Wedding dress styles from the past 100 years
“I can hear the bells, well, don’t you hear ’em chime?” Hairspray’s Tracy Turnblad is surely not the first single gal to be planning her one-day big day. Between royal wedding live streams and celebrity ‘I do’ Instagram reveals, we have wedding dresses on the brain. To further our obsession, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular wedding dress styles from the past hundred years. What were brides-to-be wearing 100 years ago? Scroll to find out.
Audrey Hepburn in a Zoe Fontana wedding dress in 1952.
1910s-1920s
In the 1910s and 20s, bridalwear was inspired by movable, danceable, flapper-style fashion. Many brides preferred loose-fitting dresses with dropped waists.
Isabel Marant
Justine ruffled maxi dress White
$840.00
Mytheresa
Bird & Knoll
Womens Carlotta Poplin Maxi Dress - White/neutral - Moda Operandi
$480.00
Moda Operandi
Alessia Santi
tiered cotton maxi dress - White
$256.00
Farfetch
Khaite
ruffled-trim shirt maxi dress - White
$1,980.00
Farfetch
1930s-1940s
During the turbulent 1930s and 1940s, wedding dresses were kept simple and refined to reflect the cash-strapped era. Brides chose high-neck and long-sleeved wedding dresses to celebrate their nuptials.
Galvan
Majorelle cocktail dress - White
$1,486.00
Farfetch
Giambattista Valli
v-neck embroidered lace dress - White
$2,322.00
Farfetch
Carolina Herrera
sweetheart neck long-sleeve gown - White
$3,454.00
Farfetch
1950s
The ball gown dress was the postwar bridal look du jour. In what we now consider as the go-to fairytale bridal look, ball gowns with extravagant skirts and defined waists were seen on famous 1950s brides Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, and Audrey Hepburn.
MATSOURI
Cocktail Jasmin White Dress
$977.00
COVETI
Jacquemus
Amour Mermaid-hem Linen Maxi Dress - Womens - Ivory White
$1,455.00
MATCHES
Marta Ferri
Belted Floral-embroidered Linen Gown - Womens - Cream White
$4,928.00
MATCHES
Solace London
cold-shoulder maxi skirt gown - White
$1,207.00
Farfetch
1960s-1970s
For brides of the counterculture revolution, wedding dresses became shorter, sleeves more voluminous, and lace, embroidered gowns littered venue halls and church aisles. Famous 1960s brides Sharon Tate, Raquel Welch, and Elizabeth Taylor all said their ‘I do’s’ in knee-bearing wedding gowns.
-50%
Elie Saab
classic collar dresses - White
£537.00
£1,075.00
FARFETCH
-40%
Needle & Thread
Anais sequin gown - White
£516.00
£864.00
FARFETCH
-16%
Michael Michael Kors
poplin belted midi dress - White
£261.00
£311.00
FARFETCH
Atu Body Couture
draped-detail maxi dress - White
£913.00
FARFETCH
1980s-1990s
Dramatic, opulent, and excessive: an ode to the wedding dresses of the 1980s and 90s. Gone were the days of demure styles and simple fabrics, “the greed decades” required a wedding dress to be bursting with tulle, sequins, and heaven-reaching sleeves.
Ulla Johnson
Ariane organza one-shoulder midi dress White
$908.00
Mytheresa
Giambattista Valli
off-shoulder ruffled floral-lace gown - White
$4,714.00
Farfetch
Giambattista Valli
strapless tulle gown - White
$4,366.00
Farfetch
Rosie Assoulin
Ra Ra off-shoulder gown - White
$2,244.00
Farfetch
2000s
Made famous by brides like Beyoncé, Katie Holmes, and Gwen Stefani, wedding dresses in the 2000s were far sleeker than their 1990s counterparts, with many brides opting for ruched, strapless styles with long veils and hair accessories.
Aidan Mattox
Womens Strapless Embroidered Mesh Gown - Ivory - Size 12 White
$395.00
Saks OFF 5TH
Solace London
wrap-around drape gown - White
$607.00
Farfetch
Roland Mouret
Roland Mouret Woman Turret Strapless Frayed Cloqué Gown White Size 16
$4,950.00
The Outnet
2010s-Present Day
From the 2010s to today, brides are truly embracing their individual styles for their wedding dresses. Some brides are opting out of the traditional white dress altogether and wearing tuxedos and pantsuits to their big days, while others find inspiration from the many royal weddings we’ve seen in the past decade and wear feminine, lace gowns to their weddings.
To see today’s dress trends, scroll down to shop wedding gowns.
Galvan
Malibu satin maxi bridal dress White
$960.00
Mytheresa
SAFiYAA
Bridal crêpe fishtail gown White
$1,575.00
Mytheresa
Jacquemus
Womens Amour Tie-Detailed Tiered Linen Gown - Neutral - Moda Operandi
$1,460.00
Moda Operandi
Galvan
Estrella Sequinned Dress - Womens - Silver
$2,150.00
MATCHES
Costarellos
Catalina georgette gown White
$1,225.00
Mytheresa
Galvan
Hamptons satin bridal minidress White
$884.00
Mytheresa
Tadashi Shoji
Gretel dotted lace embroidered bridal dress - White
$719.00
Farfetch
Galvan
Sonoma Tie-back Satin Midi Dress - Womens - White
$1,495.00
MATCHES
Jonathan Simkhai
ruched sequin bridal gown - White
$908.00
Farfetch
Galvan
Ibiza One-shoulder Silk-satin Midi Dress - Womens - White
$1,795.00
MATCHES
Tadashi Shoji
Sutton off-shoulder bridal dress - IVORY White
$607.00
Farfetch
Tadashi Shoji
Sabriel off-the-shoulder dotted bridal dress - White
$1,027.00
Farfetch
Jacquemus
Womens Camargue Tie-Detailed Linen Gown - Neutral - Moda Operandi
$1,185.00
Moda Operandi
