'90s wedding fashions

[LeeLee88]

I personally prefer Rachel's dress, even now.  I think that's a nice style, even if the headpiece is a bit "meh" for my taste.  Because my preference matters so very much, you guys  .

Slightly OT: Many years ago (like, '98 or so), I was working in a store with this girl who was complaining that she'd have to return her wedding dress soon, as it was beginning to look too dated.  She wasn't engaged, and she wasn't seriously dating anyone.  She bought the dress about 3 or 4 years earlier under the assumption she'd be getting married relatively soon, despite not having a serious relationship at the time.  And here I was, wondering how such a sweet and beautiful girl couldn't hold on to any of her boyfriends  .  And now, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

[Marisol]

And did she really think she could return a 3 year old dress?

[LeeLee88]

She figured that since the shop was still open, they wouldn't give her any hassle about it.   

[Emmy]

I think the OP looks beautiful and don't think the dress looks as dated as some from that era.

DH's sister got married in 88 and had the poufy sleeves.  DH was 14 and said he didn't get the appeal of the poufiness.  Apparently it stayed a big thing for a while, my co-worker mentioned that when her daughter got married in 1993, the main thing she wanted from a dress was big puffy sleeves near the shoulder that narrowed and got really tight by the hands.  For the last several years, the style has been strapless and it seems to be holding strong.

In a coffee shop/used book store, my DH and I found a Martha Stewart wedding book from the 80's.  We browsed through the book and saw much puff and frill in all it's 80's glory.  I remember one dress where the whole back of the dress resembled a pie crust ( the kind where the strips of dough are crossed over one another).  It also seemed like a lot of dresses in the book were baggy and not very figure flattering. 

[Nurvingiel]

Anyone remember Anne of Green Gables, and how she wanted a dress with puffed sleeves more than anything?

I actually never really got this fashion. I was born in the eighties, so maybe I was too young to appreciate it. Then again, I was a teen in the 90s and rocked the high tops, tie dyed shirts and scrunchies so maybe I can't judge. (I maintain to this day that those high tops were awesome though.)

When Prince William and Catherine Middleton got married, it seems like a lot of people compared Catherine to Princess Diana and that Catherine looked so much more lovely. I just don't think that was fair. I mean, Diana looked lovely as well, but she had the misfortune to get married in 1981 when puffed sleeves and over the top runching etc. was in fashion.



So while there is, IMO, way too much going on with the dress and headpiece, I still think she looks nice KWIM? Ms Middleton was married in an era that IMO has way better fashions. Especially for dresses. Having said that I'm sure there are some bad ones out there but at least designers seem to go with a "less is more" attitude.

[Wonderflonium]

I always thought that given the year, the bride's age, her status (future princess), etc, Diana's dress was spot on. I mean, if you can't be over-the-top when you are a 19 or 20-year-old princess to be (in 1981, no less), when can you?

P.S. I think the Spencer Family tiara is smashing.

[rose red]

I thought Diana's dress suited her for that occasion.  And while Kate's dress was pretty, I'm already forgetting the details.  I doubt I'll ever forget Diana's iconic dress.

[Nurvingiel]

I always thought that given the year, the bride's age, her status (future princess), etc, Diana's dress was spot on. I mean, if you can't be over-the-top when you are a 19 or 20-year-old princess to be (in 1981, no less), when can you?

P.S. I think the Spencer Family tiara is smashing.

That is an excellent point.

I didn't find Catherine's dress forgettable, but there are few people who could have pulled off the dress Princess Di wore - she was one of the few. 

[Marisol]

I like Diana's dress.  I like puff sleeves.  But I like puff sleeves done right and in my opinion Diana's looked rich instead of "trying too hard".  In my little girl mind I still think puff sleeves are equal to a princess's ideal fairy tale dress.  Sarah's dress in Labyrinth is another example.  If you want a fairytale dress, puff sleeves are a must.  Even Cinderella's most famous dresses have puffs (her ball gown and her pink dress.

I also liked Kate's dress, but to me it was more forgettable and ordinary.  Elegant and gorgeous yes, but also understated and common.  I don't think it is a "princess dress" although it suited her and was fit for royalty.  It just isn't as much of a fairytale gown. 

