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Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories
The Sleepy History of the White Wedding Dress
01:06:10
Narrated by Vanessa. Explore the decadent history of the white wedding dress, from the nuptials of Victoria and Albert to Coco Chanel’s iconic fashion.
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- [00:01]
Thomas
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- [00:28]
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- [01:00]
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- [01:18]
Thomas
Switching to H and R Block is easy. Just drag and drop your last return. It's better with block. Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy. My name's Thomas and as always, I'm your host. Tonight's Sleepy history was written by Alicia Stefan and will be read by Vanessa. There's a certain magic about the finery of a wedding day. Some would say that wedding culture has become a phenomenon all of its own, a topic even for television and film. Amid all the details of an event, the greatest moment of suspense is typically when the wedding dress appears. For many brides, the choice of a dress is the most cherished of the entire experience. Tonight, we'll take a romantic journey back through time to find out where the modern ideal of the white wedding dress got its roots, as well as how it evolved over the years. In the process, we'll see how the forces of history affected this iconic wedding tradition, sometimes in surprising ways. If you're enjoying the show, we'd love to have your support on our members feed Get Sleepy Premium. Not only will you be supporting the show and making it possible for us to keep bringing you all the dreamy content you need to rest well, but you'll also receive even more content to enjoy. With full access to over 850 full length stories and meditations as well as our weekly bonus episodes which come out every Thursday night. And better still, everything is completely ad free. So join us tomorrow for our Premium exclusive where I'll be reading our story about a lady who uses the lunar phases of the moon to align with her journaling routine. To learn more about Get Sleepy Premium, just go to getsleepy.com support or follow the link in the show notes. You get the first seven days free of charge, so there's no immediate commitment. Thank you so much for your support, my friends. So now let's prepare for our story. This is your time for relaxation and rest. While you lie in bed and prepare to sleep, just remind yourself that you've done all you can for today and you deserve to unwind and rest just as much as anyone else. So begin with a nice deep breath in, feeling the rise of your chest and stomach. Then very softly release the breath, feeling your muscles relax and your worries and cares beginning to fade away. With each deep breath, you can imagine any disruptive thoughts or any tension you're holding rising to the surface in line with the motion of your chest and stomach. And then when that breath is released and the body drops back down, those undesired thoughts or areas of tension fall through the mattress all the way down to the ground and into the earth where they are absorbed and removed from your body and bit by bit, breathe in and breathe out. Let anything you'd like to let go of absorb into the earth's core. The Earth that gives us all life cares so deeply for each and every one of us, and it can assist you tonight in relieving you of stress, tension or any sense of responsibility. So now close your eyes if you haven't yet done done so, and allow yourself to drift off whenever the pull of sleep comes your way. Meanwhile, I'll hand over to Vanessa as we explore the history of the white wedding dress. This is where our story begins.
- [08:00]
Vanessa
On February 10, 1840, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married, becoming one of the most famous royal couples in modern history. Although the young queen was rumored to have wished for a simple wedding, her advisors convinced her to make it a large and public celebration, showing early signs of the celebrated monarch she would prove to be. Victoria put great thought into the details of the event. It was not a widespread practice back then to splurge on a gown just for a wedding, but royals had a reputation to maintain. Victoria would, of course, order a special dress for the nuptials in order to show support for A struggling industry in England. She decided that her dress should prominently feature the work of English lacemakers, and in order for the lace to be easily visible, she needed to choose a light color for the gown. The fabric she selected was an ivory shade of white. Her 12 bridesmaids were also attired in white, but they were the only ones to mimic her fashion on the day. In fact, Victoria decreed that no other guest would wear white to the wedding. And in order to keep her gown completely unique, she had the dress pattern destroyed, giving herself a touch of everyday rural appeal. She also had her train embroidered with myrtle orange blossoms, and she wore a matching wreath of the blooms on her head. Even though there are no photos of Victoria from that day, an illustration was made, and it was widely distributed throughout the country. Women of all classes delighted in her bridal style and began to take their cue from her, wearing white dresses of their own. As the Victorian era continued, ideals about purity and romantic love caused the public to quickly project unintended new meaning onto Victoria's white gown. In fact, by 1949, the popular magazine called Godey's Lady's Book is quoted as