As with art, architecture, and various other cultural pursuits, the world of fashion often looks to the past in search of inspiration. This is true not only of haute couture and ready-to-wear collections, but also bridal looks—especially bespoke wedding dresses—that will often incorporate vintage influences to create entirely new looks. On social media, you don’t have to look for long before you’ll find an abundance of medieval-inspired wedding dresses that use heirloom fabrics and classic silhouettes. While some brides who embrace the trend are driven solely by the beauty of the aesthetic and its uniquely flattering cuts, there is also a group of romantics attracted by the period in history that these gowns evoke, with its associations with romance and chivalry. Fashion can convey many messages.
To understand the roots of the phenomenon and why it is increasingly surfacing at weddings these days, we must first look back in time—not just to the runway shows of recent seasons, but centuries ago, to the medieval period which dates from roughly the 12th to the 15th century. As cities became increasingly important in Europe, women’s fashion became a focus of renewed attention. The period saw a proliferation of tighter bodices and tunics or overdresses worn atop looser skirts which often revealed layers of garments underneath them. Long dresses would often extend to the floor, and even sweep along it. Sleeves were typically generous and flowing, and the waistline would fall below the actual waist, in a U shape.
.jpeg)
In time, those flowing angel and trumpet sleeves ended up becoming more fitted and some of the floor-length skirts evolved to have trains behind them of varying lengths (which seems like another bridal trend waiting to happen). As Europe transitioned into the Renaissance, a style often called Burgundian or late Gothic emerged. The bodice became shorter and distinguished by a V-neckline and high waist, elements that would later be seen in Empire dress designs. Elaborate, tall headdresses also emerged (another medieval style that has yet to be adopted by contemporary brides, but could).
Elements of medieval dress have lived on to produce some of the current trends that can be seen in wedding dresses today. The most obvious ones are the flowing designs with loose sleeves and the practice of layering different elements to create a rich, varied, and visually impressive effect. Judging by the 2024 collections of a number of top bridal designers, as well as recent looks favored by celebrity brides, U-shaped waistlines are also big this year.
Winter weddings offer an opportunity for brides to embrace other elements of medieval design that have the added bonus of being especially dramatic: capes and hoods. These characteristic accessories don’t require much more to convey a medieval look. Even if this nostalgic look has a familiar quality, you can still count on it racking up likes on social media. If you dream of traveling back in time on your wedding day, these medieval-inspired gowns will transport you to the days of knights and their fair damsels.