Wedding Dresses in the '60s
A decade remembered for social progress, a presidential assassination and the Vietnam War, the 1960s proved to be a notable time for wedding fashion as well. Traditional princess gowns opened the '60s, inspired in part by the earlier fairytale marriage of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy. However, as the years wore on and political and social turmoil increased, brides began to take on everything from turtleneck lace dresses with thigh-grazing hemlines to satin empire shifts with fitted sleeves. Does this Spark an idea?
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Classic Curves and Princess Gowns
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Wedding fashion in the early 1960s continued to draw inspiration from the curvy silhouettes of the decade before. Bridal dresses emphasized hourglass figures, with particular attention paid to the waist. Additionally, brides enamored of First Lady Jackie Kennedy and her "Camelot" marriage often chose classic princess gowns for their wedding day.
These gowns featured sweetheart necklines, fully boned bodices and sweeping skirts with hemlines that grazed the floor. Because modesty remained in style, strapless princess dresses often came with matching lace shawls or fitted jackets.
Empire Dresses
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As the 1960s progressed, social mores loosened, which in turn revived the empire silhouette. Wedding dresses no longer highlighted a bride's slim waist, but instead shifted attention to her bust. With the gathered placed snugly under the bosom, from which long panels of fabric flowed, empire wedding gowns allowed a bride to conceal a less-than-ideal figure.
While hemlines tended to remain at the floor, adventuresome brides began to opt for empire shifts that extended only as far the knee.
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Mini Dresses
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Inspired by British designer and icon Mary Quant, brides of the late 1960s began to turn up in mini dresses. With hemlines that only reached to the middle of the thigh, this style revolutionized the fashion world. To compensate for the lack of material covering the leg, mini wedding dresses often featured long, tight sleeves cut to points over the hands.
In 1969, film star Audrey Hepburn balanced the skin she showed in her abbreviated wedding gown with a turtleneck and matching hood.
Flower Power
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With the Vietnam War showing no sign of ending, hippie culture became ubiquitous. Wedding fashion followed suit. By the end of the decade, many brides chose to walk down the aisle in flowing, unstructured gowns made of gauzy cotton or polyester chiffon.
Others selected brightly patterned caftans or peasant dresses embroidered with flowers. Instead of heels, brides of the Flower Power era often paired flat sandals with their dresses and wore daisies or carnations tucked in their hair.
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