A 19th Century Wedding Dress From A Bygone Era!

19th Century Wedding Dress During the 19th century, the prevailing culture was far more rigid and rules dictated almost every aspect of life, from the way one dressed to how they acted. There were rules for almost everything. Wedding dresses were no different. If you are looking for a 19th century wedding dress recreation for your wedding here are some things you should know about the styles of dresses from that bygone era.

In the 19th century brides had to be sensible. A 19th century wedding gown was not simply a dress she could afford to wear on the day of her wedding then put away never to be worn again or to be passed down to her daughter. The dress needed to be designed in such a way that it could be worn on many other occasions other than her wedding. It was very practical to get more than one use out of your dress. Many dresses being all hand made took infinitely longer to create than the mass production we see now a days. Many ladies had a hand full of dresses to wear back then. Just think about how full your closest is and how often you empty it and refill it with new clothing on a regular basis. Not so during this era of time.

To that end, most brides did not even purchase a new dress for their wedding but rather chose to wear the best dress they owned perhaps adding a bit of lace at the collar to make the dress feel a bit more special for the occasion.

White dresses could certainly be worn if the bride could afford it. These 19th century wedding dresses were marked by high necks, long sleeves and center back lacing so they would later prove appropriate as an afternoon dress when visiting neighbors or shopping.

There were other features of the 19th century wedding dresses that depended on what part of the century they were worn.

Bustles:

Bustles were in vogue in the mid to late part of the 1800s. They were a framework that held up the back of the skirt of a woman's dress to keep it from dragging. The heavy material used in women's dresses made them drag without this much needed support. But to me as cumbersome as these gowns were to wear with all that weight, that is what makes them so romantic. Scarlett O'Hara in a beautifully heavy velvet gown is reminiscent of this era. I love the civil war period for fashions, to me this period of time as always held my fascination. But than I have read gone with the wind about 4 times, no small accomplishment seeing as it's about 3 inches thick. The parts I liked the most were the vivid descriptions of what Scarlet was wearing.

S Shaped Corset

The S shaped corset took the place of the bustle and allowed the skirts of the wedding dress to be smooth and straight in front while enhancing the curve of the derriere. This allowed for somewhat lighter weight materials to be used in gowns during the later part of the 19th century.

Empire Waists

The latter part of the 19th century also saw more empire waist style gowns come into vogue enhancing a woman's bust while slimming the lower part of her body.

It is wise to keep in mind that during most of the 19th century a woman was expected to wear a large number of undergarments that were layered beneath her gown.

Mutton Sleeves

Mutton sleeves were sleeves that rounded from the shoulder to just below the elbow and then shaped the rest of the arm.

Today, brides wishing to create one of the many styles of 19th century wedding dresses may easily do so. There are a number of stores that sell such gowns designed for today's modern woman with the look of old fashioned wedding styles.

These dresses give the sense of old world charm and tradition without the discomfort your great grandmother experienced when dressing for that special occasion. They look great and many of the new gowns made on the old 19th century patterns will add romantic charm to even the simplest wedding.

While these gowns may not be for everyone, for the bride who chooses one they can add charm and beauty to that special day. I loved reading as a child and books from era's gone by were always my favorite. Especially romantic tales from long ago, I could always vividly imagine what a character was wearing. I loved tales that were explicitly detailed on the clothing, especially if they were talking about wedding apparel.