The "White" Dress

tami234

I recently started trying on gowns for my wedding and have noticed that bride "white" isn't so in anymore...I always pictured myself in a traditional white dress (to let everyone know they were wrong about their assumptions), however the ivory/cream dresses definitely compliment my skin tone better. I'm definitely not into traditional weddings, but this was the one thing I was going to uphold. Does anyone even pay attention to the white dress = virgin rule anymore??

meep2

Technically ivory and cream are considered shades of white, so they count as traditional (well, traditional since Queen Victoria) wedding dress colors, too. Stark bright white doesn't say anything different.

Also, although some brides are wearing different colors for their weddings, white/ivory/cream still are very much in fashion. That doesn't mean that everyone wearing these colors is a virgin on their wedding days. If you're wearing white because you want to send a message, you're going to be sorely disappointed. Unless some rude woman asks on your wedding day if you really should be wearing white and you say "Why yes, would you like to know my sexual history?", there is no way to send that message short of and equally rude announcement of the fact.

redheadfsu

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_white-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:36Discussion:7d807c80-bf5d-4f83-988f-079fb1fbdce9Post:19722133-880b-44ab-a781-eec4712fd94a">The "White" Dress</a>:
[QUOTE]I recently started trying on gowns for my wedding and have noticed that bride "white" isn't so in anymore...I always pictured myself in a traditional white dress (to let everyone know they were wrong about their assumptions), however the ivory/cream dresses definitely compliment my skin tone better. I'm definitely not into traditional weddings, but this was the one thing I was going to uphold. Does anyone even pay attention to the <strong>white dress = virgin rule anymore</strong>??
Posted by tami234[/QUOTE]

That isn't a real rule. Brides only started to wear white since 1840. So... it is only a modern idea that white means virginity. Pregnant brides wear white, so wearing white doesn't prove anything to guests. However, wear what you want.

smriley89

when I bought my wedding dress, they were telling me that very few people could wear "true white". And it was true, I put it on and it completely washed me out because I have fair skin and light blonde hair. In all honesty, from a distance the lighter ivory does not look drastically different from white. you should go with what you feel the best and most beautiful in, people won't think twice about the fact that its not a true white.

unplainjane

buy whatever colour looks best on you. honestly my dress is ivory but it only looks ivory when sitting on a rack with other white dresses. when i look at pictures of myself trying it on it look white. your guests generally can't really differeniate between these subtle shades and the meaning of brides wearing white because their virgins... well pretty much all brides wear some shade of white and i don't think it's an indication of their "experience".

OuachitaTrixie

People are going to make their own assumptions about your virginity regardless of what shade of white you wear. 

OuachitaTrixie

oh, and wearing ivory does not de-flower a girl...


wear what makes you happy!

trix1223

Our DDs dress was ivory.  Having said that, if you asked their guests what color her dress was, 99.9% of them would have said white.  GL

jerseydevil

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_white-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:7d807c80-bf5d-4f83-988f-079fb1fbdce9Post:0c4df594-0308-4508-9b32-8d4c10385808">Re: The "White" Dress</a>:
[QUOTE]People are going to make their own assumptions about your virginity regardless of what shade of white you wear. 
Posted by OuachitaTrixie[/QUOTE]

This.

Lisa50

White dress never equalled virgin, although many have tried to define it that way.  My understanding is that when the tradition began with Queen Victoria, white signified joy.

jenajjthr

A long, long, long time ago (according to my HS students...you know like 1980) women wore their best dress or made a new dress to get married in.  White wasn't a normal color to wear because it was very hard to keep clean, it wasn't practical. Then Queen Victoria got married in a white dress.  It signified more that she was so wealthy she could afford a dress that she was only going to wear once and wasn't practical for day to day use.  It was a status thing vs. a virgin thing.  And of course since the Queen was doing it, everybody had to copy that new fashion statement.  (If you doubt me, just look up Pippa's bridesmaid dress...everyone is making copies now).  

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_white-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:7d807c80-bf5d-4f83-988f-079fb1fbdce9Post:18bc4dc3-a590-4676-8850-6560fd12b63d">Re: The "White" Dress</a>:
[QUOTE]The bright white color you see today didn't exist until the 20th century brought us laundry products with bleach, brighteners and whiteners.  The ivory color is what was traditionally considered white.  As another poster said, brides have only worn white for about 170 years.  Before that time, brides simply wore their best dress.
Posted by CMGr[/QUOTE]

Very true. Queen Victoria's "white" dress was actually ivory.

AdeleDazeem

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_white-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:7d807c80-bf5d-4f83-988f-079fb1fbdce9Post:65188d98-af0b-4392-a8fe-e79ed140cbbf">Re: The "White" Dress</a>:
[QUOTE]  And of course since the Queen was doing it, everybody had to copy that new fashion statement.  (If you doubt me, just look up Pippa's bridesmaid dress...everyone is making copies now).  
Posted by jenajjthr[/QUOTE]

That's because Pippa looked freaking awesome.  Whatevs Kate!  :-)

jenajjthr

Her dress was awesome, and stunning, and OMG beautiful.  But white is not typically worn by MOH's,  but I bet that changes. 

Milsey32

I'm wearing white because I think it looks better on my skin than cream/ivory and yet I had originally envisioned that I'd be wearing ivory/cream because I thought white (satin) was too bright... so if it looks better on you, wear it. Don't let any "rules" (that don't really matter) change what you want to do

Beazilla

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_white-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:7d807c80-bf5d-4f83-988f-079fb1fbdce9Post:fb4fb520-c75a-48e0-8345-f70ed9186dd1">Re: The "White" Dress</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to The "White" Dress : That isn't a real rule. Brides only started to wear white since 1840. So... it is only a modern idea that white means virginity. Pregnant brides wear white, so wearing white doesn't prove anything to guests. However, wear what you want.
Posted by redheadfsu[/QUOTE]
Exactly. White really means that you can afford to buy a dress that you can really only wear once (obviously you could wear it more, but laundering and street cleanliness have improved). The connotation of white dresses symbolizing virginity is a Victorian concept, but the white dress really symbolizes wealth. Most brides just wore their best dress.

lnvane00

Dont forget about Diamond White.. This isnt a true white, but its pretty close.. Its lighter then ivory.

SteffiC

I agree, there is so many shades, just pick the dress that makes you feel most comfortable and beautiful and the color that goes with your skin without worrying about anything else. I wasnt set on a specific color, but I did like the white-white, in  the end my dream dress was white, so perfect, but by itself its hard to tell the difference between all the shades anyway.

jn20fr

iwas told that because this would be my second marriage it is no longer approriate for me to wear white.......  Thank fully that comment was made after I had already purchased my ivory dress or I woulid have gotten a white dress just out of spite.

PinkGold&Roses

I think that with most ivory dresses, they look white unless they are shown side-by-side a "white" dress...so ivory is basically the same thing, and IMO better than white.