What Would Victoria Say?

When we think of brides, we usually picture them in beautiful white dresses. As a tradition, though, white dresses with elegant trains didn’t come into vogue until 1840 – the year that Queen Victoria wed her beloved Albert. As is often the case when celebrities make an original fashion statement, the rest of the world immediately follows suit.

So what were brides wearing before that? In ancient civilizations, wedding wear came in the brightest colors imaginable as an expression of boundless happiness. During Medieval times, the bride and her attendants wore exactly the same frocks for the purpose of flummoxing evil spirits and would-be kidnappers from rival realms. In Denmark, brides and grooms had their own unique way of fooling ill-wishers; they mirthfully engaged in cross-dressing.

Over here in America, the bridal scene was largely influenced by European couture; even at the height of the Depression, saving for a sleek, Parisian-themed gown was every girl’s quest. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that pop culture fostered rebellion against the previous century’s fidelity to the formality of weddings in white. Forty years later, we’re seeing yet another challenge to tradition in both a broad spectrum of color options and daring designs that show more skin and curves than our grandmothers would have deemed proper and appropriate.

From the needles of designers such as Jessica McClintock, Jenny Yoo, Lazaro, Alvina Valenta, Alfred Angelo, Sebastian Gregory, and Robert Bullock, we’re seeing fall and winter colors such as hot chocolate, tangerine, turquoise, ruby, sizzling pink, eggplant and clover. For spring and summer, coral and lime are holding their own against lavender, power blue, champagne, and butter yellow. Strapless, backless, high slits, peek-a-boo cutouts, halter-tops and clinging fabrics are just as likely to make an appearance down the aisle in 2007 as Hollywood-inspired glam that incorporates beadwork, embroidery, faux-fur wraps and velvet capes.

The choices available for bridesmaids’ ensembles have also undergone radical improvement over the 1970’s practice of outfitting one’s attendants in the equivalent of really bad prom dresses that were not only pricy and puffy but could never be worn for any other occasion. The welcome shift toward gowns that can subsequently appear at cocktail parties or holiday gatherings makes for a happier – and more stylish - day all around.