Vintage Inspired Wedding Dresses by Decade

Today we have a guest post by Renne Simms. She wrote an overview of wedding dresses by era so you can pick a vintage look that is the most flattering on you. For my wedding two years ago I wore an 1890’s gown which is a flattering style on me, but the rest of the wedding was a mish mash of vintage styles (we asked our guests to dress in any era they liked). It was fun to mix it up, although it probably would have been a blast to focus on just one decade and really set the theme. What era is your dream wedding set in? 

Vintage Inspired Wedding Dresses

1950s wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses at Unique Vintage

With the excitement of wedding season surrounding us, this year more and more brides are choosing a vintage-inspired theme for their Big Day.  Of course, there are many different details you can incorporate to make your wedding look like a flash from the past, but the most important detail is the dress!  As the bride, you will be the focal point of the ceremony as you promenade down the aisle, so select a gown that communicates the theme and makes you feel stunning. Each era brings different silhouettes, airs and textiles, so you’re bound to find the vintage design that ideally flatters your features.

1920s Wedding Dresses

A 1920s colorizedwWedding portrait. Love, love, love her headdress.

This is perhaps today’s most popular trend, due in part to this year’s big blockbuster adaptation of The Great Gatsby.  Not since the actual roaring 20’s decade has so many flapperesque gown options been available.  This era was all about pearls, beads, feathers, fringe–the whole razzle-dazzle.  Instead of veils, brides preferred to wear headbands, headdresses, jewels or turban hats. While ivory wasn’t unheard of, off-whites and beiges were considered trendy.  A 1920’s inspired dress is perfect for any outgoing bride looking to evoke the feline glamor of the time period.

1930’s gowns continued the low back trend but changed the silhouette into something naturally curve enhancing. The modern mermaid dress borrows its shape from 1930’s gowns. Learn more about 1920s wedding dresses. 

Shop 1920s wedding dress and shoes.

1930s Weddings

1930s Wedding Dress history – read it here.

1940s Wedding Dresses

1940’s white silk wedding gown

For those who were wealthier, bridal dresses featured full skirts and traditional lace. However, as a result of textile regulating due to the ongoing war, most women had to make stark sacrifices when it came to dressing.  Dress hemlines were raised to save fabric, clothing dyes were rationed for military uniforms, and silhouettes became slimmer (curves were desirable though, so it wasn’t uncommon to have padded hips). Gone were the gems of the roaring 1920s, and a simple veil or hat was often the only accessory. However, these limitations and sudden changes fueled perhaps the most fetching designs of the 20^th century.  This is perfect for the casual bride who dreams of an outdoor event, as the shorter dress will allow comfortable movement and the freedom of not having to worry about getting the hemline dirty.

Learn more about 1940s weddings.

1950s Wedding Dresses

1950’s Lace Wedding Ballgown

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This decade brought a unique hemline that sat just above the ankles, designed with the purpose of showing off the shoe. It was also the era of the ballgown. Layers upon layers or lace and tulle made for wide ballooning skirts.  Fingerless gloves made from translucent materials also made quite an impression on brides of the time. The sweetheart neckline as introduced and welcomed during the 1950’s, though it was conservatively worn in ways which are less revealing than many of the dresses today. Grace Kelly was a defining fashion icon of the time, and many women were compelled to echo her defined waist and love of lace.

Shop 1950s wedding dresses.

Learn more about 1950s wedding dresses. 

1960s Wedding Dresses

60s olive green column dresses

The 1960s was a transitional decade for America, and wedding fashion was no different. While many brides continued to embrace the styles of the previous decade, we saw the introduction of the “pill-box” hat that would elevate the cascading veil, as well as hints of metallic design. Fits began to become looser and cinched waists decreased. The “flower power” style we’ve come to associate with the age began making an appearance in the latter half of this decade, bringing with it high skirts, floral print and an “anything goes” mentality.  BHLDN features wedding dresses that evoke this carefree attitude, a perfect element to bring to any alternative, modern wedding.

Learn about 60s weddings as well as mother of the bride groom dresses.

1978 wedding dress and bridesmaid

The 1970s continued the flower power and lace straightline dresses into the 1970’s. Long sleeves also returned in fashion covered by gathered chiffon sleeves that were reminiscent of the 1930s.

Shop 60s -70s wedding dresses.

1980s  Wedding Dresses

1986 wedding party

Restraint was a word you would not hear much of during the 1980s. Long, billowing trains and veils made a roaring comeback, as did puffy sleeves. The designs were heavily inspired by the Victorian era.

Many women were inspired by the wedding of Princess Diana and modeled their own look after hers with ruffles, frills and yard after yard of swelling fabric. With its big hair and big personality, it will take quite a confident fashionista to pull off this look.

1986 wedding dress