Is White Your Color?

Choosing A White Vs. An Ivory Wedding Dress

White wedding dresses are rife with symbolism: purity, virginity, what have you. Clearly today these symbols are less relevant in our society. Nevertheless, the white dress persists! Why? Is it that brides tend to glow in white? Is it that guests assume the bride will wear white therefore no other woman will wear it, rendering the bride a visible beacon amongst her guests? Maybe it's because many weddings tend to be in the summer and white looks so nice outdoors in the sunlight.

Whatever the reason, the vast majority of wedding dresses are still in shades of white and ivory. Some more intrepid brides have chosen other colors, such as a women s evening dresses gold wedding dress or even pink!

Despite white being the default choice in many brides' minds, not everyone can pull it off. White compliments very dark skin tones and the lightest skin tones best. Olive-skinned women should steer towards a richer color. If you have a tendency to tan in golden tones white will also look great on you. Brides with yellow undertones to their skin will look better in a diamond white rather than a gleaming white.

Considering Ivory

How do you know an ivory wedding dress is the right color for you? Can it be more than a "middle of the road" between pure white and champagne tones? Absolutely. To answer the first question, think of how pearls look against your skin. Have you always liked the effect? Don't think of the style of pearls, which might be too conservative for you: rather, think of the tone itself. Chances are you'll be saying a resounding "yes" if you have olive or creamy skin. Also in the resounding "yes" category: dark-skinned women, especially those with rich brown tones. In this case you may want to consider a rich ivory color, or a gold wedding dress. Creamy skin also looks nice in ivory, especially a paler shade of ivory.

If you have very fair skin you'll probably want to avoid ivory in favor of white. This way your dress will be lighter than your skin tone, which is the goal.

There are many shades of ivory with varying levels of color, and varying levels of yellow. If you're shopping for a dress in person, the best way to judge the color is against your skin, and preferably in daylight. If this is not possible in the store, ask for a fabric sample that you can take home. Shopping online? Take the time to request a fabric sample. It's well worth the minor cost if you're serious about the wedding dress in question. Not only for the color, but to judge the texture, shine and overall fabric quality.

Whatever your choice, make sure you don't compromise your fabric for the color you want. The fabric of your dress is incredibly important and needs to "stand on it's own". Don't be afraid to ask for a fabric sample to be really sure. This goes for a white dress too. Happy shopping!

Changes In Wedding Dress Styles

Usually a woman's wedding suit, unlike a man's, is worn only the once. The most lavish and indulgent purchase for any girl is generally her wedding dress. Dreams from a young age of the fairytale wedding often centre around the perfect dress. The choices in wedding attire today are great and cater for the often vastly different bridal personalities. Many brides, however, choose to revert to the more traditional theme warranting a more traditional gown for the occasion, such as Lady Diana's silk, taffeta gown created by the Emmanuals.

White wedding dresses have long been accepted in society as a symbol of purity and innocence although today's brides often opt for a more flattering ivory hue. During the first part of the last century a white wedding dress, because it couldn't be washed and reused, was a sign of wealth. Coco Chanel reinforced this idea in the late 1920's with her short white wedding dress with full veil which inspired the acceptance of the white wedding dress worldwide.

The traditional wedding dress is likely to be a jewel encrusted luxury fabric such as duchesse satin, organza and silk. Wedding dress styles vary from the traditional A-line through to vintage lace styles. The traditional A-line style's popularity is due to its ability to disguise most imperfections in body shape, an essential requirement if the bride is to look her best.

Accessorising to complement your traditional or modern wedding dresses plays a crucial role in bringing the whole look or theme together. Satin pumps, jewel encrusted veils, sparkling tiaras - the range of accessories is vast and includes blue laced garter for the important vera wang fashion 'something blue'.

Eggshell, ecru and ivory are just some of today's popular choices of 'white'. Additionally, in keeping with today's civil wedding ceremonies, most brides will choose an off-white gown of modern style. Fashion trends often dictate the style chosen by the young modern bride wishing to veer away from the traditional style of ceremony. The modern bride is likely to want a dress designed by people like Vera Wang or Maggie Sottero. Hand sewn embellishments and cutting edge design challenge the more traditional wedding gown.

Whatever the design - modern or traditional - the dress must be compatible with the bride's personality. Vera Wang's statement about a woman never being ivory lace dress sexier than when she's comfortable in her clothes is so true for the day of your wedding.