SALUTE TO THE BALL GOWN: PART 1

Dior

Does any dress say ‘bride' more than a beautifully designed ball gown? Ball gowns have been the trademark of some contemporary designers like Kenneth Pool, Amsale and Reem Acra, to name just a few. Going back sixty-some years, Christian Dior revolutionized fashion with his “New Look”. Cinched waists atop skirts flowing in yards of fabric marked a turning point in twentieth-century fashion. The hourglass, the most defined female silhouette, was back.

 From the ballet Giselle

The ball gown is definately an hourglass and remains the most dramatic of all bridal silhouettes. A ball gown can be as romantic a confection as those seen in the corps de ballet, flowing in swirls of white tulle; or as edgy and structured as the silk faille versions in 1950s Paris Vogue (see below). But it doesn’t matter whether the fabric used to create it is delicate, mid-weight or heavy, one aspect of the ball gown always remains the same: the skirt and its understructure are both based on volume. Thus, sweeping skirts equal sweeping entrances especially awesome on brides who know how to work their strut.

Dior around 1949

  Regardless of its formality, a ball gown seems to have flex when it comes to showing up anywhere and looking beautiful. While they go great in all the splendor of a full-blown cathedral ceremony, imagine an outdoor garden wedding where nature, big and diverse as a thousand cathedrals can be the perfect sanctuary.