symbol of wealth and status, as white fabric was expensive and difficult to keep clean, but over time, the colour white became associated with purity and innocence, further cementing its popularity as a colour choice for bridal gowns. While white wedding dresses are now common in Western culture and predominantly Christian nations, brides in other parts of the world continue to wear a variety of colours, including red, orange, and black.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin of the white wedding dress tradition | Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840 |
| White wedding dress as a symbol of | Purity, innocence, wealth, and status |
| White wedding dress in non-Western cultures | In some cultures, brides wear white wedding dresses as an emulation of royalty. In China, some brides wear a Western white dress for their wedding photoshoot but may wear a traditional Chinese dress for the ceremony. In Japan, white has always been the colour of choice for bridal ensembles. |
| Colour of wedding dresses before the white wedding dress tradition | Blue, yellow, black, brown, grey, gold, purple |
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What You'll Learn
White wedding dresses were popularised by Queen Victoria
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is commonly associated with and credited to Queen Victoria, who, in 1840, wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert. This choice of attire is said to have set a precedent for brides, with the colour white becoming emblematic of purity, innocence, and virginal purity.
Prior to Queen Victoria's wedding, white was an uncommon choice for bridal gowns, and it was not until decades later that the majority of brides adopted this colour. Royal brides before Victoria typically wore "heavy brocaded gowns embroidered with white and silver thread," with red being a particularly popular colour in Western Europe. Brides from European and American backgrounds wore a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, black, brown, and grey.
Queen Victoria's wedding dress was made from heavy silk satin and featured Honiton lace, an important boost to Devon lace-making. The lace was designed by William Dyce and mounted on a white satin dress made by Mary Bettans. The plain, cream-coloured satin gown was made from fabric woven in Spitalfields, London, and trimmed with a deep flounce and trimmings of handmade lace.
There are several theories as to why Queen Victoria chose to wear white. One theory suggests that she wanted to showcase the delicate Honiton lace, supporting the English lace industry and artisans facing poverty due to the invention of machine textiles. Another theory posits that she chose white to symbolise innocence and purity, a romantic gesture that captured the public's imagination. Victoria herself wrote in her journal that she wore a "white satin gown with a very deep flounce of Honiton lace, imitation of old."
The popularity of white wedding dresses among elite brides on both sides of the Atlantic by the end of the 19th century is attributed to Queen Victoria. However, it was only after World War II that middle-class British and American brides fully embraced the trend. The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress has now spread worldwide, with Western-style weddings often featuring a big white dress as the default choice for brides.
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White dresses are not the only option for brides globally
The white wedding dress is a tradition that is predominantly followed in Western culture and Christian nations. The trend is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress to her wedding with Prince Albert in 1840. However, prior to this, brides in the West wore a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, black, brown, and grey.
In many cultures, the wedding attire is influenced by the emulation of royalty. In China, for instance, brides may participate in a Western-style wedding photo shoot, wearing a white dress, even if they opt for a traditional Chinese outfit during the actual ceremony. In South Africa, the Ndebele people dress brides in a beaded train called a Nyoga, which hangs from the shoulders to the ground. In Japan, white was the colour of choice for bridal ensembles, even before it gained popularity in the West.
The colour white has been associated with purity and virtue in many societies, which is why some brides choose to wear white. However, historically, white was not the only colour considered for wedding dresses. Brides often bought a dress they could wear again, or they wore the best dress they already owned. White is impractical as it is difficult to keep clean and not ideal for repeat wear.
In the past, wedding dresses were of various colours, with blue representing purity and even gold, depending on the wealth of the bride. In ancient China during the Zhou Dynasty, brides wore black robes with red trim, and this tradition continued into the Han Dynasty. In the 20th century, some famous brides chose not to wear white, such as Elizabeth Taylor, who wore yellow to one of her weddings, and Sarah Jessica Parker, who wore a black ballgown.
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White wedding dresses became popular in the US after WWII
The tradition of wearing white wedding dresses is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white lace dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. The white wedding style was popularised by Victorian era elites and boosted again in 1981 when Princess Diana wore a white dress at her wedding. However, middle-class British and American brides did not adopt the trend until after World War II.
Before Queen Victoria's wedding, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being a popular choice in Western Europe. Brides who could afford it sometimes wore white, but even the wealthiest often wore gold or blue, and those who were not rich wore their best dress, whatever the colour. White fabric was expensive and difficult to keep clean, so wearing white was a way for the bride's family to show their wealth and social status.
