History of the Wedding Dress

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HISTORY OF THE WEDDING DRESS…
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
Together with baptism and burial, marriage is one of the three main milestones in one’s life. A bride will use her wedding day as an occasion, where she will display her best dressing style. This is how the ‘Wedding Dress’ began. The wedding dress is unique… None are ever the same- they are made to suit the size and shape of a bride, as well as make her look beautiful. A bride’s dress portrays her style and taste, as it is usually something that she has chosen, herself.
The traditional Wedding Dress first commenced in the early 18th Century, in London, when machine-made fabrics were first made available. The first to wear these elegant garments were the royal princesses. It soon became a royal competition- to try and outdo each other with their dress creations. It became necessary for a royal bride to look nice on her wedding day, as it was important for her groom’s country to be impressed with her style and wealth. In order for this to happen, she created a wedding gown of utter extravagance- with an overabundance of costly material (usually velvet, satin, damask silk, fur, and fabrics woven with thread of gold or silver). Typically the skirts would be gathered, full, and flowing- it was considered that a full skirt illustrated wealth and importance. Sleeves would brush against the ground, and trains would trail several metres behind the bride. As for colours- only the wealthy could afford rich, vibrant tones, so these royal brides wore deeps reds, purples and true black materials. In addition, the dress was densely covered with diamonds, rubies and other gems- sometimes so much, that the material was hidden beneath them!
Of course, when royal brides started out with the trend of...

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...he other popular option was a dropped waist gown; with a long, flared skirt- this was also commonly seen.
21st Century
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the wedding gown style has changed in many ways. Dresses, now days aren’t exactly chosen by what’s in fashion- but by the bride’s personal style and imagination. Her dress could be either straight- or have a full skirt; puffy, long sleeves- or sleeveless. A lot of beading is used, now days, and lace is also a common embellishment. Most brides get their dress made by professional dressmakers, and very few actually make it themselves. No doubt the wedding gown will continue to develop, and alternate between styles and fashions. Moreover, there is equally no doubt that it’ll prevail in our weddings, and in decades- or even centuries to come, we will still be wearing such an elegant garment on our wedding days.

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