The Evolution of Bridesmaid Dresses Through the Years (2024)

Many believe that the concept of a bridal party originated in Ancient Rome, where a wedding needed to have 10 witnesses for the marriage to be legal.

The tradition of the bridal party dressing exactly like the bride and groom began as a means for protecting them from evil spirits, as people believed this would confuse the spirits so they wouldn't know which couple were the newlyweds.

Weddings during the 17th century were seen as a celebration where extravagance was expected. The bride would wear her best dress and certain colors were reserved for her big day, depending on her age and circ*mstance. Green was worn by teenage brides, brown for brides in their mid-20s, and black for older brides. Bridesmaids would follow suit.

When Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her wedding to Prince Albert, she not only popularized the white wedding dress tradition that still exists today, but an all-white wedding party became customary. In fact, the Queen designed all twelve bridesmaids dresses herself, opting for simple white silk designs with tulle skirts and white roses.

In the Victoria era, it was considered in vogue to have an all-white wedding—but there were a few ground rules. All bridesmaids had to be younger than the bride, unmarried, and their veils had to be shorter than the bride's.

In a Victorian wedding, the bride and bridesmaids typically wore coronets in their hair and the veil was attached to the top of the head. It was typical for the bride to wear orange blossoms, while bridesmaids usually wore roses or in-season flowers.

The best thing about your Victorian bridesmaid dress? You could shorten it after the wedding and wear it again. We kid you not, this line has been going around since the 19th century and Victorian women really would repurpose their bridesmaid dresses for everyday wear.

By the end of the 19th century, brides began experimenting with colorful bridesmaids dresses and the all-white wedding party slowly started to become less common. White, green and rose were the most popular colors in America, while gray, lilac, and violet were common in England.

By the early 20th century, it became customary for bridesmaid dresses to directly contrast with the bride, so the focus would be on her.

Sometimes a bridal party didn't include any mature bridesmaids and was made up of all children. In this case, the junior bridesmaids and flower girls wore short white dresses, which usually included a ribbon sash.

Although '20s bridal style veered towards the modern silhouette (a.k.a. the drop waist dress), many brides still opted for tradition and dressed their bridesmaids in all white.

Luxe fabrics of the era, such as velvet, were common for bridesmaids dresses. Here, the bridal party is seen in velvet long sleeve dresses, double stranded pearls, and a head wrap.

Glamorous full skirts were all the rage in the '30s, as were ruffles and full sleeves, which resulted in a Little Bo-Peep-inspired style that was all the rage.

Despite the economic downturn of the Great Depression, bridal fashion in the '30s was all about Hollywood glamour and escapism. Bridesmaids dresses were no exception and were usually made of satin fabric. Another key aspect? Mufflers, as seen on these two bridesmaids attending a London wedding.

Most brides shied away from having their bridesmaids wearing white by the 1940s. Instead, high-waisted gowns with full, structured shoulders took over.

Matching bridesmaids dresses remained popular during this time and off-the-shoulder, ruffled styles, like the ones pictured, were very common.

Full skirt styles began popping up in bridal fashion by 1950. Sweetheart necks and cap sleeve gowns were some of the most popular styles you'd see walking down the aisle.

Tulle, tulle, and more tulle was the look of the mid- to late '50s. While hems on bridesmaids dresses became shorter during this time, but that didn't mean they lost their wide brimmed look.

The 1960s were all about the modern and shorter look. High neck collars and sleeveless dresses, like the ones seen on these bridesmaids, were popular styles of the moment.