Changing Wedding Dress Styles








The dress worn by Diana at her wedding to Prince Charles on July 29th 1981 is perhaps one of the most iconic bridal gowns of the last century. 

In fact, it was 34 years ago last week that a nervous Diana, near swaddled in ivory taffeta and lace, revealed her wedding dress to the world. And we’re still talking about it today. Proving that when a gown captures the public imagination, it can often end up outlasting the marriage it was made for. 

Having the right dress has always been important, but keeping an eye on current and upcoming trends isn’t just for the royals and celebrities. Fashion dictates from the top down, and you can bet that if the fashionistas are wearing it then eventually we'll be wearing it, too.

And it’s easy to forget how quickly and how completely dress design can change decade to decade.  So, if you fancy taking a trip down memory-aisle, then there’s a great infographic on the evolution of dress design from the people at buyagift.com. They’ve put together the key pieces of the last sixty-plus years to show us what our predecessors went to the alter in.




Whether it was the long lace design of the 1950s, the slim and short dresses of the 1960s or the puffy taffeta bombs of the 1980s, wedding dress design has always tapped into trends and fashions.

Compare, for example, the exquisite design of Grace Kelly’s 1956 dress with its lace detail and flattering shape, to Kate Middleton’s similar 2011 dress.




Ouch.

New styles are appearing, too, and if we’re to take anything from this infographic it’s that eventually the demand for the Kate Middleton inspired lace design will level off to be replaced by something else.

In 2014, we loved Solange Knowles’ stunning white cape dress. We’ve seen similar designs on Hollywood’s red carpet in recent years, but she absolutely owned it at her wedding. We’re pretty excited about 2016, too, and all the designs yet to be tried on the aisle. 

Whatever’s coming, however, let’s just pray that the designers don’t draw too much inspiration from the 1980s.

Please, no shoulder pads.




Images belong to



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