The White Dress

by Harriet Worsley

The White Dress chronicles the collision between tradition and high fashion for bridalwear, and providesinspiration for both fashion designers and future brides.

The book contains a rich collection of images from dresses suitable for religious ceremonies to bikini-clad brides on the beach. Fantastic movie stills show some of the most glamorous wedding dresses ever made. Reportage shots from celebrity magazines celebrate Bianca Jagger on the Cô te d'Azur in a white trouser suit and Princess Grace demure in white lace. Paparazzi pictures of white dresses worn on the red carpet will inspire exciting bridalware today. Photographs and fashion illustrations from leading fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent, and dresses by designers including Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Vera Wang complete the picture.

Tiaras, trains, flowers, scarves, veils, and other essential bridal accessories are included throughout the book. With its strong narrative and careful selection of images, this book is an intelligent fashion bible for new brides and fashion designers.

Genres: Fashion, Fashion History

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge book full of beautiful dresses - not all wedding gowns or white, incidentally - to serve as inspirational photographs to the bride-to-be (or just someone who likes dresses). Not much text but it's not needed to be honest. Many of the captions are inaccurate (just one example is Carole Lombard being misidentified as Bette Davis) but again, it doesn't matter so much. It's a lovely collection of images divided into sections such as "fairytale princess", "no fuss, no frills", "the goddess", "the damsel", etc. All age groups are covered and the dresses cover a period from the mid 19thC (there is one I can remember of a dress from the 18thC) to contemporary haute couture. My only complaint is that I wish there were more images of dresses from other cultures. The ones that are included are so few that it almost seems like an afterthought. Lovely books though. I found mine at the V&A and spent a good couple of hours gazing longingly at the dresses on the train back from London.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a book for brides only. It is a book that tells the story of the white dress throughout history. Not only that, but it offers insight on wedding rituals and traditions from all over the world. It is the perfect guide for fashion, whether you are looking to get started on your own wedding gown or simply like to look at famous dresses worn by famous people. I liked the fact that it shows evening and red carpet dresses, as well as catwalk presentations.