A Whiter Shade of Wedding Dress

It may sound strange, but the colour white does not have just one shade...it has many, and not every shade will be suited to you.

Let's start from the beginning...have you ever wondered why white? Why, when you pictured your wedding gown at the ripe age of 8 years old, were you walking down the aisle in a beautiful shade of white? You know it's "traditional", but you may not know why it is in fact a "tradition". To be honest - I'm married, and I didn't know until I set out to write this article! So maybe I don't always lead by example...

The tradition of the white wedding dress takes its root from the English Monarchy. Queen Victoria married Albert of Saxe-Coburg in 1840, deciding to marry her fiancé in a white dress - considered a very bold and extravagant move for her era. While it took a bit of time for the tradition to "take", it sparked many women to copy the Queen, as they believed her statement was one of class and style.

Before this time, a bride married in any colour except black, which was the colour of mourning, or red, the colour associated with prostitutes.

Yet during the Victorian era, the colour white was considered a mark of one's wealth. Wearing a glamorous white gown on your wedding day showed your guests and any passer-by that you were rich - that you could afford to wear a dramatic, white gown you would probably never, ever wear again.

However, women who could not afford a one-off extravagant, white gown continued to wear wedding dresses of various colours and styles. During World War I, World War II and the Depression that followed, many women continued to wear the only wedding dress they could afford.  Yet with the rise of publicity in the 1950s, the world watched as royalty, celebrities and the wealthy donned gorgeous white gowns for their weddings...and officially followed suit.

Now of course, it's not just about choosing the style of gown that will best suit your body shape...it's also about choosing the shade of white that will best suit your skin tone!

Here's a guide to choosing the white that's right for you.

PURE WHITE (also known as STARK): This is the most intense, vivid and crisp shade of white.

IT SUITS: As it's so bright, it is a colour that best suits women with darker skin tones. Women with yellow or olive hints can wear pure white as well.
IT DOESN'T SUIT: Women with fair skin - it washes you out. 

NATURAL WHITE (also known as DIAMOND or SILK): Natural white is a touch duller than pure white. It's a bit more opaque, although it ends up looking pretty much the same as pure white when photographed. 

IT SUITS: Designers say that most people look best in natural white.

IVORY (also known as EGGSHELL or CANDLELIGHT): This is an off-white hue. It's often a creamy, milky colour, due to the tendency for the ivory material to have hints of yellow.

IT SUITS: Pale skin and dark skin suit ivory dresses. Women with medium skin that has pink undertones suit creams as well.
IT DOESN'T SUIT: You should steer clear from ivory if your skin has hints of olive or yellow.

CHAMPAGNE (also known as RUM): This colour is a shade of white that has pink undertones. Despite the hint of pink, champagne dresses often look natural white in photographs.

IT SUITS: Skin with yellow or olive undertones suit champagne dresses.