1930s Vintage Wedding Dresses - A Guide to the Decade of Glamour!

Dear Reader

Who can resist the allure of the 30s, with all the glamour it conveys? I'm often intrigued by the gorgeous vintage wedding dresses I've sourced, so I have done a little research into the subject...

Beautiful white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

One question that interested me was, why it is so difficult to find beautiful gowns in great condition that pre-date the 30s? Well, the main reason is the introduction of Rayon. This fantastic strong fabric was originally called Artificial Silk, and was immediately embraced by all the major fashion houses. It was perfect for the draped styles of the day - it ruched and hung so beautifully, as it had a wonderful weight to it.

Stunning white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

Rayon was also more affordable than silk too - a huge advantage during the Depression Era. So whereas so many of the 1920s silk and chiffon gowns have lost their appeal, due to the silk 'breaking down',  the stronger 1930s Rayon dresses can be restored to their full beauty with a little know-how and a lot of love. There are certainly some amazing vintage wedding gowns from earlier decades, but dresses from the 30s seem to have lasted so well.

Glamorous gold satin 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

The main influence for the shape of 1930s wedding dresses was Hollywood. As the Great Depression drastically altered peoples lives, Hollywood films offered escapism and glamour. And so wedding gowns were modelled on the evening gowns worn by the Stars.

Simply glamorous. VIOLETTE 1930s-inspired silk wedding dress, from £1450

Hem-lines had started to rise in the 1920s, but they fell right back to the floor in the 30s, and simplicity and pared-down elegance became the only way for the modern bride. Madeleine Vionnet’s 1920s and 1930s dramatic bias cut gowns had a huge influence on fashion, and revolutionised the way dresses fitted. Although this technique had been used earlier, in the 1930s it was developing into a new way of dressing.

Slinky white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

Other features of the dresses - like the cowl neck and draping - reinforced the fluid idea of the design and became part of the whole. Low backs and open backs were subtly sexy, and combined with the sinuous fabrics, made a striking statement. 

Subtly sexy - white satin original 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

VIOLETTE 1930s-inspired silk wedding dress with lace sleeves, from £1450

VIOLETTE 1930s-style wedding dress with petal sleeves in silk satin, from £1450

It was during also the 30s that the idea of a 'white wedding' really took root. This was not a new idea - the white wedding dress was originally popularised by Queen Victoria. But from the 30s onwards, manufacturers started to produce gowns specifically for the bride, and the bridal gown became a cherished possession.

VIOLETTE 1930s-style dress with chantilly lace inserts, £1450

The white dress was promoted as an ideal from an earlier age. During the First World War and the Depression, brides had simply worn a suit or a day dress, so the new style of wedding dress heralded a return to glamour and romance.  

Movie-star glamour! White 1930s satin dress priced £1250 incl slip

Hollywood romance in white silk satin, VIOLETTE from £1450

The dresses required little in the way of ornamentation. Diamante dress clips were worn and still look great today. And beaded necklines were also popular in the later part of the decade. Technological developments during the 30s meant that costume jewellery was better made and much more widely available. There are many fabulous examples of 1930s diamante brooches and dress clips in fantastic condition, which look perfect with a satin gown. 

VIOLETTE 1930s-style dress worn with diamante dress clips

At present I have around eight or nine beautiful 1930s vintage dresses - including the two original beauties shown here - priced between £950 and £1350. (Dresses of this age are never lined as the ladies always wore a slip, so the price includes an individually-matched slip of the same age and style as the dress.)

Super-glamorous gold satin 1930s wedding dress, £1250 incl slip

And of course, my vintage-inspired Heavenly Collection features a number of 1930s-style dresses such as Violette shown here in different versions, priced from £1450. 

VIOLETTE in silk, from my vintage-inspired Heavenly Collection

I also have about fifty other vintage wedding dresses for sale for sale from every period, and the only way to find the best one for you is to pop over to visit me and try them on! 

Hope to see you soon,

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

All photos with thanks to Robert Lawler Photography

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Meet my new 1950s-style wedding dress: 'Dorothy'

Dear Reader

Drum roll please... 
Meet 'Dorothy', the latest in my Heavenly Collection of vintage-inspired wedding dresses... 

'Dorothy' 1950s style wedding dress, new to the Heavenly Collection

Dorothy is a new version of my 1950s-style Blanche dress. Dorothy features a full length, more A-line skirt to give a softer look. 

A really versatile dress, Dorothy can work in so many different ways: I've shown it here in ivory silk and corded lace, using the beautiful border for the sleeve and hem.

I named the dress after my lovely model, Dorothy, pictured here!

The Dorothy dress is available now from £1495

As well as the pretty short sleeve shown here, Dorothy also looks fabulous with a three-quarter or full length sleeve. The photos here show a softly scooped neckline, but a sharper V neckline also works beautifully. And right now, I'm working on a new Dorothy made in a finer lace, with a palest apricot silk lining. It's gorgeous! And I'll show it to you very soon. 

Dorothy dress, available now from £1495

Just to remind you about the dress from which it's adapted, the pictures below are beautiful 'Blanche' - always popular with my brides - in ballerina length and with 3/4 sleeve. 

Blanche, 1950s style wedding dress from £1495

Blanche, 1950s style wedding dress from £1495

Blanche, 1950s style wedding dress from £1495

Both dresses shown here are available now, priced £1495. I hope my brides will love Dorothy as much as they do the original Blanche. 

Thanks to Robert Lawler for photography, and to models Dorothy and Cordelia. And thanks to you, dear reader, for dropping in to help me launch my new dress!

Love

Helena

Heavenly Vintage Brides

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Kind Words from Make-Up Artist Omie!

