Monday, May 17, 2010

The Bride in White

In response to a reader comment regarding a previous post, I’m doing connected blogs.  There’s more about white wedding dresses at Two Nerdy History Girls.

This is an 1831 white wedding dress, one of several examples I've found of white wedding dresses before Queen Victoria wore white at her wedding (10 February 1840).

The description comes from La Belle assemblée: or, Court and fashionable magazine; containing interesting and original literature, and records of the beau-monde; PublisherJ. Bell, 1831

Fashions for March, 1831

French fashions. WEDDING DRESS.

A dress of blonde de Chantilly, over white satin; the corsage of the lace dress, cut low and square round the bosom, is ornamented with a lappel which forms points upon the shoulders ; the points falling over a single row of superb blond lace, which covers the short béret sleeve of the white satin under-dress. Two very deep flounces, so arranged that one falls a little over the other, reach from the bottom of the skirt considerably above the knee, and are surmounted by a very rich embroidery. The wedding veil, also of blonde de Chantilly, is arranged in the drapery style at the back of the head, and the corners, brought round the base of the bows of hair on the summit of the head, are attached by a nuptial garland of orange flowers. A bandeau of emeralds set in gold goes round the forehead; earrings, necklace, and bracelets to correspond.