Deborah Chan
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Before this, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being a popular choice in Western Europe. Debutantes had long been required to wear white court dresses for their first presentation at court, and Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress set a new standard for bridal fashion. The widespread publication of her wedding portrait further popularized the trend, and white dresses soon became a symbol of status and purity. However, it is important to note that white wedding dresses only became customary in the mid-20th century, and other cultures and regions have different traditions and beliefs regarding the colour of wedding attire.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | Mid-19th century, 1840 |
| Originator | Queen Victoria |
| Reason for popularity | Symbol of status, wealth, innocence, and virginal purity |
| Previous colours worn by brides | Red, blue, yellow, black, brown, grey, gold |
| Current popularity | 82% of US brides wear white |
| Other cultures | Many Eastern cultures consider white to be unlucky |
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What You'll Learn
Queen Victoria popularised the trend
Queen Victoria is commonly credited with popularising the trend of wearing a white wedding dress. On her wedding day in 1840, Victoria chose to wear a white satin court train, bordered with orange blossom, a symbol of virtue and fertility, instead of the traditional crimson velvet robe of state. She wanted to be seen as Albert's wife, rather than a queen. This romantic gesture, and the notion of the Queen as an adoring and innocent bride, captured the public's imagination.
Victoria's choice of dress was also influenced by her desire to support and stimulate Britain's lace industry. She chose to wear a large piece of handmade Honiton lace, and white was the best colour to showcase this. The white dress and lace veil soon became a popular symbol of status and purity. As a result, if a bride was marrying for the first time and could afford it, a white wedding dress became the norm.
Victoria's wedding dress was made from Spitalfields cream silk-satin with a flounce of Honiton lace at the neck and sleeves. It had a slim waist, a full crinoline petticoat, and lace embellishments. This silhouette is still considered the classic wedding dress shape in the West today. Victoria treasured her wedding lace and continued to wear it to special occasions throughout her life, including the weddings of two of her children.
While Queen Victoria is often said to be the originator of the white wedding dress, this is not entirely accurate. White dresses had been worn by brides before Victoria, and Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a white wedding gown in 1559. However, Victoria's dress did contribute to the colour's massive gain in popularity for brides. A combination of new technology, industrialisation, media, and admiration for the monarchy all contributed to the lasting popularity of the white wedding dress.
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White symbolises wealth and status
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. White dresses were already reserved for women being presented at court, and Victoria's choice of a white wedding gown was reportedly to showcase the detailed British Honiton lace, which was floundering at the time.
White wedding dresses were initially embraced by wealthy brides, as the difficulty of laundering clothing in the 19th century meant that white dresses were hard to maintain and, therefore, a symbol of conspicuous consumption. White also carried a connotation of innocence and virginal purity. As such, the white wedding dress became a popular symbol of status, with the trend spreading across all economic levels and becoming cemented as a "tradition" in the 20th century.
The trend was further popularised by widespread publications of Queen Victoria's wedding portrait, as women sought to imitate her style and elegance. The image of a radiant bride in a white gown became deeply ingrained in popular culture and continues to influence bridal fashion today.
The portrayal of weddings in Hollywood and the ease of accessing images of celebrity weddings have also contributed to cementing the notion that marriage demands a white dress. For example, Grace Kelly's wedding gown in 1956 and Princess Diana's ivory silk taffeta gown in 1981 inspired copies overnight.
In summary, the white wedding dress tradition, popularised by Queen Victoria, symbolises wealth and status due to the difficulty of laundering in the 19th century, making white dresses a form of conspicuous consumption. The trend was further influenced by the association of white with purity and innocence and the widespread media coverage of royal and celebrity weddings.
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White symbolises purity and innocence
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. The fashion-forward queen chose a non-traditional dress and flower crown, reportedly to showcase the British lace industry, which was struggling at the time. Her dress was made from Spitalfields cream silk-satin with a flounce of Honiton lace at the neck and sleeves.
