The Evolution of Bridal Wear
In Western culture, white wedding dresses gained popularity since Queen Victoria was married in white in the 19th century. In contrast, Red in Eastern cultures is the preferred colour for wedding dress attire. Red is believed to symbolise good fortune, prosperity and future success to the newly wedded couple.
Traditionally, wedding dresses were made to symbolise wealth and social status of the family being married, where the bride represents a larger group of individuals beyond herself. Marriage was often driven by political influence and more broadly, consisted of the marriage of countries, businesses and people and arguably these traditions can still be seen in areas of the world, in Royal families and monarchs.
Brides from wealthy families were often clothed in the richest fabrics money could buy. Wedding dresses were meticulously constructed from French silks, natural furs and the finest European velvets that were available on the market. Historically, brides dressed in the height of current fashion trends. The materials chosen were visual cues used to illustrate status to other families. Poor brides often wore their best church dress on their wedding day.
Today, we still see the trend of luxurious materials being used to construct wedding dresses, although it can be noted that cheap, mass-produced, embellished fabrics are used to capture the appearance of wealth by using fake, plastic jewels which give the sparkle but cost much less.
White wedding dresses have often been considered to represent virginity and purity, though this was not the original intention as we have learned from Queen Victoria. Today we still see white as the typical colour chosen for the majority of wedding dresses and bridal occasions, with variations of Ivory, Shell and Cream.
House of Ezis wedding dresses have gradually evolved from our formal wear collections that have been developed over the past 10 years. Youthful, simple and flattering to the female form; our focus has always been on experimenting with shapes, lines and tailoring methods to achieve the perfect proportions for the bride-to-be.
House of Ezis was pioneering in the backless formal wear trend for women in Australia, which later on had a major influence on Australian wedding gowns. Our wedding dresses blur the boundaries of what is typically worn as a wedding dress, opting for current alternatives that suit the Australian climate and mood. House of Ezis gowns cross-over between special occasions, offering a unique alternative to the mass-produced currently on offer. Our focus is to produce timeless pieces that speak to the modern woman.
