FROM LETTY LYNTON TO THE WOMEN : The Changing Shape of the 1930s Bride

I have probably designed more wedding gowns inspired by the 1930s and 1950s than by any other eras. The 1950s gave us architecture—sculpted bodices, tiny waists and skirts engineered into beautiful shapes—but the 1930s offered something entirely different. It was a decade of extraordinary transition. At its beginning, bridal fashion still carried traces of the romanticism of the late 1920s: softer silhouettes, fluid fabrics, Juliet caps and veils, and gowns that followed rather than constructed the figure. By decade's end, the bride had acquired a new confidence. Shoulders became stronger, waists more defined and the overall silhouette increasingly controlled and sophisticated.

Hollywood provides a wonderful pair of bookends for that transformation. In 1932, Adrian's costumes for Joan Crawford in Letty Lynton created a fashion sensation, most famously through the extravagant ruffled white organdy gown whose enormous sleeves were copied everywhere. The influence of cinema on fashion during these years can hardly be overstated. Bias-cut satins, languid draping and the long, lean glamour associated with screen goddesses translated beautifully into bridal wear. Yet as the decade progressed, romantic softness began sharing the stage with shirring, ruching, defined waistlines, dramatic sleeves and increasingly sculptural treatments of fabric.

Then came 1939 and The Women, with Adrian once again demonstrating just how far fashion had traveled. The softness hadn't disappeared, but it had been disciplined. Shoulders commanded attention, silhouettes were sharper, and decorative elements became more deliberate and architectural. Looking at the decade from Letty Lynton to The Women is one of my favorite ways of understanding 1930s bridal design. These gowns are my own interpretations rather than reproductions: a little Hollywood, a little historical reference, and inevitably a little of the present. For me, that is what makes designing from the 1930s so endlessly fascinating.

Above and Below: The look of the early 1930s bride--she was comfortable in an evening gown style, topped off with the Juliet cap veil brought forward from the 1920s.

Above: Organza and tulle wedding dress inspired by Hollywood designer Adrian's famous Letty Lynton dress created for Joan Crawford in a film of the same name. The original white organdy confection became a fashion sensation when the movie was released in 1932. Below: Wool challis is ideal for this cowl-neck gown, draped and accented with handmade florals and paired with a long lace-edged mantilla.

Above and Below: a white crepe surplice bodice with a fitted and flared skirt. The pleated cummerbund falls asymmetrically over the hipline.

The late 1930s introduced us to more structured silhouettes and the sweetheart neckline. This dress is softly sculpted through the bodice with ruched silk crepe and an organza headpiece with a pouf stating its architecture rather than draping.

All dresses by Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture

Header Photo & Photo 3: The Letty Lynton Dress.

Photos 1&2: The Isme Dress & Lace Mantilla Veil.

Photos 4&5: The Priscilla Dress and Lace Mantilla Veil.

Photos 6,7&8: The Monique Dress.

Photo 9: The Savannah Dress.