Timeline of the Bridesmaid Dress

We know that trends come and go (and some re-emerge), and wedding trends are no exception! I want to do a series where I explore the origin of certain trends pertaining to weddings and discover how they have evolved over the years. And what better place to start than the infamous bridesmaid dress…

Ancient Rome

Many believe that the concept of a bridal party originated in Ancient Rome, where a wedding needed to have 10 witnesses for the marriage to be legal.

15th Century

The tradition of the bridal party dressing exactly like the bride and groom began as a means for protecting them from evil spirits, as people believed this would confuse the spirits so they wouldn't know which couple were the newlyweds.

17th Century

Weddings during the 17th century were seen as a celebration where extravagance was expected. The bride would wear her best dress and certain colors were reserved for her big day, depending on her age and circumstance. Green was worn by teenage brides, brown for brides in their mid-20s, and black for older brides. Bridesmaids would follow suit.

1840

When Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her wedding to Prince Albert, she not only popularized the white wedding dress tradition that still exists today, but an all-white wedding party became customary. In fact, the Queen designed all twelve bridesmaid dresses herself, opting for simple white silk designs with tulle skirts and white roses.

1850

In the Victoria era, it was considered in vogue to have an all-white wedding—but there were a few ground rules. All bridesmaids had to be younger than the bride, unmarried, and their veils had to be shorter than the bride’s.

1880

The best thing about your Victorian bridesmaid dress? You could shorten it after the wedding and wear it again. We kid you not, this line has been going around since the 19th century and Victorian women really would repurpose their bridesmaid dresses for everyday wear.

1895

By the end of the 19th century, brides began experimenting with colorful bridesmaids dresses and the all-white wedding party slowly started to become less common. White, green and rose were the most popular colors in America, while gray, lilac, and violet were common in England.

1915

Sometimes a bridal party didn't include any mature bridesmaids and was made up of all children. In this case, the junior bridesmaids and flower girls wore short white dresses, which usually included a ribbon sash.

1930

Glamorous full skirts were all the rage in the '30s, as were ruffles and full sleeves, which resulted in a Little Bo-Peep-inspired style that was all the rage.

1945

Matching bridesmaids dresses remained popular during this time and off-the-shoulder, ruffled styles, like the ones pictured, were very common.

1950

Full skirt styles began popping up in bridal fashion by 1950. Sweetheart necks and cap sleeve gowns were some of the most popular styles you'd see walking down the aisle.

1960

The 1960s were all about the modern and shorter look. High neck collars and sleeveless dresses were popular styles of the moment.

1975

Tiered ruffled gowns in a peach hue and with matching wide brimmed hats—we couldn't describe a bridesmaid outfit better encompassing the mid-'70s if we tried.

1980

It wasn't just Princess Diana's wedding dress that impacted bridal fashion. Her choice of bridesmaid dresses sent brides around the globe into a flurry over puffy sleeves and taffeta for the remainder of the decade.

1985

Guess what's back? Pink. Flower crowns also made a mark around this time, as seen on this bridesmaid, who's lucky enough to be wearing both trends.

1990
Fashion in the '90s was all about shifting toward minimalism. Toned down colors, like black, burgundy, and navy, started popping up more frequently, and simple silhouettes were chosen over busy designs.

2000

By 2000, full length satin gowns were taking the lead as the most popular trend for bridesmaids. Brides also start choosing more than one color for their wedding party.

2001

Not only did Phoebe and Rachel look great as bridesmaids on *Friends*, but their sleeveless floral gowns are totally on trend for the moment.

2004

Around the mid-2000s, it became more common for the maid of honor to wear a different color than the rest of the bridal party.

2006

With bad bridesmaids dresses becoming more of a stigma than a cliché, brides began allowing bridesmaids to chose the style they preferred in a color the bride picked.