Finally, the off shoulder dress has been making a huge

Elegant And Iconic Wedding Dresses

Elegance is in the eye of the beholder, much like beauty. It depends more on attitude and quality than it does on price. A simple definition of elegance is grace of movement, polished expression and refinement of beauty. If youre determining which wedding dress style is right for you, take a look at some of the most memorable iconic wedding dresses of all time to get some inspiration.

Queen Victorias Wedding Dress

Queen Victoria started the trend of white wedding dresses. Prior to that point, wedding dresses were every color and meant to be worn as the woman's best dress rather than just once on her wedding day.

Even now in some cultures, white is overlooked for other traditional colors. Red is the color of choice for Chinese brides. Indian brides choose brightly colored and richly embroidered saris. And Japanese brides will wear a wedding kimono and often change into a western style white wedding dress for the reception.

So what did Queen Victoria's wedding dress look like? It was white satin accented by nosegays of orange blossoms at the bosom and scattered about the full skirt. Her lace veil was designed exclusively for the wedding. The pattern was later destroyed so it couldn't be used again. Nearly 200 people labored for six weeks to produce the lace veil and lace for the trim of her dress. The neckline left her shoulders bare. Sleeves were full, starting off her shoulders and ending above the elbows.

Queen Elizabeth IIs Wedding Dress

This beautiful queens dress was richly embroidered ivory silk with a satin train. The ball gown had a scoop neck, full skirt and long sleeves. It was embroidered with 10,000 seed pearls. The 15-foot train was made of delicate lace embroidered in the same pattern as the dress, including flowers, the white rose of York and wheat heads, a symbol of fertility. The queen wore a veil made of white tulle attached to a diamond tiara. Around her neck she wore a double pearl necklace.

It is said that Queen Elizabeth II had two wedding dresses. The first was worn when she married Prince Phillip and the second at her coronation when she wed the people of the United Kingdom. That dress was designed by Norman Hartnell who also designed her wedding dress. While the original design called for white satin and little embroidery, the final design remained white satin but was heavily and richly embroidered with plants or flowers to represent each of the entities that make up the commonwealth. The embroidery was in pastel colors and accented by gold and silver threads with diamonds, amethysts and colored crystals.

Grace Kellys mon cheri evening gowns Wedding Dress

She was a real fairy tale princess whose gown has been a timeless inspiration for brides since her wedding day in 1956. The gown was white satin with a high neckline and long sleeves. The bodice and sleeves were antique Valenciennes rose point lace. Twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and ninety-eight yards of tulle were used. Her headpiece fit close to her head with a fingertip length veil in front and longer veil in back. Her wedding dress and veil were designed by Helen of MGM studios and given to her as a wedding gift from the studios. She carried a small bouquet of lilies of the valley over a white Bible.

Princess Dianas Wedding Dress

Princess Diana had one of the most stunning and talked about wedding dresses ever created. Actually, there was more than one dress designed and made to keep the media guessing as to what she would wear on her wedding day. Immediately, brides all over the world wanted the full sleeved, full skirted over the top style of gown for their weddings.

Celine Dions Wedding Dress

This well known Canadian singers wedding gown was a stunning extravagance of white satin embroidered with crystals and pearls. The ball gown had a full skirt, sweetheart neckline and long sleeves and a girls red dress 20-foot train. Her crowning glory was literally a crown consisting of 2000 Austrian crystals which weighed seven pounds. Attached to the headpiece was a Cathedral length veil. Before and after the wedding she wore a white fur coat to keep her warm.

Melania Trumps Wedding designer mother of the bride dresses Dress

When you're marrying a Trump the sky's the limit. Melania Trump's wedding dress is rumored to cost nearly $100,000. Designed by Dior, the dress weighed close to 50 pounds and had a 13-foot train, complemented by a 16-foot veil. The veil was artistically arranged in a swirl pattern to match the swirls in her dress. The dress was in the mermaid style, fitted through the hips and flaring out starting about mid-thigh. While the bride had fittings for the dress, she had never walked in the gown until her wedding day and stumbled a bit when she first started down the aisle. Obviously, that dress was not meant for dancing. Melania changed into a simpler and much lighter dress for the wedding reception.

Wedding gowns have changed a lot since the Victorian ages, but theres still so much inspiration we can glean from yesterdays style icons. By blending your personal style and personality with some elements of these unforgettable wedding dresses, youre sure to have en elegant wedding dress that you and your guests will remember forever.

Homecoming Dress Styles

Because homecoming is considered to be a semi formal event, a young woman has a greater amount of options to choose from when it comes to choosing a dress. The semi formal style is marked by an absence of exaggerated detailing and embellishments, in favor of more relaxed and casual styles. For this season in particular, there are several popular styles of homecoming dresses. Regardless of the one she chooses, she is guaranteed to look beautiful.

The strapless dress is a traditional choice for this type of event. It is most often featured in shorter homecoming dresses and fitted homecoming dresses. Because this type of neckline often exposes a maximum amount of skin, it should be balanced out by a more modest hemline. The neckline may be cut away to form a sweetheart neckline or it may be cut straight across.

The cinched waist is a style that has become increasingly popular within the last several years. It is characterized by the use of a belt or sash to emphasize a person's natural waistline. This particular style can be ideal for plus sized homecoming dresses, because it creates the appearance of a natural waistline.

Dresses that feature jewel tones are especially popular this season, due to the more relaxed style of the semi formal event. The most popular colors include emerald green, ruby red, and amethyst. If a person chooses a different color of dress, she can still accessorize it with jewel tone accessories, like shoes, purses, or jewelry.

The idea of splash and sparkle never seems to go out of style. This season this trend is being incorporated into homecoming dresses through the use of metallic fabrics. Silver, gold, and bronze are the most popular color options for this trend; however, a young woman will be able to find metallic dresses in a variety of colored sequins. Satin is also a popular choice to express the ideal of splash and sparkle because of the rich sheen the fabric gives off.

Finally, the off shoulder dress has been making a huge comeback this season. A bare shoulder can create a look that is both sexy and sophisticated, while leaving something to the imagination. An off shoulder dress may feature the fabric loosely draped over one shoulder, or it may have a thin strap that reveals more of the shoulder.