Okay, so I decided to dive into what wedding dresses looked like back in the early 1900s. It wasn’t for any specific big project, just got curious one afternoon.
Getting Started – The Hunt
First thing I did was just start searching online. Typed in things like “1900s wedding dress”, “Edwardian bride”, “vintage wedding photos early 20th century”. Tons of black and white pictures popped up, which was exactly what I wanted. I spent a good hour or two just scrolling through images, saving the ones that really caught my eye.
I also checked out some museum websites. Places like the Met or the V&A sometimes have online collections where you can see actual garments. It’s different seeing the real thing, even in photos, compared to just old snapshots.
Noticing the Details
Pretty quickly, I started seeing patterns. Things that kept showing up:
- High Necklines: Almost every dress had a collar that went right up the neck, often with lace or ruffles. Super modest compared to now.
- Long Sleeves: Forget sleeveless! Sleeves were usually full-length, sometimes puffy at the shoulder or tight at the wrist.
- That ‘S’ Shape: This was interesting. The corsets back then pushed the bust forward and the hips back, creating this distinct S-curve silhouette. You can really see it in the photos.
- Lace, Lace, and More Lace: Seriously, lace was everywhere. On the bodice, the sleeves, the skirt, the veil. Sometimes fine embroidery too.
- Fabrics: Looked like lots of fine cottons (like lawn or batiste), sometimes silk satin, but often layered with delicate, sheer fabrics.
Trying to Understand Construction
This was the tricky part. I wasn’t actually making a dress, but I wanted to figure out how they were put together. I zoomed in on pictures, trying to see seam lines. It looked like a lot of intricate work.
I noticed things like:
- Tiny little pin-tucks used for shaping and decoration.
- Lace insertion, where the lace is set into the fabric, not just sewn on top. That takes skill.
- Layering of fabrics to get the right look and volume. The skirts weren’t simple A-lines; they had gores and sometimes little trains.
- The importance of undergarments. You couldn’t get that S-shape without the right corset and petticoats. The dress relied on what was underneath.
Final Thoughts on It
Going through all this just gave me a real appreciation for the craftsmanship back then. These dresses weren’t just clothes; they were incredibly detailed pieces. The amount of hand sewing that must have gone into them is wild to think about. Everything seemed so delicate and feminine, but also quite structured because of the corsetry.
It was a fascinating little exploration. You see these old photos and just think “old dress”, but when you actually stop and look closely at the details – the fabric, the cut, the decoration – you realize how much thought and effort went into each one. Very different from grabbing something off the rack today!
