Every time a bride gets proposed, somewhere a wedding dress breathes a sigh of relief as it gets to be their accomplice on their most special day ever! One of the first thoughts that pop up in the minds of an engaged bride-to-be is a wistful daydream of her wedding dress. Will it have a sweetheart neckline or oh-so-romantic exposed shoulders? Will it have a train to run for a mile, or will it be a shorter fit for an easy-breezy courthouse wedding-and-brunch affair? While certain things already speak to you and are non-negotiable in your wedding dress, there are other things that are determined by the bridal trend of the current times. Bridal style trends are dynamic and what is in this season might not be so coveted next year. Keeping up with the trends is crucial for the fashion-conscious bride, as it means they not only look phenomenal on their special day, they also have pockets full of wedding memories to look back on which is aesthetic and timeless, yet so fashion-forward, something which will make them smile in the years ahead. If you are a bride who is planning her dream wedding, congrats! But between table-setting decisions and food caterer meetings, you might want to read this blog before you head out for wedding dress shopping with your girls. Here are some of the hottest trends of 2021 and 2022 to keep your eyes out for when considering your dream wedding dress. Take notes, and cherry-pick what you like!
Short Dresses: This might be a good time to say goodbye to sweeping lengths and make friends with shorter lengths instead! Short or mini dresses for brides are big for weddings in the coming year and are having a big moment. A casual revamp of a traditional floor-length dress, wedding dresses with shorter hemlines are the need of the hour, post-COVID. Perfect for backyard weddings, elopements, and casual ceremonies, short dresses not only make perfect sense but also look stunning! If you love the romantic long lengths for your ceremony, you can go short for the other wedding events - be it your wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, or bridal shower for a refreshing hue on your wedding day!
Bishop Sleeves: Billowy bishop sleeves are the perfect bi-product of cottage-core aesthetics and regency-inspired trends, and we are loving it! Not only are bishop sleeves big in mainstream fashion, but they are also a strong presence in bridal fashion, and the effect is quite fitting! Billowy and voluminous styles are certainly the look of the moment, and we love all of it! Sleeves that are loose for the length of the arm and fitted at the wrists are the ideal statement detail to try if you’re looking for something trendy yet romantic and timeless. The great thing about this trend is that this classy design element can embody different vibes, be it bohemian, classic, or a woodsy paradise vibe.
Corset Bodices: Another trip down the Regency-era can be found in corset bodices, something has made quite a presence in mainstream fashion too. Something about the delicate details of a corseted bodice of a flowy dress is immensely beautiful that we can't quite put our finger on. Is it the traditional aspect of it, the way it is so feminine? Or the way it provides alluring structural elements to the bridal silhouette? We don't quite know, but we are loving the brides in corsets for the coming years. From Morilee By Madeline Gardner to The Atelier Couture by Professor Jimmy Choo, quite a few designer brands are incorporating this trend into their collection, and the effect is ethereal, romantic and a big throwback!
Bridal Separates: We are big fans of non-traditional bridal wear here, and we love a good set of bridal separates. Separates or sets are big in the world of fashion as a whole. It is no surprise it is prominent in bridal fashion too. Embellished crop tops with flowing column skirts or puffy skirts which trail down the aisle can be the way too, if you want to mimic the dress look, but gorgeous suits and pant sets are also quite the rages right now! If you do not incline to wear a wedding dress, this is your time to shine! Separates made a strong presence in the bridal fashion week circuit, most prominently by Scorcesa, Nordeen, and Yolancris among others
Minimalist Dresses: The last year has changed wedding dresses forever, making casual dresses and minimal designs big. Especially for home weddings, backyard weddings, or courthouse weddings, minimal dresses seemed to be favored over billowy princess dresses which you would wear to the city hall. You might consider losing the embellishments and appliques and extravagant tulles and go for modern, understated, and minimal dresses that came featured with clean lines, easy silhouettes, structured fabrics, and architectural draping, making them easy to wear yet memorable and elegant!
20s Flair: The shift dresses and sequins and the alluring vibe of the roaring 20s are back, and we love it. As history shows with every catastrophic time like the Great Depression, the people are bound to come out of it with a flair, ready to let loose and have fun again. With an appetite for celebration greater than ever, the 1920s trends are also seeing an all-time surge, so get ready to see a lot of beads, sparkles, and fringes! However, the effect is more neutral and aesthetic now, than ever! Our brides sure know how to come out of a crisis in style!
Ruffles: On the other end of minimalism, stands all the flair and ruffles and drama just a foot apart from the roaring 20s trend! The return of weddings in full power has led to some bold fashion choices, and there is no better time for ruffles than now! It sure doesn't get any more maximalist than this frilly, unapologetically dramatic detail which is quite celebratory. Ruffles are diverse in their nature too, ranging from softer ruffles leading to a mermaid silhouette, and an ethereal and whimsical aftereffect to architectural ruffles which are more streamlined yet bold!
