Now the bride has chosen her style of gown and has settled on her perfect bridal fabric it is time to think about how she will dress her maids. The bridesmaids are an integral part of not only the wedding celebration itself but are a source of friendship and support to the bride in the lead up to the big day. The tradition of bridesmaids is thought to have originated from Roman Law which required ten witnesses to be present and dressed in identical clothing to the bride and groom in order to confuse the evil spirits who were thought to attend and administer curses on the betrothed couple. Nowadays, bridesmaids have a number of important duties including arranging hen parties, bridal showers and attending to the bride and assisting her to dress on the day. Bridesmaids are a source of emotional support to the bride to be in the run up to her big day and are often the brides closest relations and friends who can be easily relied upon and readily available for shopping trips, measurements and dress fittings.
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Weddings during the war and the preceding years were a simple affair with brides often choosing an outfit they already owned for themselves and their maids.[/caption]
The bridal fabrics chosen for the bridesmaid gowns are most often selected to compliment the colour scheme and will help to set the tone of the day. The style of bridesmaid dresses and the bridal fabrics used tend to follow the fashion of the time and we have seen bridesmaid dresses evolve over the years in everything from the shape and the colour to the length and the accompanying accessories. Back in the 1940s bridesmaid dresses were s simple affair made from bridal fabrics that most readily available during times of rationing. Wartime brides often did not have the band of bridesmaids we are used to seeing today and would often choose just one close friend or relative such as a sister to do the honours. Bridesmaid dresses at this time were very modest and were often an item that could be reused following the ceremony or even an existing dress the young lady already had in her wardrobe. The wartime weddings of the 19490s are known for their romanticism and elegant simplicity. As many men were away at war and were often only home for short, unannounced periods of time weddings were often required to be planned in as little as a week so there was not always time for complicated, custom made gowns and it was not unusual to see a bride and her maids in a two piece suit made from simple low cost bridal fabrics.
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Bridesmaid dresses in the 1950s were the popular circle skirt style.[/caption]
Along came the 1950s and the era of rock and roll. After the hardships of the war, women were ready for a little bit of luxury and were ready to splash out on opulent bridal fabrics such as lace and silk. The fashionable design of bridesmaid dress reflected the halter neck style of dress that was popular at the time and often included a full, circle skirt that was the height of fashion in the fifties. Fifties style bridesmaid dresses are still a popular choice for quirky brides who are aiming towards a vintage themed wedding. Satin Back Dupion is a popular choice of bridal fabric for this design and can be used over Dress Net to achieve a full, structured style of skirt to achieve an authentic 1950s style of dress. During the period of the 1950s, bridesmaid dresses could be found in an array of colours and heavier bridal fabrics were often worn in combination with a petticoat to maintain the full shape of the circle skirt.
The 1960s was a very exciting decade for fashion with the invention of the mini skirt and the shift dress. During the 1960s, the mini skirt was so immensely popular that it was even considered to be, not only an appropriate length for a bridesmaid gown, but an extremely sought after one. In the early 1960s, bridesmaid dresses were often of the shorter length and would be accessorised with fashionable additions such as gloves and pearls. As the decade progressed, the mini skirt length of bridesmaid gown was replaced by a slightly longer, A Line design with decorative bows, ribbons and sashes. The 1960s is known for being a wild and colourful decade and the choice of bridal fabrics for bridesmaids certainly reflected this with bridesmaids wearing gowns in an array of bright and eye-catching colours and with bridal fabrics readily available at this time brides would experiment with a variety of different bridal fabrics for their maids.
At the beginning of the 1970s, young men and women were living in the shadow of the Vietnam War and the fashions became more individualistic and bohemian with hippy flowers adorning the heads of brides and bridesmaids across the land. It was during the 1970s that we first saw the longer length of bridesmaid gown that increased massively in popularity over the period of the 80s and 90s and it was during this decade that bridal wear became a lucrative business with more brides than ever wanting custom made gowns for their maids and control over the colour selection and choice of bridal fabric. Empire line gowns were the favoured shape of this decade and with their higher necklines and puffed sleeves, 1970s bridesmaid gowns were starting to resemble the distinctive shape of dress that defined the 1980s. During this time bridesmaid dresses were popular in a variety of bight and exciting shades but were almost always made from a matte bridal fabric rather than sheeny satins that we became accustomed to in the subsequent decades.
[caption id="attachment_6497" align="alignleft" width="257"]
Bridesmaid dresses in the eighties were huge colourful creations.[/caption]
The 1980s is famous for its often monstrous bridesmaid creations and it was during this decade that we became familiar with the enormous bridesmaid gowns that are synonymous with this time. Bridesmaid dresses in the 80s were often crafted from pastel coloured, taffeta bridal fabrics and of course included the obligatory puff sleeves and high, structured skirt. During the 1990s, bridesmaid gowns once again became more slimline and sleek and during the 2000's with the rise in popularity of outdoor weddings the strapless design of gown gained in popularity and nowadays bridesmaid dresses are often a simple and stylish affair crafted from a variety of bridal fabrics including duchess satins, taffeta and chiffons being among the most popular.
