Rhiannon Hendricks
Wedding dresses come in a variety of colours, designs, and fabrics, each reflecting the culture and heritage of the bride. While white wedding dresses are common in Western countries, traditional wedding dresses around the world are often colourful and vibrant, adorned with intricate embroidery and embellishments. For instance, Indian brides wear sarees or lehengas, usually made from lightweight silk or cotton, and decorated with intricate embroidery, beads, and stones. In China, brides traditionally wear a qipao, a one-piece dress made from lightweight silk or satin, often decorated with intricate embroidery, beads, and stones in vibrant colours symbolising luck and fortune. Similarly, Pakistani brides wear colourful tunics with wide-legged pants, adorned with gold, yellow, purple, pink, or red hues, and jewelled accents. These colourful embroidered wedding dress traditions are unique to each country, showcasing the diversity of bridal styles globally.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country | China |
| Traditional dress name | Cheongsam, or qipao |
| Fabric | Silk or brocade |
| Design features | A mandarin collar, a phoenix, a dragon |
| Colors | Red, pink, cream, white |
| Accessories | Crowns decorated with colored blown glass balls, wreaths or crowns of flowers, scarves, aprons |
| Symbolism | Luck, fertility, good fortune, happiness, prosperity |
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What You'll Learn
Indian sarees and lehengas
Indian weddings are known for their vibrant colours, with the bride's dress holding symbolic meaning. Colours such as red, yellow and green are commonly worn, symbolising power, prosperity, and new birth.
Lehenga sarees are a fusion of the traditional lehenga and saree, combining the elegance of a saree with the structure of a lehenga. They are very convenient and comfortable, making them perfect for evening or occasion wear. These sarees are made from luxurious and comfortable fabrics that drape well and provide a structured look. Some popular fabrics include Banarasi silk, chiffon, georgette, and silk satin.
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Japanese kimonos
The colourful embroidered wedding dress tradition can vary depending on the country and its culture. For instance, Indian weddings are known for their vibrant colours, with red, yellow, and green symbolising power, prosperity, and new birth, respectively. In Pakistan, brides wear colourful tunics in gold, yellow, purple, pink, or red, with jewel accents in their veils. In China, brides traditionally wear red, which symbolises luck, fertility, and good fortune.
In Japan, one of the most popular wedding styles is the Shinto wedding, where the bride wears a white shiromuku, symbolic of purity and virginity. However, the Japanese kimono is also a well-known traditional wedding dress. The kimono is the national dress of Japan, dating back to the Heian period (794–1185). It is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, worn with the left side wrapped over the right. The kimono is commonly accessorised with a broad sash called an obi, zōri sandals, and tabi socks.
Kimono fabrics are often decorated with intricate embroidery and delicate designs, featuring soft colours such as white, pink, and cream. The type of kimono varies based on the occasion, season, the wearer's age, and marital status. Formal kimonos are typically made from silk, while informal ones use thicker and heavier fabrics. The kimono is a symbol of modesty and grace, making it a popular choice for brides who want to blend tradition with modern style.
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Chinese qipao
The qipao, also known as the cheongsam, is a traditional Chinese dress. The term "cheongsam" comes from the Cantonese word "chèuhngsāam", which means "long shirt/dress", while "qipao" means "Bannerman robe". The dress became popular in Shanghai during the 1920s, when it was worn by celebrities, socialites, and politicians. Madame Wellington Koo, the former First Lady of China, was a notable figure who popularised the dress by adapting traditional Manchu fashion.
The qipao is a one-piece dress with a high collar, full-length sleeves, and a floor-length skirt. It is usually made from lightweight silk or satin fabric and can be decorated with intricate embroidery, beads, and stones. In Chinese culture, the colour red is traditionally worn by brides as it symbolises luck, fertility, and fortune. The fabric of a qipao wedding dress may also feature a phoenix, dragon, or both, as these creatures symbolise good luck and a harmonious marriage for the couple.
The qipao was declared a formal dress in the Clothing Regulations of 1929 by the Republicans, who intended to assert nationalism and reject Western forms of dress. However, there were no unifying style rules for the dress, and Chinese women adapted it in various ways, with different lengths, materials, hemlines, collars, fabrics, patterns, colours, and accessories. Over time, the qipao became increasingly shorter, tighter, and body-hugging, with side slits reaching up to the thigh.
The qipao is still a popular choice for brides today, particularly among Asian-Americans who want to incorporate traditional Chinese elements into their wedding attire. Modern interpretations of the qipao may feature a mix of Western and traditional styles, such as incorporating matching scarves or using silk stockings instead of traditional ku trousers.
