Here comes the bride, all dressed in — black?
Today’s brides are no longer interested in wearing white for their big day.
While the conventional wedding attire features elegant long, white dresses with veils and trains, that tradition is no longer in vogue.
A new trend that has blossomed for the modern bride includes donning darker hues for dresses, such as black.
Google Trends had high searches for “black wedding dress” over the past 12 months, CNN reported. In fall 2021 specifically, “black wedding dress” was searched more times than “white wedding dress” on Google.
Wedding gown and formalwear mega-chain David’s Bridal is currently featuring a selection of custom-order versions of their popular dress styles in black.
Laura McKeever, senior manager of brand PR at David’s Bridal, told CNN that brides are leaning toward going dark on their most joyous day as a way to buck tradition.
“This is by far our favorite trend and we are loving it. Black gowns are chic and dramatic,” she told CNN. “The concept of what’s considered traditional has evolved.”
McKeever noted that the pandemic has shifted lifestyles and customs, explaining that “Couples wanting to throw traditional wedding rules out the window.”
“Brides who’ve had to postpone their weddings because of the pandemic now want their special day to be unique,” she added.
“They want to wear what they want on their big day. They are picking unique venues, they’re wearing sneakers and having food trucks at their wedding,” McKeever stated. She also revealed that David’s Bridal increased its selection of differently colored dresses by 30% this year, up from 10% in 2021.
Other colors that are added to the paint palette include blue, champagne, purple and red.
The tradition of rocking white frocks to walk to the altar stretches back to the era of Queen Victoria. She famously wore the shade resembling purity when she married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, who was also her first cousin, in 1840. She popularized the white color style during the time and many other brides wanted to follow suit in an effort to mimic their monarch’s tastes.
Victoria was only 20 years old when she tied the knot and opted to choose a dress that would reflect her own innocence and chastity and show she was fit to rule the United Kingdom.
Celebrities are also reviving the black-dress style, setting trends for the rest of the public to chase for the ‘gram.
Sarah Jessica Parker wore a black dress for her marriage to Matthew Broderick in 1997, while “Selling Sunset” star Christine Quinn sported a noir-colored tone for her 2020 ceremony.
