George Boyle
The wedding dress has been a significant part of the wedding tradition since time immemorial. The Victorian era, which spanned the mid to late 19th century, saw the emergence of new trends in bridal fashion, with a focus on royalty and elegance. This period witnessed the rise of the iconic white wedding dress, popularised by none other than Queen Victoria herself when she married Prince Albert in 1840. This fashion choice, along with the romanticised publicity surrounding the royal wedding, captivated women across Britain and beyond, setting a new standard for bridal attire that continues to influence modern weddings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Gauze, tulle, organdie, silk, cashmere, linen, satin, lace |
| Silhouette | Fitted bodice, small waist, full skirt |
| Colour | White, ivory, silver, gold, metallic |
| Details | Jewels, ruffles, embroidery, beading, spaghetti straps, buttons, trains |
| Individuality | Limited, influenced by social status and material availability |
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What You'll Learn
Queen Victoria's wedding dress
Queen Victoria wore this white dress when she married her cousin, Prince Albert, in 1840. Victoria was deeply in love with Albert, to whom she had proposed, and her wedding was both a celebration of their love and a public relations event to improve the monarchy's image.
The choice to wear white was unusual for a monarch, and Victoria's decision broke with royal custom. In her journal, Victoria described her dress as "a white satin dress, with a deep flounce of Honiton lace, an imitation of an old design". She also wrote that she wore the dress with her "Turkish diamond necklace & earrings & dear Albert's beautiful sapphire brooch".
The white dress was quickly adopted by wealthy and fashionable brides, and it became associated with the "purity and innocence of girlhood". However, it was not the only acceptable colour for a wedding dress at the time, and white had already been a popular choice for centuries.
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White wedding dresses
The white wedding dress became popular in the mid-nineteenth century after Queen Victoria wore an opulent white/ivory silk and
Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress was a break from royal custom, as it was considered a symbol of purity and innocence. The colour white was also used to showcase wealth, as it was difficult to keep a garment white after wear and therefore impractical for repeated use. The advent of photography and illustrated magazines also helped to spread the fashion for white wedding dresses, as did the increased speed of textile production during the Victorian era, which allowed for more complex patterns and eye-catching florals, plaids, and paisleys.
Prior to the Victorian era, wedding dresses were often dyed in colours that symbolised certain traits. For example, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, teenage girls married in pale grey dresses to symbolise fertility, while older women opted for brown or black. The white wedding dress has since become synonymous with traditional weddings and has influenced bridal fashion worldwide, including in America, where it influenced the classic American Western style of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
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Wedding dress materials
The Victorian era spanned from 1837 to 1901, and during this time, wedding dresses reflected the romantic and sentimental nature of the period. Victorian wedding dresses were known for their intricate details, luxurious fabrics, and feminine silhouettes. So, what were the common materials used for creating these exquisite gowns?
Let's start with lace, which was an integral part of Victorian wedding attire. Lace was often used for the sleeves, overlays, and trims. One particular type of lace, called 'buckram lace,' was popular during this era. It was a stiff, open-weave lace that held its shape well and was often used for decorative collars and cuffs. Another favorite was silk lace, which offered a more luxurious and delicate appearance. Fine net lace was also used, often draped over silk or satin to create a dreamy, ethereal effect.
Speaking of silk, it was a highly prized fabric during the Victorian era and was often chosen for wedding gowns. Silk was used to create a smooth, lustrous satin, as well as softer, flowing fabrics like chiffon and crepe. Silk was also popular because it could be dyed easily, allowing brides to choose a colored wedding dress if they wished. Cream, pale blue, and blush pink were all popular alternatives to the traditional white.
Cotton was another important fabric of the time, and it could be transformed into a range of different materials suitable for wedding dresses. For example, fine cotton lawn, with its smooth and slightly shiny surface, was often used as a more affordable alternative to silk. Cotton lace was also a popular choice, as it could mimic the look of more expensive laces but at a lower cost.
Lastly, velvet was a favored fabric during the Victorian era, adding a touch of opulence to wedding attire. Cotton velvet was the most common type, as it was more affordable than silk velvet. Velvet was often used for trimming sleeves and bodices, or for creating lavish capes and jackets to be worn over the gown.
In summary, Victorian wedding dresses were crafted from an array of luxurious and intricate materials, each chosen to contribute to the romantic and detailed nature of the gown. Whether it was the delicate beauty of lace, the opulent shine of silk, the versatility of cotton, or the richness of velvet, each fabric played a part in creating the iconic and timeless look of Victorian bridal fashion.
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Wedding dress silhouette
Victorian wedding dresses were heavily influenced by the wedding dress Queen Victoria wore when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The dress was made of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, with a structured, eight-piece bodice, a wide, open neckline, short puffed sleeves, a deep v-shaped pointed waistline, and a very full floor-length skirt. The colour white was not commonly worn by brides before Queen Victoria's wedding, but it soon became the standard symbol for innocence and romance.
The archetypal early Victorian wedding dress had a fitted bodice, small waist, and a full skirt made of gauze, tulle, organdie, silk, cashmere, or linen. The slim waist, lace, and full nineteenth-century skirt layered over crinolines and petticoats were considered a desirable silhouette. This silhouette is still considered classic and recognisable today.
Victorian wedding dresses often featured tight and slim bodices, drapery, lace, jewels, and sleeves, all while showcasing a delicate bridal style. Lace was one of the most popular features in Victorian bridal gowns, as it demonstrated wealth and social status.
Today, Victorian-inspired wedding gowns often feature an A-line or ball gown silhouette with a ruffled trim. These gowns may also have romantic sleeves or be strapless. Victorian-inspired gowns often combine contemporary trends with classic elegance.
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Wedding traditions
The wedding dress was a chance for the bride-to-be to showcase her wealth to her fiancé and his family. The archetypal early Victorian wedding dress had a fitted bodice, small waist, and a full skirt made of gauze, tulle, organdie, silk, cashmere, or linen. This was in line with the general shape of women's fashion at the time, which promoted the modest values that Victorian England held dear.
However, the popularity of non-white dresses decreased after Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840. She wore a white dress made of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, breaking from royal custom and setting a lasting trend for Western bridal fashion. The publicised wedding displayed Victoria as both Queen and wife for the first time, and the British public was enamoured with her romantic bridal wear. Women across Britain suddenly wanted to emulate the same look on their wedding day, and the fashion for wearing white was further perpetuated by the dissemination of illustrated magazines.
In the Victorian era, weddings were entrenched in traditional gender dynamics and played a fundamental role in society. It was also an opportunity for social mobility, as it allowed individuals to elevate their status or wealth by marrying into the "right" or "appropriate" family. The wedding day was the most significant event in the life of a Victorian girl, and her mother would have been preparing her for it since birth.
The date of the wedding was carefully chosen, with June being the most popular month, as it was named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. It was believed that marrying in June would bring prosperity and happiness, and it had the practical advantage of allowing the bride to recover from childbirth in time for the autumn harvest festival.
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Frequently asked questions
White wedding dresses became popular after Queen Victoria wore a white gown to marry Prince Albert in 1840. Before this, brides wore a variety of colours to symbolise certain traits; for example, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, teenage brides wore pale grey to symbolise fertility, while older women opted for brown or black.
Victorian wedding dresses typically featured a fitted bodice, a small waist and a full skirt. The bodice was often decorated with jewels and lace, and the skirt was made of gauze, tulle, organdie, silk, cashmere or linen.
Victorian wedding dresses have influenced modern bridal fashion, particularly the classic American Western style. The use of lace in Victorian bridal gowns, for example, has continued into modern wedding dresses, although it no longer represents wealth or social status.
