By Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com
Wedding dresses in the 1960s were a reflection of the era's cultural and social changes.
The 1960s marked a shift towards modern and minimalist styles, with dresses featuring simple, elegant designs that emphasized clean lines and understated details. Lightweight fabrics, such as chiffon and silk, were popular choices for bridal gowns, and dresses often featured A-line or sheath silhouettes.
The decade's fashion icons, such as Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn, helped to popularize the simple and chic wedding dress styles of the era. Overall, 1960s wedding dresses were characterized by their elegance and timelessness, and continue to inspire bridal fashion to this day.
The decade started with a typical wedding dress silhouette like this picture left and the Vogue pattern right.The skirt is less full than the 1950s crinoline wedding dresses, but still has volume.
The bodice is neat and fitted with straight sleeves and the train flows from the centre back waist.
Princess Margaret’s Wedding Dress
Standing next to H.R.H. Princess Margaret are the H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen Mother and Sir Ronald Armstrong Jones. H.R.H. Princess Margaret is wearing the famous Poltimore Tiara, a gift from Queen Mary.
The princess had her hair arranged in a huge bun which formed a firm base for the large tiara. Incidentally, the tiara can be converted into a necklace.
In 2006 this Poltimore Tiara was sold for over $1.5 million dollars. Standing next to the bridegroom are Her Majesty the Queen, H.R.H. Prince Charles and Lady Anne Armstrong Jones (Mother of the Groom). The eight bridesmaids were led by H.R.H. Princess Anne, who is seated below her grandmother.
The Bridal Couple - Wedding of H.R.H. Princess Margaret with Anthony Armstrong Jones 1960
The silk wedding dress was designed by fashion designer Norman Hartnell who had also designed special gowns for her sister, including the Her Majesty The Queen's coronation gown and her wedding dress.
Princess Margaret's wedding gown followed the general lines of fashionable wedding dresses of the early 1960s.
However, her future husband Tony Armstrong Jones renowned for his keen eye for design had suggested that with her petite frame and low height, she should choose a classic unfussy style that would help streamline her look.
So there was no lavish embroidery, thick antique heirloom lace or heavy embellishment. Thus the bodice had a V neckline to elongate the line from face to waist and the sleeves were also long and slim.
Thus Princess Margaret's wedding dress was very simple and uncluttered and the silk tulle veil was satin bound. All in all, her wedding dress looks very classy nearly 50 years on.
1960 Key Events Facts
- World Population in 1960 grown to 3 billion. (CIA estimated World population in 2005 at over 6 billion at 6,442,515,501).
- The presidential election of the USA was televised for the first time. JFK connected with viewers better than Nixon and the result was that politics changed forever as candidates had to be groomed for TV appearances thereafter.
- If 1960 was a year of memorable history when John F Kennedy was elected president. He became one of the most popular presidents of USA in history.
- Teflon non stick coated pans became available to the public.
- UK National service was ended.
- Lasers were invented.
- Aluminium cans produced for first time.
- U2 spy plane shot down over USSR.
- Rome Olympic celebrated
- Almost 60% of American families owned their own homes.
- By the end of the fifties most American households owned their own car and washing machine.
- Approximately 90% of Americans owned at least one television set.
Vera's Wedding Day 1 July 1961
These photos were sent to me by Vera a visitor to this fashion-era website. They are real fashion history photos of a fashion conscious young woman.
The first wedding picture is of Vera entering the church. You can see the bridal party waiting for the wedding music signal to start so that they can walk down the church aisle.
As was once the tradition for every bride, Vera wore her veil over her face. However, the tradition is slowly dying out, probably due to many weddings being held, not in a church, but in a registry office or country house hotel.
Back View of 1960s Wedding Dress 1961
Notice the lovely pointed lace sleeves and the small waist on Vera.
Royal Influences on Early 1960s Wedding Gowns
Vera's gown is a wonderful example of the bridal fashion for 1961.
The skirt silhouette has still has similar look to the style set by the wedding of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1956.
