George Boyle
The white wedding dress is a matrimonial classic, popularised by Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The white wedding style was further popularised in 1981, when 750 million people watched the wedding of Diana Spencer to Charles, Prince of Wales, with Diana wearing an elaborate white taffeta dress with an 8-metre train. White wedding dresses are now customary in Western cultures, with 82% of brides in the US wearing white, however, this was not always the case. Before Queen Victoria, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being a particularly popular choice in Western Europe. White dresses were also hard to maintain, so wearing one was a way for brides to show off their wealth and social status.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | 1840 |
| Originator | Queen Victoria |
| Reason for popularity | Symbol of status, purity, and virginal innocence |
| Other popular colours | Red, blue, yellow, black, brown, grey |
| Percentage of U.S. brides wearing white | 82% |
| Other cultures' views on white wedding dresses | Unlucky in many Eastern cultures |
| White wedding dress popularity in Western cultures | 82% of U.S. brides wear white |
| White wedding dress popularity in Eastern cultures | Relatively uncommon |
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What You'll Learn
Queen Victoria's influence
Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840 was a significant turning point that firmly established the trend of white bridal gowns that continues to this day. Prior to Victoria's wedding, brides often simply wore their best dress, which could be of any colour, and it was the bride's wedding crown, bridal jewellery, and other accessories that usually denoted their wealth and status, rather than the colour of the dress. By choosing a white gown, Victoria bucked the contemporary trend; however, her decision was heavily influenced by the material and its symbolism. The queen's dress was crafted from rich silk satin and Honiton lace, and it was the intricate, delicate lace that influenced her choice of colour. The lace was created by local craftswomen in Honiton, a town in Devon, and Victoria wanted to support and promote this traditional craft. Thus, the white lace wedding dress became a symbol of royalty, purity, and support for domestic industries.
Victoria's dress was described in detail by newspapers, magazines, and through early forms of media, and it quickly became the must-have style for brides, not just in the United Kingdom but also in Europe and across the Atlantic in the United States. The distribution of fashion plates and mass media played a significant role in spreading the trend, as women across the social spectrum sought to emulate the young queen's style. The white wedding dress became a symbol of affluence and fashionability, and it was a colour choice that also signalled a degree of bravery—white was a difficult colour to keep pristine, and so it also demonstrated the bride's confidence and poise.
The influence of Queen Victoria extended beyond just the colour of the dress. The style and silhouette of her gown, with its small waist, full skirt, and long, trailing veil, also became fashionable. The veil, in particular, became a key element of the bridal ensemble, with its own set of symbolic meanings. The long veil, often reaching to the floor, represented modesty and virginity, as well as a degree of mystique and allure. Victoria's choice to support local craftspeople also inspired a trend for handmade details, with brides seeking to incorporate unique, handcrafted elements into their own gowns.
The impact of Queen Victoria's wedding dress extended far beyond her own era, too. The tradition of wearing a white dress that she established has endured for nearly two centuries, with many modern brides still opting for a white gown, often with a veil, for their wedding day. The colour white has become so entrenched in wedding traditions that it has also influenced other aspects of the bridal party's attire, with grooms often wearing a white waistcoat or tie, and bridesmaids also dressed in white or pale colours. The enduring appeal of the white wedding dress is a testament to the power of Victoria's influence and the enduring appeal of a colour that symbolises purity, innocence, and joy.
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Symbolism of purity
The white wedding dress is often associated with purity and innocence, a notion popularised by Queen Victoria when she wore a white lace dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. The colour white was a symbol of wealth and status, as it was difficult to maintain and keep clean.
The white dress was also a symbol of the bride's "innocence and virginal purity". Etiquette books of the time described how a bride was naturally too timid to show her face in public until she was married, and this idea was reflected in the tradition of wearing a veil. The veil was said to be a symbol of the bride's modesty.
The white dress was also a way for the bride to show that she was part of the leisure class. It was a dress that could be easily ruined by any sort of work or spill, and so it was a statement that the bride did not need to work. This idea is also reflected in the tradition of wearing the dress only once, which became popular in the 20th century with increased prosperity.
The white wedding dress has become a timeless and iconic symbol of love and commitment, and it is still the most widely worn colour for wedding gowns, with 82% of US brides wearing white. However, this tradition is mainly followed in Western cultures, with many Eastern cultures considering white to be an unlucky colour. In these cultures, red is often chosen as it symbolises life, luck, and celebration.