saying that for brides, custom has decided from the earliest ages that white is the most fitting hue. Whatever may be the material, it is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one. In just nine years, popular culture managed to rewrite bridal fashion history to fit values that mattered to later Victorians. White had rarely been used to make even expensive clothing like bridal wear Prior to Victoria's wedding, that was simply for practical reasons. It was an era where almost everyone, from royals to peasants, had to reuse their clothing many times, and a white item was sure to get dirty faster than a darker one. People who wore white tended to be signaling their prosperity. Having a gown made in that color said to the world, I may not bother to wear this very many times. There were a few other famous brides who wore white prior to Victoria. The earliest record of a white wedding dress in Western culture is that of the English princess Philippa, daughter of King Henry IV. She was wed to Scandinavian King Erik in 1406 in a white tunic trimmed with ermine and squirrel fur. In 1558, Mary Queen of Scots chose white for her wedding to the French Prince Francis. This was a show of independence on her part, because white was a morning color for French queens at that time. But these earlier examples of white wedding gowns are anomalies. Up until the wedding of Victoria and Albert. Even royal brides tended to wear their wedding dresses more than once, choosing more durable colors. Prior to this time, there were certainly cultures from other parts of the world that observed traditions for certain accessories or colors of wedding clothing. For example, brides in China were wearing black robes with red trim as early as 3,000 years ago, during the Zhou Dynasty. Red had long been a bridal color in the east, where it represents life, luck and celebration. During the Tang dynasty in the 7th century CE, it became fashionable for brides to wear green as well, perhaps symbolizing springtime. Ancient Athenian brides tended to wear robes that were a light red color or sometimes violet. Meanwhile, women marrying in ancient Rome traditionally had deep yellow veils that they wore to celebratory wedding feasts, symbolizing the flame that they were bringing to their new homes and families. In Japan, brides purposely change their kimonos throughout the day, moving through a number of colors. So it's important to note that wedding garb took many forms. Prior to the popularity of today's iconic white dress, brides throughout history honored tradition in a great variety of ways. Today, although wedding couples continue to mark the occasion with their own flair, the white wedding dress shows amazing staying power. Queen Victoria's choice of a white dress reverberated throughout Western culture. And although it is still recognized as a Western style, there are brides all over the world who have chosen to adopt the tradition, sometimes wearing a white dress for only part of their wedding. Then they may change to a second dress, one perhaps more attached to their own traditions for another part of their celebrations. But there wasn't a straight line from Victoria's iconic gown to the white ball gowns of today. In between, the forces of history and the whims of fashion took the modern wedding dress on a wild ride Victoria never could have predicted. It's fascinating to see how world events shape the fashion of the wedding dress into what it is now. By the time the 20th century had begun, bridal gowns were taking on a new shape. Modesty was still valued, so necklines were high and sleeves were long. However, the ironclad corsets and massive skirts of the Victorian period were giving way to the more fluid lines and demure ruffles of the Edwardian era. The ideal of the so called Gibson Girl prevailed. Women tended to wear an S shaped corset that pushed the chest forward and a bustle out in the back. Skirts were long, flowing and feminine, and gloves and headpieces or hats were always part of the ensemble. Many of these dresses layered chiffon over cotton, satin or silk. At the turn of the century, most dresses were still handmade. However, industrialization offered middle and working class brides more options. By the end of the first decade of the 1900s, a new product called a lingerie dress became widely available in places like department stores. In modern parlance, it sounds much more shocking than it actually was. In fact, it was simply a modest ruffled dress that covered the bride from the neck down and could be easily accessorized with a brooch or a sash. As the Edwardian era neared its end, hemlines lifted a little bit and styles became less blousy and more plain. Chiffon fell out of fashion, replaced by thin layers of satin. And volume was replaced with delicate ornamentation in the form of lace or beading. The onset of World War I ensured that dresses became even less fussy. A common look for that period might be an outfit that could be repurposed for everyday wear. Afterwards. It would have been common for the gown to have an empire waist and maybe a few layers of varying lengths in the skirt. The dress might have been accessorized with lace. First and foremost. However, the wedding attire would be whatever the bride was able to dress up or repurpose and in any color available. The austerity of the war years made weddings more practical than idealistic, and bridal fashion followed suit. This was also a period when dancing became popular at weddings. Nowadays, it's hard to imagine a time when that wasn't the case. But dances such as the Turkey Trot only became a regular part of wedding celebrations