[Maujer]

I always thought that given the year, the bride's age, her status (future princess), etc, Diana's dress was spot on. I mean, if you can't be over-the-top when you are a 19 or 20-year-old princess to be (in 1981, no less), when can you?

P.S. I think the Spencer Family tiara is smashing.

That is an excellent point.

I didn't find Catherine's dress forgettable, but there are few people who could have pulled off the dress Princess Di wore - she was one of the few. 

I think it's funny that my mom and dad got married in 1981 and her dress looks A LOT like Catherine's dress. Like a lot, a lot. I considred wearing it myself two years ago but I had trouble fitting into it at 12 so I figured it was a lost cause at 25.

[LeeLee88]

I thought Diana's dress suited her for that occasion.  And while Kate's dress was pretty, I'm already forgetting the details.  I doubt I'll ever forget Diana's iconic dress.

My mom was married to my father in an exact replica of Diana's wedding dress, except the train was 10 feet, rather than 25  .  She had to give it a bit of extra ruching around the bust though; the poor thing was barely an A-cup back then.  She had it in her head when I was little that I might get married in that dress, but luckily realized that that style wasn't exactly to my personal taste long before I was even seriously dating anyone.  Well, that, and my mother is a very, very petite lady, and I'm built broad, and so the dress couldn't even be zipped up past the small of my back even when I only weighed 125 lbs.  And mom was four months pregnant when she was married, so that gives you an idea of how teeny-tiny and elf-like she was/is. 

[The Legend of Daisy]

Married in 1992 (divorced in 2006). The first thing I said when I walked into the bridal store was NO PUFFY SLEEVES. Apparently I didn't rule out linebacker shoulders though   The dress was also available with the sparkly lace overlay on the skirt as well - very glittery. Having said that I still think the tiara is beautiful.

Sorry about the quality - these are iphone snapshots of actual prints.  ETA finally figured out how to resize.

Ready?

[crafty_rach]

Not dress related but my BFF was married in Nov of last year (at 23) and she walked down the aisle to 'You're Still the One' by Shania Twain ... a few people have given me weird looks when I've mentioned this and I can understand where they're coming from because it definitely a very 90's song but it worked on the day ... I think there's kind of a 'time suspension' around weddings sometimes.

Having said that I have a copy of my Aunt's photo from her engagement somewhere that has her in a white suit with massive should pads, bright red lipstick and some sort of glamorous mullet haircut that's all bouffy up top and razor cut on the bottom. Man, that thing is like a portal to the 80's 

[Emmy]

I like Diana's dress.  I like puff sleeves.  But I like puff sleeves done right and in my opinion Diana's looked rich instead of "trying too hard".  In my little girl mind I still think puff sleeves are equal to a princess's ideal fairy tale dress.  Sarah's dress in Labyrinth is another example.  If you want a fairytale dress, puff sleeves are a must.  Even Cinderella's most famous dresses have puffs (her ball gown and her pink dress.

My imagine of a 'fairytale dress' was always a full skirt with a fitted bodice.  Without looking at pictures in my story books of princesses since childhood, the image of the fitted bodice and full, long, skirt was cemented in my mind as the 'princess dress'.  Puff sleeves never entered the imagine in my mind, although with so many famous dresses with puff sleeves, I can see why they were popular, especially after Diana's iconic dress.  When I got married in 2006, they were considered very much out of style.

I don't think comparisons of Kate and Diana are fair.  It was a different era when Diana got married so of course Kate's dress will look more contemporary and stylish by today's standards.  Diana was also several years younger than Kate when she married.  I think each of the women's dresses suited them.

[Íkorna]

I was born in 1991, so my memories of 90s fashion are a bit... well, warped by the fact that I was very young. I went to my very first wedding in the late 90s, and upon looking at the pictures the bride chose a very timeless dress. No poofy sleeves, instead they were ordinary ones with a slightly poofy (but not 80s poofy) skirt. I wish I could find a picture of what it looked like somewhere on the Internet.

It's fun to reach a point where I can just start to look back and laugh at fashion trends in my own lifetime. I recall being kindergarten age and wanting to be like those grown up teenage girls with their overalls...