Like most little girls, I spent a lot of time daydreaming about what my wedding day might look like. My mom bought a life-size Barbie for me as a Christmas present one year and I remember parading around in the wedding dress she came with — it was scratchy and stiff, and featured that bulky early-'90s fashion sense, but I never wanted to take it off.
Now that I'm older, I definitely look back on those pictures and envision a much different outfit for the day I walk down the aisle. It's always a good idea to go with something classic, but delving too far back into the past can produce some… interesting results. In fact, some of the options below seem more appropriate for a funeral rather than the happy occasion of saying "I do."
All of these dresses from the late 1700s to the early 1900s show just how we've streamlined the wedding fashion industry with fewer ruffles, ribbons, and, most importantly, super-restrictive corsets.
Take a look and let us know in the comments if we missed any garish gowns from way back when.
And don't forget to SHARE with your friends!
Thumbnail source: Wikimedia Commons
1. All In The Hips
This dark golden dress was worn by Catherine the Great for her nuptials in 1745 and features the wide side-hoop skirts popularized by another regal lady, Marie Antoinette.
2. Tricky Train
This tightly wound train makes it look like she either has a tail or is in danger of being attacked by a snake on her big day.
3. Squeezing In
This close-up on how tight corsets were back in the day makes me wonder how any bride could stand without passing out before sealing the ceremony with a kiss.
4. Cut A Rug
This one from the mid-1800s seems like they decided it was a bit too plain and threw a bit of their rug at the bottom of the skirt for some flair.
5. Bow Crazy
I'm sure they would have fit even more ribbons on this ruffled design if they could have.
6. Wedding Or Funeral?
I'm all for mixing things up with colorful wedding gowns, but this one from 1886 is just a bit too bleak.
7. Ice Queen
This silver-gray is a step in a cheerier direction, at least, but still leaves me feeling pretty cold.
8. Puffed Up
This actually looks a lot like the one that came with my Barbie, only the sleeves are even more massive and that headpiece gives me Lady Gaga flashbacks.
9. Head Case
Women of the 1920s decided that an ordinary veil just wasn't good enough and started surrounding their noggins in these ornate, almost alien-like designs instead. They were so elaborate that they took attention away from the simple dresses of the time.
10. To Be Or Not To Be
The beading is delightful, yet the collar makes me wonder if William Shakespeare designed dresses in between writing plays.
11. Getting Ruffled
This might look like an ordinary, over-ruffled gown we've seen tons of times, but the fact that this is a two-piece makes me wonder how any bride ever managed to wrangle herself in and out of it.
Do you remember any other ridiculous bridal trends from the past? Let us know below and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
