Which Era Suits Your Bridal Style?
Whether you want to embrace fab fifties style or some Gatsby glam, find your bridal style era right here
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If you love vintage fashion, you don’t have to trawl second-hand shops or the internet to find a retro wedding day look. Many of today’s top bridal fashion designers are inspired by past trends, so you can find a host of beautiful dresses and accessories that are every bit as glamorous as the real thing.
So, whether you’re a vintage loving bride or you just want your bridal styling to be inspired by different decades, take a look at some of the most gorgeous contemporary pieces that reflect past eras.
Retro Inspired Wedding Dresses
Your wedding dress makes the biggest fashion statement of the day, and by choosing a dress inspired by a past era, from the roaring 20s to the fabulous 50s, from the swinging 60s to the groovy 70s, you’ll be sure to wow your guests and create an elegant impression.
Taken from the Alfred Angelo Modern Vintage Bridal collection, the Draped Garland lace wedding dress has off-the-shoulder pearl straps to add 1920s glamour; inspired by the actress Marlene, the Dietrich dress by Badgley Mischka oozes 1930s Hollywood pizzazz; Bobbie by So Sassi is an adorable 50s style ballerina length dress with lashings of charm; inspired by the 1960s, Lady Penelope by Kitty and Dulcie is a delicate, lace shift with sheer sleeves for added midcentury drama; and for simple 1970s chic, The Rubies by Belle and Bunty is really easy to wear.
Images clockwise from top left: Alfred Angelo, Badgley Mischka, So Sassi, Belle and Bunty, Kitty and Dulcie.
Heavenly Headdresses
Even if the rest of your look is minimal or modern, a vintage-inspired bridal headdress gives your styling a retro twist. It’s the perfect touch if you want to make a nod to the past without going over the top.
The Charming Pearls headband by Glitzy Secrets is a very versatile piece: wear it across the forehead for a 20s look or as an Alice band, 60s style; from Aye Do Wedding Accessories, the Ellen tiara is the epitome of turn-of-the-century stylishness; a total 80s-style statement, the Ellie Betsy headpiece is by Zaphira Bridal; if you love 20s styling, the Hepburn floral side headdress from Jo Barnes Vintage adds flapper flamboyance to any look; and you could style the Lacey headband by Chez Bec with 20s style finger curls, but there is something inescapably 70s about this gorgeous hair accessory.
Images clockwise from top left: Glitzy Secrets, Aye Do Wedding Accessories, Zaphira Bridal, Chez Bec, Jo Barnes Vintage.
Show-stopping Shoes
Even the most traditional bride can take a chance with a pair of daring, vintage influenced shoes. Styles that have been inspired by past eras tend to be colourful, dramatic and even avant-garde, so be bold and make a retro shoe statement.
The Iris Blue sling-back by Merle and Morris is testament to the elegant and feminine styling of the 1950s; the Cupcake Mary Jane midi heels by Pink would make a perfect swinging sixties touch to your wedding outfit; the dramatic, art deco Alana Black heels by Freya Rose are 1920s in attitude; the Margot Gold platform by Harriet Wilde will turn any bride into a seventies disco diva; while the Alexis-Red shoes from Charlotte Mills bring a daring touch of late 40s/early 50s glamour to the fore.
Images clockwise from top: Merle and Morris, Charlotte Mills, Harriet Wilde, Pink, Freya Rose.
Beautiful Retro Jewellery
Vintage inspired bridal jewellery can be as subtle or as statement as you like. Earlier decades, from the 20s to the 50s, tend to be more delicate and feminine while the 60s to the 90s were all about chunkiness, chintz and bling!
Classic Pearl Stud earrings by Girls Love Pearls are all you need to finish a 30s, 40s or 50s look; you’ll feel as flirtatious as Daisy Buchanan in the Glamour of Gatsby bracelet by Glitzy Secrets; simple and pretty, the Hepburn earrings by Lou Lou Belle Designs are very midcentury; the Cherished bangle by Sweetheart Vintage provides art deco sparkle at an affordable price; and the Caulfield earrings by Stephanie Browne have a twist of 80s fabulousness.
Images clockwise from top left: Girls Love Pearls, Stephanie Browne, Glitzy Secrets, Lou Lou Belle Designs, Sweetheart Vintage.
Adorable Veils and Accessories
Bringing a finishing touch to your vintage-inspired wedding day look, a gorgeous retro inspired bridal accessory allows you to show how good you are at styling. You could choose a genuine vintage piece, or consider one of these new products.
The Marieke veil by Rainbow Club is a bouffant style that was hugely popular in the 80s and 90s and is back in vogue; the Hollywood-inspired Gardner comb by Lottie Loves Vintage will give your guests something to “wow” about as you say your vows; with a pretty satin bow, the New York veil by Joyce Jackson looks 60s-tastic with a mini dress; clean and classic, a birdcage veil, like the beautiful Belinda by HT Headwear is a must for a 50s influenced bride; and the Pink Swirl Behind fascinator by Katie Vale may look pretty modern, but its origins are almost certainly in statement 1980s millinery.
Images clockwise from top left: Rainbow Club, Lottie Loves Vintage, Joyce Jackson, HT Headwear, Katie Vale.