The close fitting bodice and the full skirted gown are also in line with a fashion set by H.R.H. Princess Margaret at her 1960 wedding to photographer Anthony Armstrong Jones.
This 1957 pattern Vogue 9084 right is also similar in line to Vera's dress.
The wedding picture above shows Vera and her husband Peter leave the church, followed by the bridal party.
The bridesmaids wear ultra bright white ankle socks. It would take a miracle to get girls of that age to wear socks with a formal dress today.
However in 1961, brilliant white nylon socks from America were all the rage. The brighter white the better. Vera told me that the bridesmaids, her nieces, wore lemon dresses and this seems to have been a popular colour choice from 1955 to the early 1960s.
About the dress and the wedding morning she wrote, 'I was awake very early of course ... my nieces, the bridesmaids arrived quite early too because the wedding was at 10am.
The dress I chose was from a current book showing many styles. My sister-in-law's mother made it free of charge, which must have saved a fortune because she was a professional dress maker.
I went through her books and chose bits of different dresses which she put together ... you can see the result in the photographs.'
Vera also wrote to tell me, 'The day before my wedding saw me sitting in the hairdresser's chair having my hair seriously back-combed, then the whole of that night I laid on my stomach, head on hands in order to stop my hair becoming squashed. Even so in the morning it was considerably flatter than the previous evening.'
The Wedding Reception Bill
After the wedding service Vera and her new husband Peter, held a wedding reception and Vera sent me a copy of the bill from 1961.
It details the cost of the wedding breakfast, reception including wines and drinks at the Stork Club, London.
The 1961 wedding reception in total cost £76.16.6d., as you can see from this itemised bill when you enlarge it.
She also wrote 'The final item here is the bill for our wedding breakfast.
It wasn't anything special really ... cold meat and salad for the main course, but I can't remember the rest.
I think we had to keep the costs down a bit. Overall the whole wedding cost around £300.'
As the sixties saw the rise of the Affluent Society, so formal wedding attire was back on the agenda. The wedding was once again developing event status after the austerity of hastily arranged war weddings.
The men in the main bridal party all hired their formal morning dress suits from Moss Bros which would have been part of the £300 Vera mentions.
Vera also sent me an exercise book list with just a few of the rough costs of the wedding as they occurred. The list, see right, is full of deposits made and sundries for the gowns. It also details where items were purchased, such as the shoes from Manfields, a shoe company that has stood the test of time.
These wedding photos must not be published/used elsewhere -© Copyright www.fashion-era.com 2023
The Going Away Outfit 1961
Vera looks perfection in this 'off on honeymoon' photo. She is so beautifully groomed in her lemon yellow dress and jacket suit.
Vera told me that in 1961 she found that £3 bought a good pair of winkle picker shoes with nice high heels and the going-away suit she wore cost £3 too.
Her new husband Peter looks delighted with his choice of bride and he carries her little vanity case full of personal beauty items to keep a wife looking well groomed.
The Vanity Case
Vanity cases such as this one, were a must-have of the 1960s.
Inside they were often lined with moiré fabric and had little elasticated pockets so that women could store containers and jars safely.
Women used them for an overnight occasion, going dancing or, if they went on to night classes straight from work.
In the 1960s in particular you would see girls entering Mecca and Top Rank ballrooms with their little vanity cases ready to help prepare the their hair of that of their friends. In a way vanity cases of the 1960s era acted in much the same way as a consumer uses an oversized 'it' bag today. The likely contents were different, yet had similar functions.
Although many women regularly had a weekly shampoo and set at the hairdressers, the vanity case probably contained all the requirements for a do it yourself hairdo. Contents such as hairbrush, mirror, a make up bag and hairspray by a brand like Supersoft, would have been essential for touch-ups.
It may have contained a liquid hair lacquer bought in a pump action spray from a local hairdresser. It was common practice in the 1950s and 1960s to purchase a bottle of hair lacquer after a hair-set appointment so that a woman could brush up her hair herself.
To this list add rollers, hair grips, spare stockings and perhaps spare gloves in case they became soiled and the case was probably full.
