While the over-the-top bridal styles of the 1980s crept into the early years of the new decade, it wasn't long before wedding fashion started to become considerably more minimalist and streamline. The world recession of the early 90s played a big part in the diversity of changing styles, with silhouettes becoming simpler and hem lines dropping. Gone were the stiffer silks of bridal wear and in came soft silk satin and crepe. Styling was much less fussy, with all the lace and beading embellishments taking a backseat.
Thanks to the influx of period dramas, such as adaptations of Pride & Prejudice and Emma, Regency fashion saw a revival. The romantic aesthetic of the era lent itself perfectly to wedding style and 90s brides increasingly turned to the Empire waist silhouette for their big day.
Bridesmaid dresses followed the same paired back style of bride gowns, with both spaghetti straps and off the shoulder necklines being popular choices. The focus was on a simple, streamline silhouette with much less embellishment than previous decades. While matching bridesmaid dresses were still in vogue, the colour palette started to move away from bright and bold colours to more subdued shades such as navy, black and burgundy. CC links and reference images under the cut.
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