The first thing to look for after a woman has accepted to marry is a wedding dress. Wedding dresses are the climax of the wedding as all eyes are on the bride; by any means necessary, she must not disappoint her audience.
The journey to finding a perfect wedding dress isn’t easy; this is where the true strength of the bride is tested. That is why we are entirely grateful for the 80s era, which birthed so many beautiful options.
Some of these options are still relevant today. You can always look up to this era for wedding dress inspirations when you want one. Here, let’s review 10 of those dresses that’ll still turn heads today.
Wedding dresses of the 80s:
1. Wedding dresses with puff sleeves
Back then, in the time of Queen Victoria, some parts of a wedding dress had to be overemphasized to show the level of affluence a family had, and one of such things was puffed sleeves. The puff sleeves were made from whatever fabric was used for the overall wedding dress. But in our world today, puff sleeves are a huge fashion statement; it just brings to life all the other parts of the dress that aren’t seen, giving the bride an overall superb look. It’s also a way to show how proud you are of the moment.
2. Wedding dresses with voluminous tulle skirt
Tulle skirts are layers of fabric stacked on top of each other to give that voluminous look. It starts with a waist wire hanger to give the layers of fabric a platform to lay on and form an almost circular shape from the waist down. Wedding dresses with this design were a popular practice in the 80s. Although they went silent after this period, they are now back. How could we have lived without tulle skirts when they served for all types of body shapes and sizes, giving a whole new look to the bride and making her feel like a modern-day Cinderella? Wedding dresses with tulle skirts have a whole vibe to them; when done right, it turns a bride into royalty.
3. Wedding dresses with long sleeves
In the 80s, long sleeve gowns were designed to cover up the bride’s entire body so no one saw her except her husband. Modesty was key, so the bride would go hours in full clothing that left little space for air or free movement, regardless of the weather; then came the revolution. We have gone from long sleeves to sleeveless and now back to long sleeves because there is no way we can ignore the elegance that long sleeves bring. These days long sleeves are an extension of the eloquent fabric used for the dress. So if you can’t see the fabric pattern from the body of the dress, you can see them clearly on the sleeves. Some sleeves are made from skin-like fabrics with beautiful embroidery, making it look like the bride had shiny patterns imprinted on her skin.
4. Wedding dresses with high collar
Wedding dresses with high collars were also used to keep the bride covered up for her husband. The most popular fabric for this kind of wedding dress was satin which was quite uncomfortable until Kate Middleton showed us the way with a high collar, V-neck made from lace, and completely changed our mindset about high collars. High collars are now the coolest trend for wedding dresses as different fabrics can be used for the collars, giving the designer more room to showcase their creativity. Also, high collars eliminate the need for necklaces which can be super convenient for those who don’t like them and those who can’t spare money for the extra expenses. All around, a high collar is a win.
5. Wedding dresses with long trains
When the People’s princess had her wedding, her wedding dress became a fashion statement and standard for so many weddings after hers. One thing that left people with their jaws hanging low was her train. It was so long that even while she was in the church, part of it was still outside, and that was the climax of the fairytale wedding. Luckily for us today, we are still allowed to have long trains attached to our wedding dress. Not for any sentimental reason but to show that meeting your soulmate and being joined with him is indeed a fairytale come to life and what way to show that than a long wedding dress train?
6. Wedding dresses with bows
Bows have a way of adding elegance to everything, including wedding dresses. The attachment of bows to wedding dresses added the extra touch the dress needed. You thought the dress was boring in front? Wait till you see the back. It was an element of surprise that pleased everyone, and we still see some brides going for such a look even today. The bows are usually placed at the back of the dress, by the waistline, to further emphasize her waist. So while you think there’s nothing extra or special about the dress from the front, wait till she walks past you, and you will be shocked by the magnificence behind her.
7. Wedding dresses with mutton chop sleeves
A mutton chop has a voluminous shape at one end and slim at the other, creating a sort of sheep meat cut with a piece of the rib attached to it. From the shoulder to the elbow is big and might have multiple layers of fabric, then becomes slim from the elbow to the wrist. This style was inspired by a lot of fairytale characters who came to life in the 80s and are still very much in style today. Mutton chop sleeves are those sleeves a bride wears when she wants to tell everyone that her wedding is fairytale-themed without actually saying it’s a fairytale theme. One look, and we know Aurora (sleeping beauty) inspired your look.
8. Wedding dresses with padded shoulders
Padded shoulders do one thing. They add definition to your dress. Simple. In the 80s, padded shoulders were puffy and had round necks, which wasn’t all bad but cliché. Then it evolved from round necks to padded off-shoulder gowns, and now we have padded shoulders with plunging necklines. That’s just perfection. Padded shoulders are very much in style even today, with many options to choose from: plunging necklines, off-shoulder detachable sleeves with long trains, and so many other designs. Padded shoulders are a trend that we expect to be around for a long time.
9. Short wedding dresses
Typical wedding dresses are so long you won’t see the bride’s shoes. Long wedding dresses have been around for a very long time. We were shocked when we saw a bride in a short wedding dress. This trend began in the 80s when women broke out from the status quo and tried to make a statement for themselves. Since then, many brides have opted for this option rather than a long dress because of how free and easy it is to manage a short dress compared to a long flowy one. As we know recently, Kourtney Kardashian wore a very short wedding dress, and it refreshed our minds on how elegant a short wedding dress can be and why you should consider wearing it.
10. Wedding dresses with ruffles
Ruffles are those added layers to a dress, either at the sleeves or at the bottom part of your dress. The whole dress could be made of ruffles for that playful look. When ruffles first became a thing, it was presumed to be for babies’ clothing only until a bride had ruffles in her wedding dress, and we were sold. Ruffles add volume and elegance to a dress in a playful and happy manner. Ruffles were usually placed around the dress to form layers of fabric from top to bottom. But recently, ruffles are cut in regular shapes and sizes to give the dress an irregular edge, and we love it. A wedding dress with ruffles should be on your list of wedding dresses to choose from.
Conclusion
As vital as wedding dresses are, it can be a real headache to know which to choose from. Money issues, body shape, size, preference, and comfortability are all issues that make picking a wedding dress real work. That is why we are so thankful to the 80s for bringing positive change to the fashion world and making it easier for us to have multiple options to choose from. So whenever you doubt what to choose for your wedding, you can always count on the brides from the 80s to give you a model you can try today.
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