We stock a wide variety of bridal fabrics in an array of beautiful shades, our full range can be viewed online and if you do have any queries about your choice of bridal fabrics please do not hesitate to give our sales staff a call for their expert advice.
Weddings during the war and the preceding years were a simple affair with brides often choosing an outfit they already owned for themselves and their maids.[/caption]
The bridal fabrics chosen for the bridesmaid gowns are most often selected to compliment the colour scheme and will help to set the tone of the day. The style of bridesmaid dresses and the bridal fabrics used tend to follow the fashion of the time and we have seen bridesmaid dresses evolve over the years in everything from the shape and the colour to the length and the accompanying accessories. Back in the 1940s bridesmaid dresses were s simple affair made from bridal fabrics that most readily available during times of rationing. Wartime brides often did not have the band of bridesmaids we are used to seeing today and would often choose just one close friend or relative such as a sister to do the honours. Bridesmaid dresses at this time were very modest and were often an item that could be reused following the ceremony or even an existing dress the young lady already had in her wardrobe. The wartime weddings of the 19490s are known for their romanticism and elegant simplicity. As many men were away at war and were often only home for short, unannounced periods of time weddings were often required to be planned in as little as a week so there was not always time for complicated, custom made gowns and it was not unusual to see a bride and her maids in a two piece suit made from simple low cost bridal fabrics.
[caption id="attachment_6496" align="alignright" width="300"] Bridesmaid dresses in the 1950s were the popular circle skirt style.[/caption]
Along came the 1950s and the era of rock and roll. After the hardships of the war, women were ready for a little bit of luxury and were ready to splash out on opulent bridal fabrics such as lace and silk. The fashionable design of bridesmaid dress reflected the halter neck style of dress that was popular at the time and often included a full, circle skirt that was the height of fashion in the fifties. Fifties style bridesmaid dresses are still a popular choice for quirky brides who are aiming towards a vintage themed wedding. Satin Back Dupion is a popular choice of bridal fabric for this design and can be used over Dress Net to achieve a full, structured style of skirt to achieve an authentic 1950s style of dress. During the period of the 1950s, bridesmaid dresses could be found in an array of colours and heavier bridal fabrics were often worn in combination with a petticoat to maintain the full shape of the circle skirt.
The 1960s was a very exciting decade for fashion with the invention of the mini skirt and the shift dress. During the 1960s, the mini skirt was so immensely popular that it was even considered to be, not only an appropriate length for a bridesmaid gown, but an extremely sought after one. In the early 1960s, bridesmaid dresses were often of the shorter length and would be accessorised with fashionable additions such as gloves and pearls. As the decade progressed, the mini skirt length of bridesmaid gown was replaced by a slightly longer, A Line design with decorative bows, ribbons and sashes. The 1960s is known for being a wild and colourful decade and the choice of bridal fabrics for bridesmaids certainly reflected this with bridesmaids wearing gowns in an array of bright and eye-catching colours and with bridal fabrics readily available at this time brides would experiment with a variety of different bridal fabrics for their maids.
At the beginning of the 1970s, young men and women were living in the shadow of the Vietnam War and the fashions became more individualistic and bohemian with hippy flowers adorning the heads of brides and bridesmaids across the land. It was during the 1970s that we first saw the longer length of bridesmaid gown that increased massively in popularity over the period of the 80s and 90s and it was during this decade that bridal wear became a lucrative business with more brides than ever wanting custom made gowns for their maids and control over the colour selection and choice of bridal fabric. Empire line gowns were the favoured shape of this decade and with their higher necklines and puffed sleeves, 1970s bridesmaid gowns were starting to resemble the distinctive shape of dress that defined the 1980s. During this time bridesmaid dresses were popular in a variety of bight and exciting shades but were almost always made from a matte bridal fabric rather than sheeny satins that we became accustomed to in the subsequent decades.
[caption id="attachment_6497" align="alignleft" width="257"] Bridesmaid dresses in the eighties were huge colourful creations.[/caption]
The 1980s is famous for its often monstrous bridesmaid creations and it was during this decade that we became familiar with the enormous bridesmaid gowns that are synonymous with this time. Bridesmaid dresses in the 80s were often crafted from pastel coloured, taffeta bridal fabrics and of course included the obligatory puff sleeves and high, structured skirt. During the 1990s, bridesmaid gowns once again became more slimline and sleek and during the 2000's with the rise in popularity of outdoor weddings the strapless design of gown gained in popularity and nowadays bridesmaid dresses are often a simple and stylish affair crafted from a variety of bridal fabrics including duchess satins, taffeta and chiffons being among the most popular.
We stock a wide variety of bridal fabrics in an array of beautiful shades, our full range can be viewed online and if you do have any queries about your choice of bridal fabrics please do not hesitate to give our sales staff a call for their expert advice.