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))