Colorful Florals: Spring comes again, mixing colors to your wedding whites as it does every year, and leaving us captivated as always. Florals are big again but in line with the whimsical elegance of Bridgerton-brigade this time. Garden-party-inspired dresses with floral motifs are an ideal pairing for wedding dresses and exciting colorful details like 3-D rosettes, watercolor effects, and delicate embroidery give this traditional trend an impressive refresh. The great thing, as it is with every trend, is that you can go as intense or watered-down with the trend as you want, and the result will be just as enchanting. I mean, is there even a way to do florals wrong? We thought not!
Off-the-Shoulder Sleeves: If there's ever a time to reveal your inner romantic, this is it. Storybook romantic details are bigger than ever now, and so are off-the-shoulder sleeves which makes you feel like you are one of the Little Women! We love the flirty yet traditional necklines which flatter every frame which is refreshing yet yielding to all the silhouettes so that it matches your wedding style perfectly! While it is certainly a part of the classical regency throwback, it is also contemporary and was never really gone. It is just back with a more romantic makeover!
Feathers: Make way for feathers, another one of the over-the-top maximalist embellishment designers are loving this season, and we are all in for it! What better way to celebrate the wedding day with an extravagance than to add a feather to it? As surprising as it is, the feather trend fits effortlessly into every wedding theme, be it an ethereal vibe or leaning more into the 1920s style or just full-on glam. There is a lot of fun you can have by experimenting with this fun trend!
Square Necklines: No surprises there! Another trend that trickled down from the Bridgerton fandom, and we aren't even mad! Delicately feminine and beautifully flattering on everyone, square necklines are the trend of the season, and seem like it is not going anywhere! A rave favorite in Renaissance and then Regency eras, and hyped up by the cottage core clan, this geometric neckline universally flatters the collarbones and shoulders and makes you look you could be hosting a tea party in your secret garden, or foraging rare flowers in the forest, without it looking costumey. This is another one of those styles which will work well with almost every wedding theme, be it classic, romantic, or bohemian!
High Slits: We have been seeing it everywhere for a while and of course we have to see it here in bridal trends. High slits are coming back, but more fresh and flowy and less of an "Angelina Jolie'' moment we witnessed a decade ago. We are going full femme fatale this 2022 with a wedding dress that shows a little bit of skin but is balanced by the elegance of a dress. Wedding separates with high-slits on the skirts are also a thing, and work beautifully on all wedding styles, from formal to bohemian and everything in between.
Slip Dresses: Made famous by style icons like Kate Moss and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in the '90s, the simple silky slip dresses are back and here to impress. The easy-breezy, curve-skimming silhouette works perfectly with a fabric to match, like fluid silks and satins. Beautiful for a minimal wedding, the slip dresses are sultry, yet simple, minimal yet memorable, and sure leaves a timeless image in our minds. The slip dress is also perfect to go along with a traditional piece like a cape, a jacket, or a sheer topper.
Transitional Pieces: With so many two-part weddings and postponed weddings in the air, transitional wedding dresses are the need of the hour, and beautiful ones at that! If you are looking for two looks in one dress, and especially if your wedding has been postponed to the colder months, a wedding dress in versatile add-on options like capes, capelets, toppers, and coats are not only practical but are also impactful and full of drama! Also, it's essentially two dresses at the price of one, because the dress will look completely different with or without the transitional piece!
Fantasy and Fairy-Core: Elaborate wedding dresses to satisfy the dreamiest of dream weddings, the real and the unreal merge together in this beautiful fairy tale and magical lore dresses which are creating quite an impact in the bridal fashion trends. A contemporary take on traditional bridal florals and ruffles, with a bit of Alice in the Wonderland magic thrown into it, these dresses are on the right side of weird yet charmingly pretty with their exaggerated puff sleeves, grand ruffles, and bewitched shimmers. Complete with romantic draping, corsetry, and elaborate lace, these designs are perfect for the dreamy bride who likes to make a dramatic entrance!
Wedding dresses are pretty in every age, but trends have a huge part to play in it all. While in some years, the flowers are all in, the next year, lace will be the hot thing, and the brides adjust according to the most popular trend. While some brides like to stick to the classics, what is the fun without a little bit of dabbling in the trends? Trends come and go, but those wedding photos will live forever, yellowing with time as years roll in and out, always telling the stories from your most special day. While some trends might look exciting at the time, they might not be the best choice in terms of longevity. So choose your trends wisely and go for the wedding trend which ages well, while still helping you express yourself beautifully. The forthcoming years are exciting ones in terms of fashion and the pandemic has a huge role today in how bridal fashion will look in the coming years. We hope our run-through of wedding trends helped you find the perfect trend for your unique wedding, and we are sure you will look phenomenal in your bridal gown as you say the two magical words! Now that you have your notes, happy shopping!
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