She must wear a white dress! It’s tradition. Ah Tradition! the word to end all discussion, disagreement, questions and in some cases progress. It is synonymous with the idea “Since the dawn of time.” However, if you dig you realize Tradition, like Holidays, are made up by us ever-changing fickle humans.
The white wedding dress is a great example. For most in the West and Northern hemispheres it is the only wedding dress color and thanks to globalization, the white wedding dress has become ubiquitous around the world. However the white wedding dress has a short history given how long humans have been forming ceremonial unions.
The color white for example. White – pure, virginal, innocent, right? Well that depends. White in parts of the East and South have traditionally, ah that word – been a color of mourning, death and bad luck. In India for example many Hindu widows wear white the rest of their lives.
Throughout most of human history bridal garments are often just the best dress you have or an additional element to a new dress. The Maasai bride for example wears special necklaces – the colors signifying information about the bride, family and place of birth. A simple Pinterest search (okay I know it’s a rabbit hole but so much fun!) shows beautiful colorful vibrant wedding dresses from Poland, Slovakia, Arminia, Ukraine and all over Europe - representing the unique culture from which they represent and celebrate. By the late 20th early 21st centuries, we have literally white washed brides so much you could not tell if the wedding is in Tulsa or Tokyo.
It was Queen Victoria, who decided to wear a white dress to her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, see not that long ago. The serpent engagement ring, the serpent being a Victorian era Egyptian revival symbol of health, wealth and good luck – was a short lived wedding trend, ending during the Edwardian era. The staying and spreading power of the white dress was helped through the expansion of the British Empire during the Victorian era, many countries colonized by Great Britain, saw much of their mores, customs and with it clothing culture, altered or banned.
However as we move into the 21st century, just as wedding rights have expanded, so are wedding looks. Fashion is political, social-cultural moment and movement in time. Fashion watchers have noted key looks of the past year have included – a sunflower yellow trouser suit worn by model Emily Ratajkowski, a Brooklyn bride wore a grey sequins fringed suit from Paloma Spain a menswear collection, and Serena Williams rocked custom bedazzled bridal Nikes. Just as it took the 1920s to truly herald in the 20th century, maybe we are just getting started with the 21st century now. What better way to mark a new era than how we choose to dress on one of the most important days of our lives?
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