Hooray … I have managed to log back in to my website! It’s been so incredibly bustling and busy and I knew really that I had forgotten my log in, that I haven’t had a moment to sit down and hammer in the 100 potential options that you do when guessing a password! (It’s not just me is it?) But I’ve done it … I’m in, here and online!
Apart from wanting to update all of our latest news and things, one of the driving forces of coming back to my blog was something we have seen quite a lot of in the boutique of late. I’ve been pondering, stewing and questioning it all in my head and really wanted to share!
So this brings me to the matter in hand …. WHAT COLOUR IS A WEDDING DRESS?
I felt the need to do a little research and to dig deeper into the tradition of wedding dress (don’t worry, I’m not going to get too historical). It turns out in the Middle Ages, a marriage was more than a marriage of love and was more a marriage of families, business and politics. It was therefore for the bride and her family, more a show of wealth. The dresses were made from rich colours and luxurious fabrics including silk, fur and velvet. Brides from a less fortunate background wore their ‘Sunday best’.
It was only in the Victorian Era that the tradition changed to white and ivory following on from Queen Victoria’s wedding where she wore a gown made from lace she prized.
As with everything, when you look at it, it’s all been fairly ‘swayed’. Fashion has played it’s hand and tables have turned, the way they do in every industry. No more of an example can be used than the way Princess Kate’s full lace sleeve changed the way the wedding dresses of the next season were designed.
My point though is, is there a ‘correct’ colour? Do you have to wear white? Would people think differently if you didn’t?
The conflict of colour has become more apparent to me recently as our new seasons gowns have arrived in the boutique. At the trade shows last year I would say nearly every designer had a blush dress. And why not? The softness of blush, if done correctly, against an ivory lace or intricate beading, is quite simply, beautiful. Effortlessly stunning and unique. Celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Reese Witherspoon embraced the colour and, as always, looked gorgeous on their day, so with this in mind, I couldn’t help but buy a couple for us. Of course, for those who know me, know it’s hard for me to resist pink at the best of times, so this was probably inevitable!
However the gowns, have arrived and have gone down a storm. Not one of them looks any less a ‘wedding dress’ and the brides who have purchased them are quite simply, in love.
Vera Wang’s 2014 Monochrome collection not only looked incredible but lead the way for the trends of high street fashion to go monochrome too. Not one of those gowns didn’t look amazing, not one didn’t look like a ‘wedding dress’ …. but they were black and white. If the bride who is wearing it loves it and it isn’t white, does that make it any less of a dress?
These ideas for me were even more enforced when I read my fave designers most recent blog. Ian Stuart makes no secret of his love of colour and gosh, his use of it is fabulous. In his post he describes exactly why colour isn’t always something to be afraid of.
http://ian-stuart.me/2015/10/30/my-love-affair-with-colour/
But shouldn’t that be the case? Don’t get me wrong, not every person wants to wear a colour, not every person wants to break the mould, but for those who do; why not? Shouldn’t every bride just be in love with their dress?
And so, a wedding dress can be any colour you want it to be. If blue is your favourite colour, if red to you symbolises your love for each other, if you always imagined yourself getting married in gold … then do it! It will only be you who regrets it and like I say time and time again to my brides, it doesn’t matter what you are wearing, if you love it, you’ll feel fabulous, show fabulous and look fabulous and in turn everyone else will love it too!!
Lottie xx
