Our first bride from about 1904 shows the typical Edwardian fashion of the day. During the Edwardian era (1901 to 1910) fashion favored the look of the mature woman with a full bosom, wasp-thin waist, and ample hips and behind. Fashion rules were very strict during this time and all women were expected to follow them. The Edwardian bride was supposed to be modest and covered up from neck to toes, including her arms, just like this bride.
Bridal Gown
The bridal dress has a high neckline trimmed with lace over a blousey bodice with a deep lace ruffle accenting the puffiness and giving her the fashionable (for that time) full-bosom look of the Edwardian era. The waistline area is tightly cinched-in by a ruched and boned “stomacher” to accent a small waist. Underneath this the bride was laced into a corset to help make her waist smaller. At this time, all women wore tight corsets. It was considered indecent to be un-corseted.
The bride’s puffy sleeves end below the elbow in a deep lace ruffle topped by a row of tiny satin rose buds. She is wearing long white gloves of kid skin that reach all the way up her arms to her sleeves.
The floor length skirt is full in front and ends in a flowing train which was a fashionable style during the Edwardian time. This train appears to be attached on top of the skirt. To give the desired slimming look over the hips, the skirt fabric has been gathered into narrow pin tucks over the hips. The plain satin skirt has a deep self-fabric ruffle near the bottom. Her skirt reaches all the way to the floor because it was not considered proper to see a lady’s ankles and feet during this time.
If you have read the FREE 10 Wedding Ideas from Vintage Brides ebook, you would know that this dress is a Triangular shape. You can see how this shape compares to other bridal dress shapes in the ebook.
Bridal Veil
This bride’s hair is loosely up-swept into a large bun at the top of her head. Her veil is puffed around this bun and decorated with silk orange blossoms, and then draped down her back. This hair style was popular during this time as ladies balanced large hats on top of their hair.
Bridal Bouquet
Our bride carries a large bouquet of long stemmed white roses, called “bridal roses,” tied together with a white satin ribbon. Green ferns fill in the bouquet.
If you liked this style of vintage wedding gown, you might also like these bridal gowns. Click to view these gowns:
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