Woman's dresses guide

Although more and more brides choose to go with colored wedding dresses, white is still the preferred color for most brides these days. But it has not always been like this. Where does the tradition of white dresses come from and why is white so fitting for wedding dresses?

The history of white dresses

In earlier times, women normally would not buy wedding dresses solely to be worn at their wedding. They would often just choose a formal dress, which could be used at later occasions as well. Most colors were acceptable for wedding dresses – perhaps with the exception of black and red, which were the colors of mourning and prostitution respectively.

It was not untill the mid 1800s that white dresses started to be used as wedding gowns. The first famous woman to spark the interest for white dresses is said to be Queen Victoria, who went against tradition and married in white. It was a shocking event at the time, but the idea was also fascinating to many and white dresses started to become trendy.

For decades after this, thought, it was still only rich families who could afford to have their brides married in white dresses. A white wedding dress was a signal that this family could afford to buy a formal dress especially for the wedding, since these traditional white dresses would not be suitable for any other occasions than one’s own wedding.Why white dresses?

There are many theories as to the origin of white as the appropriate color for Western wedding dresses. While some look to religious and historical reasons, most people today pay more attention to color symbolism than to religious tradition.

Among the many things symbolized by white are light, purity, truth, peace, innocence, security, life, marriage (in Western cultures) and hope. Weddings are often perceived as symbols of happiness and harmony and carry the feeling of something ‘new’. As such, white is thought to be a very appropriate color for weddings and white dresses continue to be the popular choice.