A 1940’s depression-era Bride may have worn her Sunday best suit with a military air to be married at the Courthouse, or perhaps made herself a simple off-white, ivory or beige dress she designed from furnishing fabrics with Gibson or mutton sleeves that billowed at the top and tapered to fit below the elbow. She may have made her Veil, too, from lace curtains worn on top of swept-up hair, and carried a flower bouquet made from paper due to war-time rationing.
A wealthier '40’s Bride may have danced the Jitterbug at her wedding to the sounds of a Big Band in a borrowed Wedding Gown that featured netting or the hint of the first “sweetheart” shaped neckline and corseted waist made of rayon, or sometimes silk. But as the era turned the corner to the 1950’s, the influence of Christian Dior’s “New Look” hour-glass dress with it’s flowing skirts made of yards of cloth set the stage for Bridal Wear.
The '50’s Brides are seen encircled in lace or cutwork, overskirts and puffed sleeves, and yards of transparent gauze or satin inspired by the billowing, luxe skirt, tight-waist and barely visible “sweetheart neckline” of the gown that Grace Kelly wore in 1956 to wed Prince Rainier of Monaco, or by Elizabeth Taylor’s hour-glass Wedding Gown.
The lifting of rationing on fabric allowed women to celebrate their figures with hoop skirts, crinolines and other full-skirt techniques to emphasize the waist and “pointed bosom” bodice. French lace was the rage as post-war lace began to be manufactured again, bringing back tiers of Chantilly Lace and flouncy frills to the skirts of Wedding Gowns.
Audrey Hepburn equally influenced Bridal Wear in 1954 with her “Modern Princess” look in a ballerina Tea-Length Lace Wedding Dress with sleeves and few embellishments. Gloves became the standard fashion of the '50s, with fingerless bridal gloves made of tulle, lace, or satin. Shorter, flutter hemlines led to shorter veils and many gowns were designed with layered materials, three-quarter or long sleeves, upstanding gothic style collars, or to be worn as strapless evening gowns after the wedding.
Coordinating flowing or opaque Stoles or Lace Boleros worn on top of a strapless dress for coverage at the wedding became popular at the end of the decade as dress lengths moved from floor-length to ankle-length, and dropped hemlines and scooped necklines appeared.
The 1950's was a decade defined by decorum, elegance, and etiquette. Traditional, classic wedding receptions featured Wedgewood china, white roses, cut glass, and silver on damask cloths. Wedding cakes, often displayed under a floral arch, were styled with popular motifs from the era, like poodles.
View White Stole’s entire collection for size and color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes, Shawls and Veiled Bridal Hair Accessories for purchase, or rental, on our website.
A wealthier '40’s Bride may have danced the Jitterbug at her wedding to the sounds of a Big Band in a borrowed Wedding Gown that featured netting or the hint of the first “sweetheart” shaped neckline and corseted waist made of rayon, or sometimes silk. But as the era turned the corner to the 1950’s, the influence of Christian Dior’s “New Look” hour-glass dress with it’s flowing skirts made of yards of cloth set the stage for Bridal Wear.
The '50’s Brides are seen encircled in lace or cutwork, overskirts and puffed sleeves, and yards of transparent gauze or satin inspired by the billowing, luxe skirt, tight-waist and barely visible “sweetheart neckline” of the gown that Grace Kelly wore in 1956 to wed Prince Rainier of Monaco, or by Elizabeth Taylor’s hour-glass Wedding Gown.
The lifting of rationing on fabric allowed women to celebrate their figures with hoop skirts, crinolines and other full-skirt techniques to emphasize the waist and “pointed bosom” bodice. French lace was the rage as post-war lace began to be manufactured again, bringing back tiers of Chantilly Lace and flouncy frills to the skirts of Wedding Gowns.
Audrey Hepburn equally influenced Bridal Wear in 1954 with her “Modern Princess” look in a ballerina Tea-Length Lace Wedding Dress with sleeves and few embellishments. Gloves became the standard fashion of the '50s, with fingerless bridal gloves made of tulle, lace, or satin. Shorter, flutter hemlines led to shorter veils and many gowns were designed with layered materials, three-quarter or long sleeves, upstanding gothic style collars, or to be worn as strapless evening gowns after the wedding.
Coordinating flowing or opaque Stoles or Lace Boleros worn on top of a strapless dress for coverage at the wedding became popular at the end of the decade as dress lengths moved from floor-length to ankle-length, and dropped hemlines and scooped necklines appeared.
The 1950's was a decade defined by decorum, elegance, and etiquette. Traditional, classic wedding receptions featured Wedgewood china, white roses, cut glass, and silver on damask cloths. Wedding cakes, often displayed under a floral arch, were styled with popular motifs from the era, like poodles.
View White Stole’s entire collection for size and color ranges of Stoles, Stole Wraps, Vintage Stoles, Stole Capes, Shawls and Veiled Bridal Hair Accessories for purchase, or rental, on our website.
Audrey Hepburn, 1954, in Tea-Length Wedding Dress
1940's Bride in Bridal Hat and draped sleeve Wedding Dress
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