The Revolution of wedding dress
Wedding dress has always been a romantic issue, chosen with special criteria. For centuries, these canons varied depending on the historical and political moment. But one thing was always unchanged: The Bride wearing a wedding gown, a special dress to seal a forever promise, and the dress had to be long.
Until 1920s. That’s the moment when a big, huge change happens in society, caused by the big war. That event brought famine of every kind and many women, became spare brides, or unable to get married because of the lack of men, were forced to help and work in any field.
So, of course, they needed more practical clothes, therefore the length of the dresses for the first time in centuries, shortened under knee and beside that, even the hair had got to be cut. But, the real huge, clamorous, absolute change women conquered was the removal of the corset, which for centuries squeezed their busts inhibiting their freedom! Women of this big revolution will be named as Flapper, which will become soon a style, a lifestyle.
Therefore, there will be the birth of the flapper wedding dress. As matter of fact, many brides not only wore a flapper wedding dress, but as women’s empowerment was on the rise, they chose even not to be walked down the aisle by their fathers, bucking this longstanding tradition.
On the left: Buster Keaton and Natalie Talmadge, 1921
On the right: Joan Crawford 1929.
An unmissable accessory will be framing the flapper wedding gown: a headdress, as opposed to the traditional veil, that now will be attached to the decoration hanging down to the hips, ankle, or making a long train. It will be a real must-have!
Other women chose not to wear a shortened dress, but to keep the total length, or to keep it at the back, leaving up the rim on front, with an asymmetric line.
On the left: 1922 - Charlie Chaplin attends the wedding of Jack Pickford to Marilyn Miller (a Ziegfeld girl), next to them is his sister Mary Pickford & husband Douglas Fairbanks
On the right: American actor John Barrymore with his wife Dolores Costello on their wedding day 24th November 1928
The first to be wearing a shortened wedding dress were certainly the celebrities, as Hollywood divas or the aristocrats. Obviously only wealthy people could effort the most expensive and exquisite quality of fabrics and tailors, but it wasn’t the same as for the less well-off, who have to arrange and re-arrange old dresses, if any, or just wear the best they had. But a Bride is a Bride, beautiful, anytime, anywhere, any decade.
On the left: Lord Louis Mountbatten and Edwina Ashley Mary, princess Royal 1922;
On the right: Filippo D'Assia and Mafalda di Savoia.
Speaking of decades, I can definitively declare 1920s one of the most fascinating and timeless ever, so much to de imitated even after a century! Yes, because nowadays many wedding gowns are manufactured in flapper style. But to be really on top, brides to be opt for an original vintage 20s wedding dress, very rare to find, now.
1920s wedding dress of Vintachic and photo of Emy Foto
Some of my brides had chosen an original vintage flapper gown, giving a touch of themselves, like Karoline, from Oslo, Norway, who said ‘Yes!’ to Espn in this way:
1920s Vintachic wedding gown and photo of Andy gaines
Stay tuned on Le Vintagerie Wedding.
Take Care.
Esterita di Cesare
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