Lyla Dejesus
The white wedding dress has been popularised by various factors, including its association with royalty, symbolism of purity and innocence, and the influence of media and tradition. Queen Victoria is often credited with starting the trend when she wore a white dress for her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. This choice of attire was further promoted by Victoria's family, who were the first royal family to be extensively photographed, disseminating their fashion choices widely. The white dress also represented conspicuous consumption, indicating the bride's family was part of the leisure class. Over time, the white gown became a symbol of status and purity, and with the influence of media and tradition, it has become a popular choice for brides worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | Queen Victoria wore a white wedding dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. |
| Mary, Queen of Scots wore a white wedding dress in 1559. | |
| In Japan, white was the colour of choice for bridal ensembles before it was popularised in the Western world. | |
| Popularity | Popularised by Hollywood and royalty. |
| Grace Kelly's wedding gown in 1956 inspired copies worldwide. | |
| 750 million people watched Lady Diana Spencer marry in a white dress in 1981. | |
| Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's wedding dresses inspired overnight copies. | |
| Symbolism | Purity, innocence, wealth, youth, joy, and virginal purity. |
| A connotation of status. | |
| Practicality | Difficult to keep clean and not ideal for repeat wear. |
| White looked good in early black-and-white or sepia-toned photography. | |
| White dresses provided an opportunity for conspicuous consumption. |
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What You'll Learn
Queen Victoria wore white in 1840
The tradition of wearing a white wedding dress is commonly associated with Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. This was a significant departure from the colourful wedding dresses typically worn by royal brides before her, with red being a particularly popular choice in Western Europe.
Queen Victoria's decision to wear white was likely influenced by several factors. Firstly, she wanted to support the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time. The white dress, made from Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace, showcased the intricate lace details. Victoria herself wrote in her journal, "I wore a white satin gown with a very deep flounce of Honiton lace, imitation of old". The dress was also adorned with a Turkish diamond necklace and earrings, and Albert's sapphire brooch.
Another reason for choosing white may have been to convey a message of innocence and romance. As Julia Baird writes in her book, "Victoria had chosen to wear white mostly because it was the perfect colour to highlight the delicate lace". Additionally, white was a rare and expensive colour at the time, as bleaching techniques were not yet mastered, so it also symbolised wealth and status.
The trend-setting power of Queen Victoria's choice became evident as accounts of her wedding spread across Europe and beyond. Wealthier brides initially embraced the trend, and over time, the white wedding dress became a symbol of status and purity, especially with the growing influence of etiquette books. However, it took several decades for the trend to fully democratise, with middle-class British and American brides adopting the tradition more widely after World War II.
Today, the white wedding dress remains a popular choice, influenced by both Hollywood and royalty. Queen Victoria's decision to wear white in 1840 has had a lasting impact on bridal fashion, shaping the traditions and symbolism associated with the white dress.
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Symbolises purity and innocence
The white wedding dress is often seen as a symbol of purity and innocence. This symbolism has roots in Christian traditions, where white represents purity and innocence. In colour psychology, white is also the colour of new beginnings, representing a clean slate.
The trend of wearing white wedding dresses is often credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840. Before this, royal brides wore wedding dresses in a variety of colours, with red being one of the most popular choices.
The white wedding dress quickly became a status symbol, as white dresses were expensive and difficult to maintain. They were favoured primarily as a way to showcase the bride's family's wealth and status. As society became more prosperous in the aftermath of World War II, the tradition of wearing a single-use white wedding dress became more common.
The white wedding dress has now become a staple of Western bridal fashion, with many brides from different cultures adopting white wedding dresses in their ceremonies. While the trend began as a symbol of wealth and status, it has evolved to symbolise purity, innocence, and new beginnings, with many brides choosing white to blend their new chapter with their family history.
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White is impractical and expensive
The white wedding dress is a widely accepted form of wedding attire in Western culture. The tradition is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. Before Queen Victoria, royal brides wore wedding dresses in a variety of colours, with red being one of the most popular choices.
White wedding dresses were initially a trend among wealthy brides due to the high cost of white fabric and the difficulty of keeping it clean. For many centuries in Western societies, brides typically bought a wedding dress that could be worn again, usually opting for the best dress they already owned. This was for reasons of practicality. White dresses were not only expensive and difficult to keep clean but also could not be reworn, as they were likely to be ruined during the festivities of a wedding, with drinking, dancing, and food spills.
