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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1963)
Trend Less Fussy Bridal Gowns Have New Shape Once upon a time the die statutes which no girl would wedding preparations. Tradit wore or carried must be wh gown must look like mama’s: ] also said there were only thr gown: lace, satin, or peau. An of tradition was that the wedd be worn at any time after the wedding. It was a sacred gar ment to be put away in tissue paper, to be left to yellow with age, and to be shown only to one’s children after much persuasion. TRADITION still lingers be cause brides, obviously, and thankfully, are still irrational ro manticists especially over wed dings. But tradition today has been modified by selectivity. Brides still foster many tradition al ideas of wedding clothes even while they seem unnecessary. For example, almost any bride finds it delightful to follow the “some thing old. something new, some thing borrowed, something blue” routine. On the other hand, today prac ticality and a modern sense of what is most aestheically pleasing take precedence over the tradi tional concepts of what is right and proper. This is especially so in bridal attire. THE GOWN itself has lost its look of ornateness. The modern way to achieve elegance is through simplicity. Thus ruffles, flounces, glitter, and cluttered lines have been eliminated. The emphasis is on shape and clarity of line. The skirt no longer hangs from the waist nor is it held up and poufed awkwardly out by hoops, whale boning, or stiff crinolines. Now the shape is built right into the skirt by the cut of the fabric, the type of fabric, and through delicate and subtle darts. This gives the skirt a controlled and molded look. The desirable shape is straight, no matter how full the skirt is. It can be a sheath (never-fitted) or quite full from; the waist tapering down straight on the sides. This controlled sraight silhouette, when full, is called the bell shape and it can be created in varying grades of fullness. TODAY, A tram is no longer an indispensible part of the gown. Especially in the informal day time wedding the quest for sim plicity has ruled the train out. But when a train is worn, it no longer need be an extension of the rear hem of the wedding gown. Most trains now are detach able and extend either from the waist or the shoulders as panels. Bodices are the most individu al, with no one neckline or sleeve length dominating fashion unlike the past when the long-fitted tap ered sleeve and the heart-shaped neckline did. Short sleeves are now worn as often as long. Some times large collars and often small jackets cap the gown. But nearly all bodices and sleeves are still fitted with a slim, delicate appearance in mind. FABRICS, especially for spring and summer wedding gowns, are most divergent from the past. Traditional satin and peau, no longer lace, are popular still. But linen, pique, organza, eyelet, tis sue silks, and heavy brocaded cottons have become staple wed ding fabrics. True white and ivory are no longer the only choices for fabric color. The choice now includes pearl, silver white, blue-white, and whites with hints of pastel. Newest fashions of all are in length, waist, and accessories. The new length is just at the ankles and is used only in the narrower bell and sheath shaped skirts. The trend is definitely toward the nar rower skirt. A-shaped gowns with high, sometimes empire waists are a new-just-this-year trend. FOR ACCESSORIES simplicity and surprise are pronounced. The veil is getting shorter and fuller and most of all, higher. Height on the crown of the head increases the current tall-slender look. Sometimes no headpiece is vis able. The net of the veil is simply ;ates of tradition formed the dare violate when thinking of ion said everything the bride ite; tradition said the bridal ong, full and lavish. Tradition ie appropriate fabrics for the 1 above all, the invilable rule ing gown absolutely could not poufed over the crown. In other cases pill boxes, bows, and single flowers made of fabric matching the gown catch up the veil re placing glittery, sparkly tiaras and fussy floral wreaths. Bouquets certainly diverge from tradition. Many today are colored forming bright accents against the white dress. Different flowers, big floppy and full, are being used: daisies, crysanthe mums, cabbage roses, and tulips. AND, AFTER the wedding, the modern wedding gown often con tinues as part of the trousseau. Because most dresses are chosen with simplicity in mind, they do not look so obviously and ornately bridish without the veil and bou quet. With few alterations a short wedding gown becomes a cocktail or party dress. The new long gowns are creat ed especially so that they can easily be transformed into