All You Need to Know About Vintage Style Wedding Dresses

With the 1960s and 1970s styles coming back into fashion, there is no exception for wedding gowns. Here is a look at the century's changing wedding dress trends and the factors that inspired them.

In both the silhouettes, the pattern below the waistline was a full skirt. The only difference being that the ball gown skirt was a little more flared and flowing than the princess skirt. The train was usually carried by one or two bridesmaids as the bride walked down the aisle.

1910 onwards, the silhouette got sleeker (not body-fitting yet) and the waistline rose higher. These silhouettes are known as Empire.

These dresses were loose, some were knee-length. In1930s, they got slender with collars, loose-fitted & focusing more on the length. Instead of tiaras and veils, women wore beautiful hats.

The 1940s fashion trend experienced some major changes. Every aspect of life was affected during the war, so were the wedding attires. Since soldiers had to go to war, the whole marriage affair was fast and simple. The bridal gowns were sober, without any display of grandeur.

With the end of war, the weddings during the 1950s were celebrated with more enthusiasm. The dresses became fancier, but were still modest. Most of the dresses had long sleeves and a high neckline, while the strapless ones had short jackets―called bolero jackets―to complement the look.

During the 1960s, women became a little open-minded, which consequently reflected in their preferences for dresses. It gave rise to shorter wedding gowns which were above knee-length, some dresses allowed the brides to reveal their shoulders. However, pillbox hats and gloves were in fashion and couldn't be left out, no matter what the style of the dress was.

During the 1970s, the designs and patterns went through a roller-coaster ride with flowing patterns, Victorian style necklines, and Camelot sleeves.

During the mid 1970s a raised waist with balloon sleeves and a ruffled Victorian neckline were in fashion. The disco craze during the 70s also influenced the wedding gowns to some extent. Bat-wing sleeves along with long trains were also a famous trend.

During the 1980s Princess Diana's marriage to Prince Charles once again brought forth the elegance factor that had somewhat vanished from the dress patterns during the past few decades. Square and V-necked dresses surfaced during this time, and the dresses were embroidered with sequins and beads.

The fashion of the 80s was carried forward to the 90s with some slight changes. The waistline moved higher, somewhere at or above the hips. Puffy sleeves and bows that were common in those times eventually disappeared.

Nowadays, people plan their weddings according to various themes, and the wedding gowns are custom-designed as per the theme. The latest wedding fashion poses a mix of many of the vintage designs, thus generating newer and modern versions. Vintage trends will always be an inspiration for the modern world.