Vera Wang recently had the wedding fashion world abuzz when she debuted all-black wedding dresses during her latest runway show. The dresses were undeniably gorgeous, showing why Wang is one of the most sought-after gown designers out there, but they definitely challenged the notion of what a wedding dress is, should be – and can be.
For many brides, the idea of a white dress is one that they start thinking about well before they’re ready to get married – maybe even as teens, tweens or younger. The most popular cartoons and movies that girls watch at young ages often feature princesses and role models getting hitched in glittering white gowns, and the association isn’t one that’s often shaken. The vast majority of gown ads in wedding magazines feature white, off-white, ivory or any number of creatively-named shades of white.
But today’s brides have an independent streak, as Wang’s gowns hint. They’re often much less committed to conventional ideas about weddings, and more interested in having a ceremony that speaks to the uniqueness of the couple standing at the altar. But, as many historically-minded fashion experts have pointed out, modern brides aren’t the first ones to consider shades other than white.