In the 19th century, laundering clothing was challenging, and white dresses were particularly hard to maintain. Thus, white wedding dresses served as a form of conspicuous consumption, signalling that the bride's family was so wealthy that they could afford an elaborate dress that would likely be worn only once. The colour white also came to signify purity, innocence, and virginal purity, further elevating its status as a symbol of wealth and social standing.
It is important to note that the tradition of wearing white wedding dresses was not fully adopted by middle-class British and American brides until after World War II. With increased prosperity in the 20th century, the idea of a single-use wedding dress became more feasible, and the white dress, with its symbolism of purity and new beginnings, became a distinctive part of wedding traditions across economic levels.
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White is a status symbol
The white wedding dress is often associated with status and luxury. The trend is believed to have started with Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert in 1840. As royal weddings have always received extensive coverage, Queen Victoria's fashion choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines, soon influencing wedding trends domestically and internationally. White wedding dresses were initially embraced by wealthy brides, as the colour white was difficult to maintain and thus served as a symbol of conspicuous consumption. The trend eventually spread across all economic levels and was cemented as a "tradition" in the 20th century.
The white dress became a popular symbol of status, as it was considered a non-practical colour that could be easily soiled and was not ideal for repeat wear. In the late 1920s, bridal salons recognised the profit potential of marketing expensive white wedding dresses that would be worn only once, further promoting the idea of white as a status symbol. This notion was reinforced by Hollywood and the portrayal of celebrity weddings, with iconic white wedding gowns featured in films and photographs, such as Grace Kelly's wedding gown in 1956.
The colour white itself carries associations with purity, innocence, and virtue, which contributed to its status as a symbol of pre-marital innocence and virginal purity. This symbolism aligned with the societal emphasis on women's pre-marital purity and further elevated the status of the white wedding dress. The white dress also looked good in early black-and-white or sepia-toned photography, enhancing its visual appeal and prominence in wedding photographs that were widely circulated.
The white wedding dress trend was not universally adopted, and it took several decades for it to spread among middle-class brides in Europe and the US. Factors such as increased prosperity and cheaper clothing production after World War II contributed to the widespread adoption of the white wedding dress. Today, the white wedding dress is often regarded as a classic and traditional choice, with many brides opting for it to honour long-standing traditions and create a memorable bridal look.
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White is traditional
The colour white has long been associated with purity and virtue in many societies, which is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. White wedding dresses also symbolise wealth and status, as they are difficult to keep clean and are therefore not practical for everyday wear.
The tradition of wearing white wedding dresses is commonly credited to Queen Victoria, who wore a white court dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. Royal weddings have always been trendsetting, and Victoria's choice of a white gown was widely reported in the media. The fashion-loving queen chose a non-traditional dress to showcase the detailed British lace industry, which was floundering at the time.
Before Queen Victoria, royal brides wore a variety of colours, with red being a particularly popular choice in Western Europe. Debutantes were required to wear white court dresses for their first presentation at court, and Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress was inspired by this tradition. As accounts of Victoria's wedding spread, other European leaders followed suit, and white dresses became a symbol of status and wealth.
The white wedding dress gained further popularity through Hollywood and celebrity weddings. In 1956, film footage and photographs of Grace Kelly's wedding gown circulated globally, and in 1981, 750 million people watched Lady Diana Spencer marry Prince Charles in a silk taffeta gown. More recently, Kate Middleton's dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and Meghan Markle's dress by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy inspired copies overnight.
In the 20th century, as society became more prosperous, the tradition of wearing a white wedding dress became more democratised and cemented as a "tradition". Increased prosperity led to the practice of wearing the dress only once, as it was now possible to buy cheaper dresses specifically for weddings.
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Frequently asked questions
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. White wedding dresses quickly became a status symbol, as they were primarily for young and wealthy brides. Today, wearing a white wedding dress is about honouring tradition and family expectations.
In many societies, the colour white has long been associated with purity, virtue, and innocence. For this reason, some brides choose to wear white, especially in Western cultures.
Queen Victoria was a fashion-loving queen, and she chose a non-traditional dress for her wedding to make a statement.
By the end of the 19th century, white dresses were the garment of choice for elite brides in Europe and America. However, it took a few more decades for white wedding dresses to become popular among the middle classes.