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White wedding's global reach
The white wedding dress is a tradition that originated in the West and has since spread across the globe, with varying degrees of adoption. While it is now considered a symbol of purity and innocence, the tradition is relatively recent, dating back to the Victorian era when Queen Victoria wore a white lace dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840.
The white wedding dress became popular among the elite in the 19th century, as it was a way to display wealth and social status. The difficulty of laundering clothing at the time meant that a white dress was a luxury that only the wealthy could afford to maintain. As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread, other European leaders and fashionable people followed suit, and white dresses became a symbol of purity and innocence, in addition to wealth.
By the end of the 19th century, the white dress was the garment of choice for elite brides on both sides of the Atlantic. However, it took several decades for white wedding dresses to become fully democratized among middle-class brides in Europe and the US. During World War II, many brides wore suits in non-white hues due to the scarcity of fancy fabrics. It was only after the war, with increased prosperity and cheaper clothing production, that the white, single-use wedding dress became a distinctive part of weddings for middle-class brides.
Today, the white wedding dress remains a popular choice for brides in Western cultures, with 82% of US brides wearing white according to one report. However, it is not the only option, and in recent years, there has been a trend towards colorful wedding dresses, with shades like pink, blue, gold, grey, and even black gaining popularity.
In Eastern cultures, the adoption of white wedding dresses varies. While white is increasingly worn by brides in some countries, it is considered unlucky in many Eastern cultures, and brides often choose other colors that are considered more auspicious, such as red, which is popular in India, China, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Singapore. Traditional Korean brides, however, have also adopted the Western tradition of wearing white, as it is seen as emulating royalty. Ultimately, the choice of wedding dress color and style is influenced by a combination of cultural traditions, societal values, and personal expression.
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Pre-Victorian wedding attire
The tradition of wearing white wedding dresses is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. However, prior to Queen Victoria's wedding, brides wore a variety of colours.
In Western Europe, red was a particularly popular choice, with royal brides wearing "heavy brocaded gowns embroidered with white and silver thread". Brides in Western Europe and America wore a variety of colours, including blue, yellow, and practical colours like black, brown, or grey. Even if they could afford a white dress, most brides wore their best dress, whatever the colour, on their wedding day.
Before the 19th century, the wedding was not the most significant event in a woman's life, and the wedding dress was not the most important garment she would ever wear. In fact, it was common for brides to wear their wedding dresses again after the wedding. For example, Queen Victoria had her wedding dress restyled for later use.
The white wedding dress was also popularised by Hollywood, with Grace Kelly's wedding gown of lace, silk, pearls and tulle being pictured in 1956, and 750 million people watching Lady Diana Spencer marry Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981.
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White wedding's Hollywood portrayal
The white wedding dress became popular in Hollywood and among royalty after Queen Victoria wore a white lace dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. The fashion-forward queen chose a non-traditional dress and flower crown, which she said was "the happiest day of my life." The dress was made from Spitalfields cream silk-satin with a flounce of Honiton lace at the neck and sleeves. It featured a slim waist, full crinoline petticoat, and lace embellishments—a silhouette that is still considered classic in the West today.
As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread, other European leaders followed suit. The new dresses were conspicuously luxurious, and due to the limitations of 19th-century laundering techniques, they were hard to maintain. White dresses provided an opportunity for conspicuous consumption, favoured primarily as a way to show that the bride's family was wealthy and part of the leisure class. As white dresses gained popularity, they also took on new symbolism, coming to signify purity and innocence in addition to wealth. White also looked good in early black-and-white or sepia-toned photography.
The white wedding style received another significant boost in 1981 when 750 million people watched the wedding of Diana Spencer to Charles, Prince of Wales. Diana wore an elaborate white taffeta dress with an 8-metre train.
Today, the white wedding dress is a matrimonial classic, often used as the finale in fashion shows. Designers have long made wedding dresses for private clients, and during the first half of the 20th century, these gowns sometimes made the summer collections. By 1957, it had become a tradition to close couture shows with a white wedding gown. Some of these showstoppers, such as Yves Saint Laurent's cocoon dress from 1965, have become iconic.
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Frequently asked questions
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress started in 1840 when Queen Victoria wore a white lace dress at her wedding to Prince Albert.
Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress because she wanted to make a statement. White was the colour of royal debutantes' dresses and was also the Queen's favourite colour.
White wedding dresses became popular because they were worn by wealthy brides who could afford to have their dresses professionally cleaned. Etiquette books also began to turn the practice into a tradition, associating the colour with innocence and virginal purity.
