It is not yet 24 hours since a jubilant William lead his beautiful bride Catherine from Westminster Abbey, no stone has been left unturned in the subsequent analysis of their big day. The hot topic of course is the wedding dress and its fifties inspired elegance, but how much does it mimic dresses of the past?
A lace sleeve was a popular and elegant choice for wedding dresses in the fifties (Image is the copyright of Katie Randall)
Much has been said of Catherine’s wedding dress, stepping out of her role as ‘commoner Kate’ as she has been dubbed by the tabloids, she consciously choose to avoid ostentatious flourish’s.
The dress was received very well by those that make up the fashion monarchy and the public alike. Surely this will please Her Royal Highness Catherine as the royal wedding website notes that she worked very closely with Alexander McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton on the lacy creation.
Karl Largerfeld the designer extraordinaire at the helm of Chanel spoke of the elegance of McQueen’s garments, Burton is now the creative director at the label after Alexander McQueen took his own life last year.
Lagerfeld is quoted by the Daily Mail saying, “It’s very pretty, and relatively classic, but that goes with the decor, with a little touch of the 1950s that recalls Marilyn Monroe or Queen Elizabeth’s dress.”
A glance back to the past
In 1947 Princess Elizabeth married Prince Phillip of Greece, in shape rather than style perhaps Kate Middleton was giving a nod to her grandmother-in-law’s wedding dress. Cinched in at the waist and then tumbling to the floor with volume, both brides dresses elongated and slimmed their figures, they also both featured long sleeves.
Carole Middleton, mother of the bride also made an interesting outfit choice, choosing Catherine Walker to design her tailored dove-grey dress suit. Walker was renowned as one of Princess Diana’s go-to designers, so the move whether conscious or not was very thoughtful.
Laced with tradition
Catherine’s dress has been compared with another resplendent princesses wedding gown. In 1956 Grace Kelly married Ranier III, Prince of Monaco in dress that would prove timeless for generations.
A delicate white lace bodice and full length sheer sleeve joins a sweetheart neckline corset, the skirt is high-waisted and subtly supported underneath so that it is voluminous without creating a meringue. The sheerest of veils is perched atop a diamond tiara.
The description is accurate for both Catherine and Grace’s wedding attire. For the two princesses about to embark on their royal lives classic elegance was key.
The history of the dress
The fashion house, McQueen creates sharp silhouettes but under Sarah Burton’s rule the direction has been softer and at times whimsical. The intricacy involved in Catherine dress was very apparent, individual flowers were hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle.
Lace itself was a popular choice for wedding dresses in the fifties, the modesty of a lace sleeve was much admired. It was Queen Victoria, however, who really emphasised it’s beauty as a fabric in her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert.
The queen decided that her dress should be British-made to promote the country’s arts and crafts and lace industry. The lace for the deep flounce to decorate her skirt was woven in Honiton and Beer. Prince William’s bride followed in this tradition using English lace along with French Chantilly lace throughout the bodice and skirt of her bridal gown.
The Style Starling 