What the Bride of Today Will Wear - April 1914

What the Bride of Today Will Wear - April 1914

Of all the costumes which are worn in one brief lifetime, the most sacredly alluring is that of the wedding hour. So long as the world moves there will be brides, and so long as there are brides there will be fashions.

For this is the time of all times when a girl is justified in encouraging all her individuality—for his sake first of all, for their mutual friends, and for the sacred memories which shall be hers through all the following years. There are so many fascinating provisions for the bride of today than before.

Never has she had such filmy illusions as are woven in the loom of spring. Little trimming mars the exquisitely simple lines, for whole bodices, flounces and sleeve lets are made of the gauziest materials which were formerly reserved for a finish.

Our first thought, when the wedding-chimes are heard, is of a cloud-like veil, shutting out the past and future, and enveloping only the present in perfect loveliness. Moreover, so we place our veiled bride uppermost in our thoughts and on our page, as a symbol of the formal wedding.

White chiffon veils her beautiful shadow-lace bodice and makes the dear little flounces so web-like and straightforward. The foundation skirt is of rich white satin, with a wonderfully practical detachable train which may be left off afterward for less formal evening wear. Pearls in all their simplicity are the only trimming used.

There is another type of bride, just as typical in her unassuming little frock, which is a replica of the beautiful lingerie dresses destined to a summer of favoritism. In this, she appears as one of her bridesmaids, sweet, girlish and adorable.

With this informal dress, a veil is most often replaced with a charming headdress, piquant and becoming to a rare degree. Many choose to combine the two, and a veil may be appropriately attached to almost any cap or veils are ofttimes arranged in cap effect, with usually a simple finish of pearls or orange blossoms.

However, there is yet another type of bride who is the embodiment of twentieth-century conformity. She is practical, thinking less of the betrothal hour than of the trip to follow, and the genuine pleasure she will derive from her "going-away suit" of the newest, most stunning cut to be had. Of course, there will be a flare in the noticeably short little coat, and a bustle effect in the skirt.

She will scorn the wedding bouquet, and in its place will be a massive bouquet of violets, real or artificial, ready for the wedding journey too. Her hat will have the same color note, and her Colonial pumps will be adorned with the most attractive of cut-silver buckles.

In the beautiful wedding costumes on page 11, their practical use is their most robust feature. The most formal of all (7361—7362) is just a simple, modest little frock when the detachable train is removed.

The underbody is cut exactly like the chiffon bodice, and machine hemstitching is the most readily suggested finish for the edges of the chiffon bodice sections, or if you are skilled in the art, they may be rolled and whipped.

French tacks attach the train to the skirt, and you might line it with chiffon cloth or silk or leave it unlined; also use weights to hold it safely down.

For the informal wedding frock (7370) the hand-embroidery, taken from New Idea transfer 279, may be done directly on the dress, except at the waistline, where it should be done on a separate piece—cut out to within a quarter of an inch of the work, the raw edges turned in and appliqué to position.

There should be a foundation for this waist, of mousseline de soie, chiffon cloth, crepe de Chine or China silk, and a petticoat of the same. Or, if you use mousseline or chiffon cloth, let the petticoat be of silk or crepe de Chine.

A stunning coat-suit like 7375—7377 may be fashionably made of silk poplin or chiffon taffeta, with a blouse (7309) which is a combination of taffeta and chiffon as shown below with the removal of the coat.

"What the Bride of Today Will Wear," in The Woman's Magazine, New York: The New Idea Publishing Company, Vol. 29, No. 4, April 1914, p. 11, 49.

Note: We have edited this text to correct grammatical errors and improve word choice to clarify the article for today’s readers. Changes made are typically minor, and we often left passive text “as is.” Those who need to quote the article directly should verify any changes by reviewing the original material.

 

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