Dear Reader,
I hope you'll forgive me for a brief moment of trumpet-blowing, but I recently found this lovely article online. I discovered it completely by chance and was so pleased!

I died and went to Vintage Heaven 

"Yesterday I had my first taste of vintage bridal heaven. I got on the train and made my way to London to meet with top vintage wedding dress expert, in my opinion, and all round super cool lady, Helena. Helena runs Heavenly Vintage Brides from her beautiful home situated just outside of central London.

 

Since being presented with my stunning 1930’s engagement ring and the loveliest proposal from Michael, my thoughts have been in over drive about wedding dresses. After all, it is the most important dress I am going to wear in my life. So since Christmas, yes that soon, I have been scouring the internet for small companies who deal in vintage bridal dresses. In truth I had been somewhat disappointed  by the lack of vintage dresses on offer. I found myself presented with many bigger companies who sell vintage inspired dresses and vintage looking dresses, but none the less these are new frocks. I love the idea of a slight imperfection on the hem, a button that needs re sewing and a hue in the fabric that can only be described as love. The thing with vintage is that the quality and mastery that goes into making a dress cant be matched. I have never thought of buying a new wedding dress and I think there is something very romantic about marrying in a dress that someone else married in, perhaps several people in some cases. It kind of feels like passing the love down and I like that notion. 

After a few hours of scouring you can imagine my excitement when I came across Helena’s website which just drew me in from the start. Just to add I do buy new clothes. I would love to say my wardrobe is all vintage pieces but that would be a lie. I love new clothes as well and every so often, when I can afford to, I treat myself to a designer piece. Often something from Vivienne Westwood or Marc Jacobs. I am quite clever when it comes to shopping so I will buy designer pieces in the sales when they are half the price. I look for the shape and the cut of the fabric. It needs to stand the test of time and suit my body shape in a flattering way. No one cuts fabric like Vivienne so I see it as an investment. 

So, back to my trip to London. I arrived at Helena’s an hour late. Fashionably? Id like to say so but it was actually due to the fact that I am terrible on London’s underground and waited at the wrong platform for my second train. Helena kindly met me from the train station and I was taken upstairs to her beautifully decorated and dressed room where the magic happens. I honesty felt so happy and excited when I saw her collection of vintage bridal dresses, and these were proper vintage. I like proper.

 

Helena explained everything to me about the process of picking out the dresses, trying them on and how she would help me find what suited my shape and the look I am after. It quickly became very clear that Helena’s knowledge was excellent. She really knows her dresses and designers. I listened tentatively when she told me the history of each dress; where it had come from, who designed it and the decade it was born. Helena has dresses from all decades and I was ecstatic when I saw the sizeable 1960’s section on the beautifully laid out rail. 

 

I don’t want to ramble on about trying on the dresses, unless anyone wants to know in which case please post me some questions. All I would like to say is that is was brilliant, from arrival to the end. In fact, I cant wait to go back. The Earl Grey in the vintage tea cup and the chit chat about Helena’s past career working at Vidal Sassoon was the icing on the cake. 

I have narrowed it down to 4 dresses, I think. Being a typical Libra I am sure I will change my mind several times and no doubt return to my first choice. I have a couple more appointments with vintage bridal dress specialists which I will post about in the near future. 

If anyone is thinking of having a vintage wedding dress I would strongly recommend Heavenly Vintage Brides and contacting Helena."

 

Shucks, too kind! The author was a client of mine earlier this year, and is a make-up artist who does lovely work for brides. You can see her own blog here. Thanks, Omie.

And thanks dear reader for putting up with my shameless showing-off. That's quite enough about me, I promise… back to gorgeous brides and heavenly dresses later this week!

Love
Helena
Heavenly Vintage Brides

If you like this post, try
MY GUIDE TO 1960s WEDDING DRESSES

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Wedding Wednesday- It's AUGUST!!!!! What to Do, What to Do?

Ok, so now that it is the month of the wedding, you will have to forgive non-Wednesday wedding posts. I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but once I go home, all bets are off. These are the things we are going to try to get done before I get on the plane:

from www.stylemepretty.com

1. Pick up my dress! Actually, it still has a few alterations that need done too for the hem. And I just saw a picture of the dress on another bride, so now I really have a good idea of what needs done. Also need to remind the bridesmaids to all get their dresses fitted!

from www.weddingbycolor.com/tags/swing%20dance‎

2. Pick the Father/Daughter Dance song- Yes, this still isn't done yet. Finish putting our song choices on
line.
3. Finish bugging the people who haven't given us an RSVP- we have heard from a lot of people, but we still have 15 or so people who are question marks.
4. Revise day of timeline and the task lists. Try to make individual ones for different groups of people (bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents, grandparents, etc).

from beauty.lovelyish.com/

from www.lacqueristas.com/nails/red-white-tip‎

5. Get final beauty appointments. Time to get nails done!
6. Finish the photo wall.
7. Figure out how we are going to do first look pictures! This one really needs done before all the timeline stuff.
8. Write Thank You's for the wedding party and parental units. Finish buying gifts for them.
9. Keep up with white strips and practicing doing makeup!
10. Insurance
11. Doing the paperwork to change my Name (if I am changing it... is everyone this indecisive about this? I really have change. This whole thing seems like a pain in the butt).
12. Pay people! We want as many of the bills totally finished off before we come home as possible.
13. Make appointment with DJ.
14. Give vendors final head count.
15. Confirm final details for vendors (all of them! This is a huge one)

from itsabrideslife.com/tag/wedding-seating-chart/

16. Make our seating chart! Work out the layout of the room.
17. Finish our crafting we can do here.

24 days to go!

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