during the first two decades of the 20th century. This development encouraged the trend of looser, more forgiving dresses that wouldn't trip the bride when she kicked up her heels. With the end of the war, the 1920s ushered in a new era of glamour and jubilation. Wedding dresses followed the general fashion trend of the moment, which was the look of the flapper waists on these gowns moved from high to low, with drop waist designs becoming all the rage. Ruffles gave way to sleek lines and simple silhouettes. And to balance these much more fluid, streamlined dresses, brides began adding dramatic cathedral length veils to their ensembles, often attached to elaborate headpieces. At the same time, hemlines climbed. Coco Chanel, in her typically revolutionary way, debuted a wedding dress that that was short with a long tulle train. Hemlines of all lengths became much more interesting than they previously had been. Although these flapper style dresses might have been simple, overall, they were trimmed out according to season and the bride's preferences. One might find skirts edged with lace or fur. Some even had feathers adorning the bottom. The handkerchief hem also became popular, in which squares of fabric added uneven points to the hem. Veils at this time often flowed from close fitting headpieces called a Juliet cap, with hair worn either short or twisted into a sleek Chignon. The 1930s ushered in a fascinating era in bridal fashion. The popularity of films meant that brides could begin to emulate their favorite movie stars, and the availability of ready to wear clothing made that possible even on a small budget. As a result, wedding dresses took their cue from the silver screen, much like the rest of the fashion world did. The appearance of the first dedicated bridal magazine in 1936 heightened the pop culture mania for following the cues of the rich and famous. Dresses that had been worn by actresses like Joan Crawford and Carole Lombard both on and off screen, set the trend. In general, it was popular to have a full length sun satin dress with a bias cut accessorized with a floating veil. Necklines were usually high and there were often sleeves, and many of the sleeves were ruffled and full. White was still a popular color. Although Wallis Simpson was a hit in her dignified pale blue silk crepe dress when she wed Edward the Duke of Windsor in 1937. In fact, the shade came to be called Wallace Blue. As the Depression era gripped the United States, thrift once again became front and center. It was much more common for women to wear the nicest dress they already owned or to choose something that could be repurposed after the wedding, such as a silk or chiffon tea dress. Brides who were marrying for a second time might even wear a suit, which was something Carole Lombard did at her second wedding in 1939 to actor Clark Gable. With the onset of the Second World War, frugality became an even greater virtue. Not only did brides have to make do with whatever they had on hand in many cases, but they often had little time to prepare for their ceremony. With nearly two thirds of marrying men in military service, weddings took on an urgency and spontaneity unique to the time. In 1942, Vogue magazine is quoted as saying, The 1942 schedule may run something like engagement announcement on Monday, invitations sent out by telegraph on Wednesday, the last handful of rice and rose petals flung on Saturday. Ava Gardner was a perfect example of of the practices of the era. When she chose her outfit to marry Mickey Rooney in 1942, she wore an elegant grey suit, a short black veil and a white ribbon corsage pinned to her lapel. Other women chose white suit suits that complemented the military dress uniforms worn by so many grooms. Looking back when then Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, it was as if bridal fashion paused with one foot still in the war years and another stepping boldly into the future. At the time, fabric was still rationed, although royals were certainly expected to live up to a greater standard of fashion in weddingwear, Elizabeth was extremely conscientious about doing what was right. As such, she saved up coupons to pay for the dress that was designed for her by Norman Hartnell. Due to the obvious expectations placed upon her, she was given a little boost from the government, which contributed an additional 200 coupons. The cause? Still hearing of her efforts, the enthusiastic people of England tried to send her their own precious ration cards to help her with her fabric. This was technically not legal and Elizabeth politely returned these gifts along with a thank you note. Still, it's a heartwarming story about how her dress came to be as a community effort. The ration cards were put to work on her lovely gown, which was made from ivory duchess silk satin with a 13 foot train that hung from the shoulders. Although elegantly simple compared to more old fashioned royal wedding fashions, it was intricately embellished with white seed pearls, silvery thread and appliques. In its design, Hartnell reportedly took inspiration inspiration from the famous Primavera painting by Botticelli. The flowing lines and floral detailing of the dress were said to represent rebirth and growth. The lovely gown took 350 seamstresses two months to make. After the wedding, it was put on display at St James's palace and also went on tour. That same year, a new French designer named Christian Dior pioneered a fresh and optimistic style in women's fashion that would also take the wedding world by storm. It was called the New look and it kicked off a trend now closely associated with the 