ball and opera gowns. Trains are de tachable and sometimes form evening capes matching the dress. Many dresses have jackets with the high decolletage and sleeves necessary for the wedding. When the jacket is removed the gown is no more than an evening gown. The dress has so little resem blance to the original wedding gown that it need not even be dyed. Bridal Terms For those who are familiar with many of the terms involved in the wedding gown, the following is useful. Peaus are either silk or synthetic taffetas. Illusion is a silk net used in bridal veils. The bell is a molded dome-shaped skirt and applique is the term for a fabric, normally lace, transposed on another fabric. The trousseau is the bride’s collection of clothes and household items for the wed ding and for life as a newlywed. DARBY TRAINER 1 o o ks through a rack of wedding dresses and finds that the gowns come in a variety of styles and fabrics. Tradition no longer limits the dress to one basic type. The gowns pictured range from Chantilly lace to cotton organza. Even the shades of white differ with each dress ranging from true white to yel low-ivory. THE SIMPLICITY of this wed ding gown worn by Suzanne Storms is accented by lace ap pliques. A train is hung from the waist. The gown is sheer silk over peau and the bridal veil is silk illusion caught up by a pillbox covered with the same fabric as the dress. The bou quet is one giant cabbage rose surrounded by lacy lily of the valley. Traditions Have Strange Origins By CATHY NEVILLE The Homans, the Greeks, and even some unknown aboriginies play a surprisingly large part in the traditions and customs con nected with a modern marriage ceremony. The cake is sometimes broken over the bride's head and some i people throw flour on her instead I of rice. The veil and the wedding ; ring both seem to stem from tra ditions of female subjection or slavery, and, contrary to popular opinion, the kiss is not a univer sally known habit Yet, these and many more customs have become an indispensable part of the wed ding ceremony ANCIENT CUSTOM was that the man and woman broke a piece of gold or silver between them to signify their pledge to marry In ancient Ireland the bride-to-be was presented with a bracelet of woven hair Medieval peasants ex changed such tokens as rings made from rush, leather or wood. Nearly all precious stones luxe t>een used in engagement rings but modern brides seem to pre fer the diamond. This may have come from the ancient super-ti tion that the sparkle of a dia mond originated in the alcheims tic fire of love. Another rea»'m that the diamond is preferred is that its hardness led some to be lieve it was eternal, thus the dia mond ring symbolizes the eternity of love The Egyptians were the first to use a wedding ring in their cere mony. The ancient Jewish cere mony included the exchange of a ring, but this token was too big ; to be worn on the finger and was merely symbolic. Some say that the circular shape of the ring is a carry over from the circular fetters or bracelets placed on slave women in primi tive times and that the ring still, unconsciously of course, symbo ; lizes subjection and servitude. Wearing the ring on the left hand seems to indicate the same thing since the left hand is tradition ally the symbol of subjection and , the right, the symbol of power and authority. TIIK RING is worn on the third ; finger of the left hand probably I because of an ancient belief that a vein in this finger ran dirertly j to the heart. Even today, many women would not consider them ! selves married if they wore tln ir rings on another finger. Some feel that the veil is also a symbol of submission They point to the fact that women in religious orders and in certain Eastern countries wear veils for this reason The ancient Ftomans and even the English broke the cake over the bride’s head instead of let ting her cut it. Later the English formed the custom of piling small, spiced buns on the feast table and said that if the bride and groom could kiss standing on either side of the oile, they would be happy. Tradition has it that a French cook, traveling in England, thought this pile of buns was cumbersome and so started the custom of holding them all to gether with frosting, the ances tor of the decorated tiered wed ding cake. SOME RELIEVE bridesmaids are left over from the era of cap tured brides. The young girls ac companied their friend when she was forcibly taken by her intend ed husband to protect her. The best man is probably the descen dant of the capturing groom’s strong arm man who kept the bride’s family busy while she was being captured. Others believe the attendants stem from the fact that ladies of position had ladies in-waiting and gentlemen had val ets to serve them. (Continued on page l))