After WWII, society became more prosperous, and clothing became cheaper to produce. This meant that more people could afford to wear a white wedding dress. The tradition also grew to include the practice of wearing the dress only once. As historian Vicky Howard writes, "if a bride wore white in the nineteenth century, it was acceptable and likely that she wore her gown again". Even Queen Victoria had her wedding dress restyled for later use.
The white wedding dress is now considered the "classic" wedding dress around the world. It is seen as a symbol of purity and innocence, and is usually worn by brides in the West, from Norway to Argentina. In non-Western countries, the white wedding dress has become increasingly common. For example, in urban and pastoral parts of Namibia, it has become more common for brides to wear a Western-style white dress, even if they choose to wear a traditional ensemble for the wedding ceremony.
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White is associated with purity and virtue
The tradition of wearing white wedding dresses is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress to her wedding with Prince Albert in 1840. Before this, brides in Europe and America wore a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, black, brown, and grey. They often wore their best dress, which could be reused for other occasions.
White wedding dresses became popular in the Victorian era, particularly among the elite. This was partly due to the association of white with purity and innocence, reflecting Victorian ideals of weddings, romantic love, and purity. Etiquette books of the time described white as "'the most fitting hue", representing "the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one".
The colour white has long been associated with purity and virtue in many societies, especially in the West. This association has influenced the choice of wedding attire, with white being seen as a symbol of innocence and virginal purity. The resurgence of the wedding veil in the mid-20th century also coincided with societal expectations of female modesty and well-behaved women.
While the white wedding dress is a widely accepted tradition in Western culture, it is not the only option. Brides today may choose to wear other colours or traditional ensembles that hold cultural significance. For example, traditional African tribal wedding garb includes distinctive jewellery and beaded trains, while Chinese brides may wear a Western white dress for their wedding photos but choose a traditional Chinese outfit for the actual ceremony.
The white wedding dress has also evolved over time, influenced by various factors such as fashion trends, marketing strategies, and societal norms. Today, the "classic" wedding dress is often characterised by a slim waist, lace, and a full nineteenth-century-style skirt over petticoats and crinolines.
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White wedding dresses are a relatively new development
The white wedding dress is indeed a relatively new phenomenon, becoming popular in the Western world in the mid-19th century. Before this time, brides simply wore their best dress, which was often their Sunday dress, or a dress they could wear again. This was usually in a dark, practical colour, such as brown or grey, but could also be in brighter shades of purple or blue.
The tradition of wearing white is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress to her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. However, Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding gown in 1559 when she married her first husband, Francis Dauphin of France.
Queen Victoria's dress was made from white silk satin, adorned with Honiton lace. It was a simple style, without the usual fur, gold embroidery and rich colours that were popular at the time. The white dress was chosen to showcase the lace, crafted by the declining lace trade, which Victoria wanted to support. The colour white also carried a connotation of innocence and virginal purity. As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread across the Atlantic and throughout Europe, fashionable people followed her lead, and white became the colour of choice for elite brides.
However, it wasn't until after World War II, and the increased prosperity of the 20th century, that the tradition was adopted by middle-class brides. With the development of laundering techniques in the later part of the 20th century, white dresses became more practical, and the tradition of wearing a dress only once also grew in popularity.
Today, a white wedding dress is usually the default in Europe and European-dominant countries, and it has also influenced wedding dress styles in other parts of the world, such as China, Africa and Japan.
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Frequently asked questions
In many societies, white is associated with purity and virtue, and in Christian nations, it symbolises virginal purity. In the past, white was also a symbol of wealth and status, as it was expensive and difficult to keep clean.
The trend is believed to have started with Queen Victoria, who wore a white lace dress for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.
In Western culture and predominantly Christian nations, it is common for brides to wear white. However, in other parts of the world, brides wear a variety of colours, including red, orange, yellow, pink, grey, and even black.
In some cultures, the wedding ceremony includes ritualised grieving and formal lamentations, so brides may wear darker colours to reflect these themes. In other cases, brides may wear the best dress they already own, which may not be white.
No, traditional wedding attire varies around the world. For example, in China, some brides wear traditional red dresses, while in Africa, Ndebele brides wear a beaded train called a Nyoga. In Japan, white was the colour of choice for bridal ensembles before it became popular in Western culture.
