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Curiosities |
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| On wedding fashion in the 19th century |
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| Bride dressed in white, wrapped in mist of her wedding veil, walking toward the altar next to her beloved dressed in a dark tailcoat - nobody born within the circle of the Western culture and today basically nobody around the world could picture a perfect young couple look differently. It seems that this tradition is eternal and unchanging. In reality, however, it goes back only two centuries, since both the typical female and male wedding dress acquired their characteristic form only in the 19th century. |
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| Gradual mechanization of the textile industry progressing in the 18th and 19th century, increasing popularity of cotton fabrics, as well as simplification of women's fashion under the influence of antiquity during the period of classicism, caused dresses to become much cheaper and thus more widely available. They were also not anymore meant to last for a lifetime. Ever more women could afford more frequent replacements of garments, adapting them to current requirements of the fashion and having clothing adapted to different circumstances, including a separate wedding dresses. Even though white color symbolizing purity and virginity started to be associated with wedding dress including for men already during late Middle Ages but such attire was affordable only for the brides and grooms of aristocratic families. Poorer brides would choose dresses in more practical colors, so that they could be worn during following years. Only at the beginning of the 19th century when even everyday fashion started to be dominated by white, white wedding dress had a chance to become popular, although during this period by its style it was no different from dresses for other occasions and still could be worn also after the wedding. |
| In men’s dress clothing of the period white did not gain popularity. The reasons were practical – in men’s fashion of the late 18th century under the influence of English fashion use of humble tailcoats worn on all kind of occasions and made of cloth in darker colors such as navy blue, green or brown become widespread. Also for the wedding men started to dress in the same way. However, with the passage of time, tailcoat - but only in black color - started to be perceived as exclusively evening and ball clothing. Hence, during the second half of the 19th century it was being recommended as a dress suitable for evening weddings ending with a ball. For morning weddings obligatory was a black frock coat being the most popular, uniformed male dress of that age. For both of those dresses different kinds of headgear were assigned: for a frock coat – a top hat, for a tailcoat - an opera hat or collapsible top hat which could be kept under arm while dancing. |
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| Headgear of the bride was playing much more significant role. Its most important component was a wreath worn since millennia, which in previous ages was usually the only element distinguishing bride and similarly to color white symbolizing virginity. During the 19th century in Poland most frequently for a wedding myrtle wreaths were worn possibly with addition of fashionable in the West orange tree flowers, usually made of wax and silk. However, during the Empire period – in reference to wedding customs of ancient Greeks and Romans – brides started to cover their heads with lace veils in the form of long shawl which could gain popularity thanks to use of machines in lace manufacturing started at around 1810. In the Romantic period ethereal veils of tulle and gauze were fashionable, which were also worn as an addition on other occasions. Only in the second half of the 19th century, the veil had become one accessory reserved for wedding dress - it was already larger and often clamped in such a way that it shrouded face of the bride. |
| During this time a wedding dress began to be more distinguishable from ball dresses. Already in the 1840s and 1850s low necklines and exposed shoulders started to disappear, long sleeves became popular, and in the 1870s and 1890s appeared stand-up collar protecting neck. Low neckline sleeveless styles from that time on were reserved only for the ball and evening dresses. In the second half of the 1860s alongside bustle a train appeared in fashion. The ones accompanying wedding dresses could be particularly spectacular, oftentimes reaching few meters in length and they were popular even at times when they were not in fashion for other kinds of occasions. However, they were never obligatory and poorer brides were satisfied with shorter trains or were giving them up altogether. According to custom bride could wear train for the first time in her life. |
| Wedding dress was oftentimes for woman a very first silk dress in her life as silk just as train was considered inappropriate for young misses. This custom become particularly popular during second half of the 19th century and at that time most popular were dresses made of satin which were being produced in various kinds and qualities. In this time ethereal romantic dresses made of thin cotton muslin, tulle or gauze went out of fashion. |
| Only in the second half of the 19th century a bouquet hold in hands and borrowed from ballet fashion became an important accessory of women’s wedding attire. Until 1880s it was small, flattened and surrounded by lace, with a long stalk tied with ribbon. With time bouquets started to increase, gaining more free form. Most popular for such occasion were roses dedicated to the goddess of love Venus though myrtle and flowers of orange were also added to bouquets. |
| Bouquet, which was not associated with symbolic meanings based on a long tradition, was the one element of a wedding dress that could be also used by widows marrying again, because they could not allow themselves to wear white dress, a wreath and a veil. |
| Although since the 19th century women’s fashion underwent a huge evolution and long skirts, trains and corsets went out of daily use long time ago, wedding dresses by their form most often reference to that period. However, today they are deprived of their old symbolic meaning. |
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