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Pakistani wide-legged pants and gharara
Wedding dresses and traditions vary across the world. In Western countries, white wedding dresses are common, thanks to Queen Victoria, who wore a white lace dress to her wedding. However, in many other parts of the world, bridal gowns are often colourful with varying silhouettes.
In Pakistan, brides traditionally wear wide-legged pants and ghararas, which are brightly coloured tunics. Colours such as gold, yellow, purple, pink, and red are common, with jewel accents in the veil. Ghararas are also worn in India and Bangladesh. They consist of a kurti (a short, mid-thigh-length tunic), a dupatta (veil), and wide-legged pants that flare dramatically from the knees. The knee area, called the gota in Hindi-Urdu, is often elaborately embroidered with zari and zardozi work. Ghararas are made from a lot of fabric, often silk brocade, with each leg made from over 12 metres of fabric.
In India, sarees and lehengas are traditional wedding dresses, usually made from lightweight silk or cotton. They are decorated with intricate embroidery and embellishments such as sequins, beads, and stones. Similarly, in China, brides traditionally wear a qipao, a one-piece dress with a high collar, sometimes with full-length sleeves, and a floor-length skirt. The dress is often decorated with intricate embroidery, beads, and stones. In Japan, the traditional wedding dress is the kimono, which is also made from lightweight silk or cotton fabric and decorated with intricate embroidery.
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Guatemalan Patzun Huipil
In Guatemala, it is common to see women wearing traditional, embroidered blouses known as huipiles. Each region has developed its own distinct weaving patterns and colour palettes. The Guatemalan Patzun Huipil is a type of huipil made in Patzún, a town of about 26,000 people in the Chimaltenango department. The colours and designs used in huipiles are specific to different regions in which they are made.
The Patzun Huipil is most often a shade of red to represent fire or the sun's rays. To the Maya, fire represents life and family. The shape of the embroidery around the neckline of the Patzun Huipil symbolises a rainbow, which, like many other symbols in the design, is a reference to the Maya's close relationship with nature. The landscape of Patzún is covered with a type of fern called marsilea, which is represented in the bright colours embroidered near the centre of the design. The Guatemalan flag's colours of blue and white, symbolising the sky and the sea, are also present in the embroidery.
The traditional indigenous Mayan trajè includes the hand-embroidered huipil, a loose-fitting tunic-like blouse; the woven corte, a large piece of cloth wrapped around the waist as a skirt; the faja, a wide, elaborately embroidered belt used to hold the skirt in place; and the tocoyal, an intricately woven hair wrap. Mayan women now often wear huipiles from different regions, branching out from their regional designs, and making it a matter of personal taste.
The creation of a single huipil can take months when complex techniques or designs are required. Through the choices of design, material, and finishing technique, information can be read about the weaver's birthplace, religious background, social position, weaving skill, and personality. Indigenous women can read the complex encoded messages in each other's huipiles at a glance.
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Frequently asked questions
There are many countries that have colourful embroidered wedding dress traditions. Here are some examples:
- Japan: The Japanese kimono is made from lightweight silk or cotton fabric and is usually decorated with intricate embroidery and delicate designs.
- China: The Chinese qipao is a traditional one-piece dress made from lightweight silk or satin, decorated with intricate embroidery, beads, and stones.
- India: Indian sarees and lehengas are made from lightweight silk or cotton and are usually decorated with intricate embroidery and embellishments.
- Korea: The Korean hanbok is a traditional two-piece ensemble made from lightweight silk or cotton, decorated with intricate embroidery and embellishments.
The colours used in these designs are often vibrant and symbolize luck, prosperity, and fertility for the newlyweds. For example, in China, the colours red, yellow, and blue symbolize luck and fortune.
In addition to the above, here are some other colourful wedding dress traditions:
- Pakistan: Pakistani brides wear a veil, wide-legged pants, and a gharara, which is a brightly coloured tunic. They can often be seen in gold, yellow, purple, pink, or red, with jewelled accents in the veil.
- Peru: Peruvian weddings are filled with colour, and the bride's outfit consists of geometric shapes outlined in red, yellow, blue, green, and white.
- Guatemala: Instead of a dress, Guatemalan women wear a Patzun Huipil – a traditional blouse often embroidered with flowers – and a similarly designed skirt.
Wedding dress traditions vary widely across the world and are influenced by culture, heritage, and personal style. Here are some examples:
- Australia: Australian bohemian-style wedding dresses are made from lightweight lace or chiffon and decorated with bold pastel patterns, embellishments, or embroidery.
- Kenya: Many Kenyans have adopted Western-style weddings, but some still keep traditions alive with separate ceremonies where modern 'African' looks are worn, including printed fabrics and embroidered kaftans.
- Morocco: Bridal fashion in Morocco varies by region, but the takchita, a two-piece outfit consisting of a simple dress and an elaborate overdress, remains central to each bridal look.
