Bridal Gowns, Should These Always Be White?. Ever since Queen Victoria had her fabulous white wedding gown on February 11, 1840, all wedding gowns to this day had to be white. To deviate from the traditional white was preposterous, but today's brides are ready to flaunt their choice of bridal gowns - in color and design.
Still Virginal White?
During the 1800s, bridal gowns were not splendid creations as they are now. The wedding attire for women at that time were usually the best dress that could be worn for other occasions, and these weren't white because white cloth was expensive and only for the moneyed or landed gentry. It took the Queen of England to change the humdrum existence of the wedding dress.
Queen Victoria wore a flowing white gown accented with orange blossoms. On her head, she also wore a wreath of orange blossoms while her face was framed in honiton lace. She had 12 bridesmaids also dressed remarkably dressed in white.
But that was in 1800s. Today's brides are experimenting with other colors for their bridal gowns and bridesmaids' dresses. There may be some resistance to straying far from the traditional white gown, but it is your wedding and you can always have your say.
Instead of the usual white gown, you can opt for ivory, off-white, silver, gold, and pink. Your folks maybe aghast at your choice of color for your wedding gown, but it's either you go for hints of the palest pink or blue, or go full blast in vibrant reds and blues. Or, you can appease your parents by wearing an ivory gown, but dressing up your bridesmaids in bold red.
Bridal Colors
Tradition is hard to break, but there is no rule that prohibits the use of vibrant colors for bridal gowns. Today's brides want to be different, and they can dare be different. There's the risk, though, that their choices will not meet everybody's approval. But as long as you are satisfied with your choices, everything will be all right.
Here are some of the favorite bridal colors for wedding gowns:
* Ivory - good for women who have super fair complexion and red hair.
* Pastels - Spring brides are opting for pastels to celebrate the season.
* Silver - for avant garde brides with slim figures.
* Red - for women who love life and adventure.
* Pink - for passionate women who are ultra feminine.
* Black - for sophisticates who can really feel comfortable in this color.
To make the picture perfect, you can also have swaths of the same cloth for your shoes to match your wedding dress color.
So finally, it's not always virginal white for brides. Colors are in, and brides are opting for colored bridal gowns to express their personality and individuality.
Figure Enhancing Shapes
After color, silhouette matters. The common outlines are a-lines, ball gowns, empire waist gowns, sheaths, and princess cuts. Ask the in-house designer to help you with your gown's cut to flatter your figure. These friendly tips will guide in choosing your gown's shape:
* If you're petite, avoid the ball gown.
* If you're wide-hipped, avoid the sheath.
Be guided with the usual rules, though. For formal weddings, have a floor length gown and a long train. For informal weddings, you can use a strapless gown, and for an outdoor wedding, a short frock can keep to the theme. When it comes to colors, you don't have to be chained to one of those virginal white bridal gowns.
By: Sarrah Beaumont
