Why Do Brides Wear White

In many societies the color white has been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some brides choose to wear white, especially in the West. Usually, you will hear that brides wear white because “it’s a tradition”. But, historically, white was not the only color considered for wedding dresses. 【小题1】

For many centuries in Western societies, wedding dresses had different colors. 【小题2】 Brides tended to buy a wedding dress that could be worn again, or they simply wore the best dress they already owned. And white is not practical: it is difficult to keep clean and is therefore not ideal for many situations or for repeated wear.

Many brides chose to wear dresses of other colors for their wedding and beyond. 【小题3】 They do so largely thanks to a trend that started with Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding to Prince Albert.

【小题4】 Although not in as many different media as we have now, they still had a tendency to be trendsetting. So Victoria chose to wear a white gown (女礼服)—reportedly to show off the fine detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was depressed at the time. Her fashion choice was widely reported in newspapers and magazines. 【小题5】 Eventually, the trend of a white wedding gown spread across all economic levels and it was strengthened as “tradition” in the 20th century.