1950s. The hallmark of the new look was to make a sharp departure from the austerity of the war, breaking away from the utility and androgynous structure of the uniforms the world had been wearing for so long. The new look reveled in ultra femininity. Waists were much tighter. Skirts were fuller, using an extravagant amount of precious fabric. Even the shoulders of his dresses were softer and rounder than what had come before. When it comes to the wedding gowns of the 1950s, actress Elizabeth Taylor made an indelible mark with both her private life and her on screen costumes. At age 18, she set a trend with two separate dresses that were crafted by designer Helen Rose. First, she appeared as Kay Banks in the famous wedding movie Father of the Bride. In the story, she walked down the aisle wearing a feminine full skirted satin dress with a nipped waist, long sleeves and a lace neck that extended just down to the shoulders. The effect created was that of a high necked dress, but it also previewed the off the shoulder look that would soon take over 1950s style. The film was about to be released when Taylor starred in her own first wedding off screen. Cleverly hyping the release of her film. MGM paid the same designer to create her real life wedding dress with strong similarities to the one her character wore. However, the gown she modeled for her marriage as a movie star was just a little more glamorous than the one given to the character of Kay Banks. This delicate pearl encrusted version reportedly took 15 people three months to make. As her seven future weddings would show, she would always be a trendsetter with her bridal choices, but never again in such a very traditional manner. Jacqueline Bouvier was wearing a true off the shoulder neckline just a few years later for her 1953 marriage to future president John F. Kennedy. Reportedly, Jackie had wanted a French designer to create her dress, but Kennedy's family insisted that she look closer to home and their wishes held sway. Her dress was ultimately designed by celebrated American couturier Ann Low, and it still featured the painstakingly tailored bodice and full skirt of the 1950s look. In a dramatic twist, a flood at the designer studio destroyed the original dress just 10 days prior to the wedding. Lo assembled an emergency team and had a new dress made in time for the nuptials, ensuring its place in history as one of the great wedding gowns. Audrey Hepburn was also a big fan of French fashion and she was able to indulge that passion when she chose her dress for her wedding to Malfer in 1954. She glided down the aisle in a full skirted tea length dress by designer Pierre Balmain. Showing her hallmark knack for fashion. She brought glamour and whimsy to the ensemble with full length gloves and a flower crown. Tea length gowns would continue to grow in popularity and as always, Audrey Hepburn was on the cutting edge. It was Elizabeth Taylor's designer Helen Rose who created one of the most famous wedding dresses of all time in 1956. The gown was for movie star Grace Kelly who was marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco. She was marrying a royal, so her dress had to be both stunning and traditional. Rose did not disappoint, producing a masterpiece of Belgian lace, tulle, silk and taffeta. The bell skirt was so heavy it required three embroidered petticoats to support it. With the dawn of the 1960s, times were changing and wedding fashion did too. At first, the traditional wedding dress held sway, but the trends crept in piece by piece. Hemlines moved up and up as the miniskirt made its debut. Veils got shorter and brides experimented with bouffant hairstyles and pillbox hats. In short, there were signs of rebellion in the early 1960s that hinted at the huge transformations to come as the decade continued. The Maude style from London was a visible influence. Swingy a line dresses with empire waists appeared using light fabrics like chiffon. Skirts got narrower as well as column dresses gained popularity toward the latter half of the decade. Priscilla Beaulieu was a perfect example of this evolution. For her 1967 wedding to Elvis Presley, she still wore a long white dress, but it was a ready made design that she purchased rather hastily at a department store. Its pearl encrusted organza fabric and loose flowing lines were in contrast to the tailored heavy dresses of the 1950s. And her voluminous tulle veil was right on trend with a bouffant look. While white was still popular, brides of the 60s also began embracing colors once again. Elizabeth Taylor exemplified that trend by wearing a knee length empire waisted yellow chiffon frock to her wedding with Richard Burton in 1964. Instead of a veil, she wore a headpiece of orange blossoms. With the advent of the 70s, bridal fashion simultaneously moved in two different directions. On one hand, there was a trend toward very bohemian styles. The swinging mod styles of the 60s morphed into high collared long dresses with bell sleeves and peasant style detailing. This trend toward a natural look extended to headwear. Veils disappeared for many ensembles replaced instead with flowers. Hilary Rodham exemplified the bohemian influence with a $53 dress she bought off the rack for her 1975 wedding to Bill Clinton. The gown had an empire waist, a peasant style skirt and a sweetheart neckline tied with two long laces. Although many sleeves of the era were tightly fitted just at the wrist, others like hers were gathered higher up on the arm or had bell sleeves. It was an altogether natural fairy tale style. But even as romantic dresses held sway, there were also no nonsense brides