White wedding dresses were not always the norm, and before Queen Victoria, brides wore a variety of colours, including red, blue, black, brown, and grey. White dresses were reserved for women being presented at court, and debutantes were required to wear white court dresses and long white gloves for their first presentation.
As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread across the Atlantic and throughout Europe, the trend of wearing white wedding gowns began to take hold, initially among wealthier brides who could afford the costly materials. White dresses were also favoured as they provided an opportunity for conspicuous consumption, signalling to the world that the bride's family was wealthy and part of the leisure class.
Over time, the colour white became associated with purity and innocence, adding to its symbolism. Etiquette books further contributed to the tradition, turning the practice into a standard that conveyed "a connotation of innocence and virginal purity." By the end of the 19th century, white dresses became the garment of choice for elite brides, and by the 20th century, it was cemented as a tradition across all economic levels.
Today, the white wedding dress is a matrimonial classic, with brides choosing to wear white to symbolise elegance and grace, or to emulate a vintage era. The colour white has become so intertwined with weddings that a bride wearing white has become an expected part of the celebration in many cultures.
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White dresses are impractical and expensive
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress to her wedding with Prince Albert in 1840. Before Queen Victoria, brides wore their best dress, which could be of any colour, to their wedding. White dresses were reserved for women being presented at court.
The tradition of wearing a single-use wedding dress only became popular in the 20th century, as society became more prosperous and clothing became cheaper to produce. The white, single-use wedding dress thus became a symbol of conspicuous consumption, with the bride's family showing off their wealth and social status. This was further emphasised by the lavish parties thrown to show off the dress.
In addition to being impractical, white dresses were also initially very expensive due to the cost of materials. Only the very wealthy could afford to wear white, and it took several decades for white wedding dresses to become popular among the middle classes in Europe and the US.
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White dresses are now globalised
The white wedding dress has become a global phenomenon, with brides from Brisbane to Bangkok, Venice to Vladivostok, and beyond, choosing to wear white on their wedding day. This tradition can be traced back to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840.
Before Queen Victoria, brides simply wore their best dress or a new dress in a darker, more practical colour. Royal brides often wore gowns embroidered with silver and white thread, with red being a particularly popular colour in Western Europe. Debutantes, however, had long been required to wear white court dresses and long white gloves for their first presentation at court, and Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress was likely influenced by this.
The widespread publication of Queen Victoria's wedding portrait, as well as the improvement in laundering techniques, further popularised the white wedding dress. White also looked good in early black-and-white or sepia-toned photography. As society became more prosperous in the aftermath of the Second World War, the white, single-use wedding dress became a distinctive part of getting married, with the trend spreading across all economic levels and being cemented as a "tradition" in the 20th century.
The portrayal of weddings in Hollywood, as well as the speed and ease with which people could see images of celebrity weddings, also helped to cement the notion that marriage demanded a white dress. For example, in 1956, film footage and photographs of Grace Kelly in her wedding gown quickly made their way across the globe. Similarly, in more recent times, the wedding dresses of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle inspired copies overnight.
In some cultures, the white wedding dress has been influenced by traditional beliefs and practices. For example, in China, some brides participate in elaborate wedding photo shoots wearing Western white dresses, even if they choose to wear a traditional Chinese ensemble for the actual wedding ceremony. In Japan, white was the colour of choice for bridal ensembles long before it became popularised in the Western world, and this tradition continues today.
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Frequently asked questions
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress started with Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840.
Queen Victoria chose to wear white as a statement—she was known to be a fashion lover. The colour white was reserved for women being presented at court.
White wedding dresses were initially a way for brides to show that their family was wealthy and part of the leisure class. Over time, the colour white on a wedding dress also came to signify purity and innocence.
No, many Eastern cultures consider white to be an unlucky colour, so brides wear other colours. Red is the most popular colour for brides in India, China, Pakistan, and Vietnam, among other countries.
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