The Way We Wed: A Global History of Wedding Fashion

Description

The Way We Wed: A History of Wedding Fashion presents styles and stories from the Renaissance to the present day, chronicling evolving fashions as well as changing customs, lifestyles, and values. And because all wedding attire has a tale to tell, The Way We Wed also reveals fascinating personal stories of those who wore it. While the book is a visually and thematically rich source of bridal inspiration for all seasons, it's far from a monotonous parade of white gowns. The long white wedding dress is a relatively recent innovation popularized by Queen Victoria; it has traditionally been reserved for the upper classes, and abandoned in times of war, economic hardship, or mourning. The Way We Wed showcases wedding gowns of all colors and styles from around the world, as well as going-away dresses, accessories (shoes, veils, hats, fans, and tiaras), and clothes worn by flower girls, bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and grooms. Same-sex weddings are represented, and the book features celebrity brides (Angelina Jolie, Frida Kahlo, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, Martha Washington, Solange Knowles, Ellen DeGeneres, Meghan Markle) as well as everyday anonymous couples. Illustrated with 100 gorgeous photos, The Way We Wed is a rich celebration of the art of wedding fashion across time and cultures, and those whose style and circumstances made a statement.

Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell is a fashion historian and author of Fashion Victims: Dress at the Court of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette (2016 Costume Society of America Award winner) and Worn On This Day (2019, Running Press). She has appeared as a fashion commentator on many media outlets, is a former People magazine fashion and entertainment reporter, and current contributor to the Wall Street Journal, TheAtlantic.com, and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising blog. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.