Fire up the Pinterest boards, because the latest season of wedding gowns has been released. Fall 2017 Bridal Fashion Week brought to light the most unimaginable dresses for that once-in-a-lifetime occasion.
It’s a tad bizarre when we stop and think about how for only one day in our entire lives it’s socially acceptable to wear the most extravagant and outlandish dress.
As I scrolled through photo after photo of Vera Wang, Pnina Tornai and every designer in between, no two dresses were even remotely the same — each gown was more outgoing and unexpected than the last. For some reason, I couldn’t help but wonder how different or similar my mother’s wedding dress was compared to the gowns worn today.
My mother pulled out her 34-year-old wedding album, and when I saw her dress, my jaw dropped. She looked beautiful, but her dress was so entirely unrecognizable from anything worn today.
The dress was as white as can be with an extremely high, scalloped neckline. It was made of cotton with eyelet designs on the bodice, and it wouldn’t have been a 1982 wedding without the signature puffy sleeves from that decade. My mother, being the fashionista she is, added her own flair with a bright yellow belt and an ivory headband that turned into a short, quaint veil.
I realize 34 years ago is a long time, but the difference in bridal style is unbelievable. Bridal attire isn’t the most talked about aspect of fashion, but looking at my mother’s photos made me realized it’s easily one of the most evolved looks in the apparel world.
In decades past, it was a requirement to wear bleach white as a bride. In fact, in the past, if a bride wasn’t wearing white, I assume she would have gotten a couple of dirty looks walking down the aisle since it hinted at the fact she may not have been a virgin.
However, today the color is less controlled by society’s norms and more so by the preference of the bride. The creamy eggshell shade of one of Marchesa’s whimsical, bohemian, deep-V gowns from this season was highly applauded, and it illustrated how the modern wedding dress can take on any color.
Beyond the shade, what I love the most about the evolution of wedding gowns is that women are no longer limited to that long silhouette that covers every inch of a woman’s skin.
Houghton showed off how on their big day, women can prove they wear the pants in the relationship. The designer flaunted extravagant two-piece and one-piece suits in an array of white and beige shades. Other designers like to reveal some leg. Oleg Cassini’s collection had a stunning long-sleeved, lace midi dress.
While I wouldn’t change a thing about how my mother looked on her wedding day, I definitely would say that I look forward to — hopefully — being a bride in the 21st century.
It goes beyond liking the styles of today better than the 1980s. It’s the fact that women today can be whoever they choose to be on their wedding day.
Whether she’s a posh businesswoman rocking a cream suit or a bohemian goddess wearing a floor-length, lace dress and a flower crown, it’s completely up to the bride.
There is not a norm telling a woman how to dress on her big day anymore. It’s all in the hands of the woman walking down the aisle.
apoudrie@indiana.edu
@adelepoudrier
