Wedding fashion is always moving forward but today’s designers – and brides – often take inspiration from the past. The gorgeous vintage wedding looks below offer real-life inspiration for modern brides – and proof that true style is timeless.
A wedding look that will always be remembered, Grace Kelly’s 1950s wedding gown, with its high collar, long lace sleeves and classic veil, has inspired wedding designers and brides for decades, and it’s easy to see why. A modern bride could walk down the aisle in this very outfit and wouldn’t, at all, look dated.
The perfect reminder that less can certainly be more, this very happy vintage bride shows off her lovely legs in a knee-length dress but takes a more modest approach to her neckline. A belt accentuates her waist and we love the simple bouquet and co-ordinated floral headpiece.
Audrey Hepburn, with her oh-so-simple style, personified grace and elegance, and this striking photo, from the movie Funny Face, reminds us that there is more than one way to wear a veil. Pinned with a bow at the top, her polka dot veil (it’s a little hard to see in this picture) is gathered around her shoulders before flowing down her back. The outfit is topped with simple silk slippers and classic pearl earrings.
Oh, and the dress is Givenchy.
This 1920s bride is Rosamund Lumsdaine, who married a rather dapper (and tall) Allan Spowers in 1922 in Darling Point, New South Wales. When she walked in, her veil covered her face, but after the ceremony, it was pushed back – and still looks absolutely perfect. You don’t often see ankle length wedding gowns. They’re usually floor-length or knee-length, so it’s quite a striking look, but typical for the day.
This photo, of an 18-year-old Elizabeth Taylor marrying Conrad Hilton in 1950, shows her beautiful lace and ivory gown that is nipped in at the waist before puffing out to a most elegant full skirt. We love the tight bodice, the lily of the valley sprigs that make up her simple bouquet and the high lace neckline – that is completely transparent! Liz’s first wedding dress was designed by Hollywood costume designer Helen Rose who went on to win two Academy Awards – and designed Grace Kelly’s wedding dress (above).
We love this 1920s’ bride’s ornate juliet Cap veil and headpiece. The combination of her voluminous veil highlights her cute little face exquisitely and, of course, her hair and make-up are very much of the time.
We’re not sure exactly when this photo was taken, but it could easily be a modern day wedding gown with its simple, strapless bodice and the breath-taking statement skirt. Now, THAT’S what we call timeless!
Finally, this charming photo of Joan Collins, taken in the early 1950s, features a cute bolero jacket on top of the simple patterned gown that wouldn’t look out of place at a wedding today. An up-do accessorised with a headpiece, and an orchid bouquet complete the look.
Image: Cemetarian.comWe couldn’t help but include this Simplicity sewing pattern from 1972. It outlines how to make, yes MAKE, three styles of wedding gown, as well as the bridesmaids’ dresses. The sleek, slimline gowns feature Empire bustlines that were popular in the ’70s, but we can absolutely see modern brides waltzing down the aisle in these lovely dresses – and not looking even slightly out of place.