who opted for suits. And not just the ones that had skirts. Pantsuits appeared on the scene. For the most progressive brides then, there were also glamorous innovations like Aretha Franklin's lavish fur trimmed robe which she wore over her dress, the 1970s were about breaking free and expressing oneself, whatever that meant to the individual. On July 29, 1981, 750 million people around the world turned on their televisions to get a glimpse of what would perhaps become the most famous wedding dress of all time. Lady Diana Spencer walked down the aisle with Prince Charles of England, enveloped in the gown that would sit set the more is more trend that ultimately dominated 1980s wedding fashion. Made of ivory silk taffeta, the gown was decorated with lace hand embroidery and sequins and sewn with 10,000 pearls. Further, by Diana's request, it had the longest train in royal wedding history at 25ft. The big reveal of the dress was part of the glamour. The design was such a secret that an alternate gown was designed just in case the details leaked to the public before the big day. Luckily, that didn't happen and bridal fashion history was made. The over the top bastard aesthetic set by Diana's gown dominated the 1980s. Elaborate headpieces, lace bows and full skirts ruled the day. Sleeves were often a huge puffed affair. And although Diana's dress made lower necklines popular, many high collared designs were still popular. They sometimes used a sheer neckline filler reminiscent of what Elizabeth Taylor Wore in her 1950s wedding to Conrad Hilton. After the many square necklines of the 1970s, brides were seen choosing sweetheart and rounded necklines as well. In 1989, a fictional movie bride hinted at the coming decade with her own dress. The character of Shelby in Steel Magnolias walked down the aisle in a design that featured a very large skirt and a big bow at the back. Much like other 80s brides. But instead of a high neck and long sleeves, Shelby chose an off the shoulder sleeveless style. With this detail, she previewed changes that were coming in bridal fashion during the next 10 years. Just two years later, in 1991, the movie Bridge Father of the Bride was remade. In this version, Kimberly Williams played Annie Banks and her dress gave a final nod to many of those Trends of the 1980s. The skirt was very full with an enormous bow at the back. Her dress was high necked with a profusion of lace. But there were hints of the decade to come as well. The sleeves were closely fitted instead of puffy, and the overall lines of the dress had a simple elegance not frequently seen during the prior decade. Just like Shelby from Steel Magnolias, she echoed the Trends of the 80s, but also leaned toward the new era and Then minimalism came back in style. Like Annie Banks, real life brides didn't abandon sleeves altogether, but the enormous puffed sleeves of the 80s gave way to more fluid bohemian ones. Alternatively, the sleeveless off the shoulder and halter necklines also became popular. Supermodel Iman wore a stylish halter dress in her 1992 wedding to rock star David Bowie. Some brides still opted for romantic ball gown dresses with a full skirt, but others slimmed all the way down to a slip dress with little detailing. Mara Urschel, a co owner of a famous bridal salon, mentioned the moment she saw a gown by the designer Lazaro featuring a simple silhouette like a tango dress. Little did she know, she added, that this silhouette would eventually become one of the most popular choices for future brides. In the 1990s, weddings became their own pop culture culture phenomenon. Designer Vera Wang opened her salon at the start of the decade, and by the year 2000, she was a new celebrity in her own right. Her aesthetic focused on dresses with spaghetti straps or strapless necklines. At the same time, it also became chic for bridal gowns to signal the culmination of a fashion show for major designers the world over. Weddings had become not just a moment for personal expression, but also a focus for haute couture. As the new millennium dawned, wedding gowns began to diversify as brides focused more on their personal style than on any prevailing rules about wedding fashion. It's true that more and more brides were opting for flowing a line dresses that were strapless with a straight neck. But there were also ball gowns, slip dresses and mermaid style shapes everywhere. In 2007, a new television show called say yes to the Dress premiered. It featured the shopping adventures of future brides and swiftly became a sensation. Watching the personal choices of women who were searching for their dream gown kept audiences riveted. More than anything, the choice of a dress now represented the person, not the trends. Today, wedding wear has diversified even more to allow for all types of couples and incorporate just about any tradition one can imagine. Whether it's a romantic gown, a suit, a costume referring to pop culture, or an outfit with deep family significance. One thing is true. What you wear to your wedding is meant to tell the world what is important to you on the big day and beyond. There are few rules now which has allowed for unlimited self expression on the big day. Looking back, it's ironic that Queen Victoria imagined she could keep her dress from being copied. In the end, you might say she wore one of the most imitated dresses in modern history. The fashions of the past are still with us. But no matter the cut or the fabric or the expense, the weddings of today now pay homage to the idea that this day of vows is all about the wedding couple, and that their clothing is very much a part of the moment.