In the Jewish tradition, white clothes are associated with festive occasions. Nubile girls donned white dresses to dance in the vineyards on Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av. So there is an association of festivities with white. However, the frilly white wedding gown we picture when we hear the word “bride” is not quite as traditional as may be supposed. It only began to take root in the 19th Century. The white wedding gown became the standard following the precedent of the royal wedding of 1840. Queen Victoria’s white silk and lace wedding gown became the exemplar for the brides who followed.
Must a bridal gown be snow white for a formal first wedding?
It’s a safe option so long as you don’t accept any apples from suspicious looking people. Seriously, though, the dress can be stark white, natural white, ivory white, or some variation of white with color accent.
The whitest of whites is only possible to achieve in synthetic fabrics that can take the process that leaves the suggestion of a clean blue undertone to the fabric. The stark white color often compliments is most flattering on women with darker complexions. Those with lighter complexions look better in softer whites.
Natural white is also sometimes referred to as “diamond” or “silk,” the whitest shade possible for silk and other natural fibers. In photographs, this shade will be indistinguishable from stark white.
Cream may either be a natural white or a slightly darker shade that is usually called “eggshell” or “ivory.” Ivory is a very popular choice for brides today, but do hold a swatch next to your face to be sure it is the shade you want. Ivory generally has a yellow undertone, which can flatter fair complexions, but can also make some look sallow.
Champagne a pink undertone for an off-white shade that can lend a rosy effect to your complexion. You can look at fabrics of a light “rum,” a color that is also very popular now for the gowns of the sisters and mothers of the bride and groom.
While white still prevails as the bridal color, some of today’s wedding gowns feature accents of color in the trim and on the sash. In selecting the color, be sure you see a swatch of the actual fabric to be used in the shade you want. Colors can look different in different fabrics, depending on their sheen and sheerness. As white doesn’t necessarily mean the color of snow – be sure to choose the shade that is most flattering to your complexion. The shade may also take on different nuances depending on the fabric of the gown.
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