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.

Getty Images

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.

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Isabel Marant

Justine ruffled maxi dress White

Sold out

$840.00

Mytheresa

Bird & Knoll

Womens Carlotta Poplin Maxi Dress - White/neutral - Moda Operandi

Sold out

$480.00

Moda Operandi

Alessia Santi

tiered cotton maxi dress - White

Sold out

$256.00

Farfetch

Khaite

ruffled-trim shirt maxi dress - White

Sold out

$1,980.00

Farfetch

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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.

Alessandra Rich

Crystal-embellished Cotton-blend Guipure-lace Gown - Womens - White

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$3,475.00

MATCHES

Galvan

Majorelle cocktail dress - White

Sold out

$1,486.00

Farfetch

Giambattista Valli

v-neck embroidered lace dress - White

Sold out

$2,322.00

Farfetch

Carolina Herrera

sweetheart neck long-sleeve gown - White

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$3,454.00

Farfetch

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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.

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MATSOURI

Cocktail Jasmin White Dress

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$977.00

COVETI

Jacquemus

Amour Mermaid-hem Linen Maxi Dress - Womens - Ivory White

Sold out

$1,455.00

MATCHES

Marta Ferri

Belted Floral-embroidered Linen Gown - Womens - Cream White

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$4,928.00

MATCHES

Solace London

cold-shoulder maxi skirt gown - White

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$1,207.00

Farfetch

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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.

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-50%

Luisa Cerano

Hawaiian-print dress - White

Delivery: £10.00

£211.00 ~~£423.00~~

FARFETCH

Polo Ralph Lauren

button-up shirt dress - White

Delivery: free

£539.00

FARFETCH

Twin-Set

logo-plaque dress - White

Delivery: £10.00

£274.00

FARFETCH

Azeeza

Walton crop top - White

Delivery: £10.00

£239.00

FARFETCH

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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.

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Ulla Johnson

Ariane organza one-shoulder midi dress White

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$908.00

Mytheresa

Giambattista Valli

off-shoulder ruffled floral-lace gown - White

Sold out

$4,714.00

Farfetch

Giambattista Valli

strapless tulle gown - White

Sold out

$4,366.00

Farfetch

Rosie Assoulin

Ra Ra off-shoulder gown - White

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$2,244.00

Farfetch

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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

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$395.00

Saks OFF 5TH

Roland Mouret

Roland Mouret Woman Strapless Cotton Guipure Lace Bridal Gown Ivory Size 6 White

Sold out

$7,220.00

The Outnet

Solace London

wrap-around drape gown - White

Sold out

$607.00

Farfetch

Roland Mouret

Roland Mouret Woman Turret Strapless Frayed Cloqué Gown White Size 16

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$4,950.00

The Outnet

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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.

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For the Modern Bride