June 1961 Party
The last photos here are of Vera with Peter at a 14 June 1961 party to celebrate their friend Anna's 21st coming of age birthday party.
Both Vera and Anna's dresses are so typical of full skirted dresses of 1960s. The mod look and Mary Quant was still to arrive.
Vera wrote that her fiend Anna had naturally thick wavy hair. When you see that bouffant hairstyle you know why Vera and other young women like Anna also needed that vanity case.
Look more closely at the enlarged picture and you'll notice the 60s finger buffet party food.
1961 Key Events Facts
If 1961 was a year of memorable history for Vera, then for the rest of the world it was one of notable history with both optimistic and pessimistic happenings.
- John F Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the USA.
- On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin (Russian) became the first person to circle the globe in one single orbit in 108 minutes. Only years later did the Soviets admit he almost never arrived back safely.
- The Cuba/Bay of Pigs invasion happened on 17 April 1961. It proved to be a pivotal event in C20th history leading to the missile crises of 1962.
- 5 May 1961 Alan Shephard became first American in manned space flight.
- On July 1 1961, Lady Diana Spencer was born. She later became a much feted Princess of Wales in 1981, on the occasion of her marriage to the heir to the British throne H.R.H. Prince Charles.
- The Space War and the Cold war heated up. On August 13, 1961 the Cold War stepped up and a dividing 'Wall' was erected between West and East Germany.
- In November 1961 The Beatles first met Brian Epstein who masterminded their rise to global success.
- In the UK the contraceptive 'Pill' was introduced and prescribed initially only to married women.
- 1961 is the recognised start of the Vietnam War.
Old photos can be useful when tracing family members and narrowing down search dates. These photo pages may help you put an era to your undated images. If you have dated photographs of interest that could be made into a C20th wedding page that will help others to date unknown genealogical photos I may be able to add them as a page.
My sincere thanks to Vera in Evesham for the chance to use such lovely old wedding photos. Page added 3 October 2006
These wedding photos must not be published or used elsewhere - © Copyright www.fashion-era.com 2000-2023.
1963 Wedding Family Group Picture - Carole & Roger
This family wedding photo is of Carole and her husband Roger at their white wedding. They were married in 1963 at St. Martin's Church Caerphilly, South Wales in the UK. The bridesmaid's dresses were a warm pink ribbed grosgrain fabric and Carol the bride wore a wedding dress made of an ivory brocade fabric.
This wedding dress picture shows how the train flows beautifully. Notice the beautifully finished sleeves with their pointed facing intended to elongate the hand into an even more elegant body part on which to focus.
A good wedding dress design should always have a back that offers as much interest to the congregation as the front. It should also look elegant in 40 years time.
This one certainly achieves that.
1963 Bridal Dressmaking Sewing Patterns for Wedding Dresses
The major dressmaking pattern companies like McCall's and Simplicity offered these bridal patterns for wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses in 1963.
Notice how similar the styles of the bridal party are to these wedding dress patterns.
Hair was worn high and bouffant. The bridal veils and headdresses were often similar to the Jackie Kennedy pill box hats of the era and focused on added height on top of the bouffant hairstyle.
The floral corsage headdress is almost like a modern fascinator headpiece.
1965 Pat the Bride in Her Wedding Dress
This 1960s wedding photo is of Pat at her white wedding in South Wales on a cold Thursday in February 1965, amid the odd flurry of a snow shower.
You may wonder why anyone would choose a cold February day for a wedding when the majority of weddings, according to The Office for National Statistics, always take place in the warmer months of June, July, August and September. In fashion history terms, this also means women get a better chance to don a fancy outfit and not be outdone by torrential weather.
But Pat had met and got engaged to Arthur, a man who was on a leave of duty. He was given an earlier date to go back to the Far East where he worked.
Panic stations - 6 weeks notice to prepare for a wedding.
No time to book a Saturday wedding. No time to make gowns - everything had to be bought quickly. Today perhaps we would use wedding planners when trying to arrange a wedding so quickly.
Pat wore a modern empire-line 1960s wedding dress made of a brilliant white silk fabric. The wedding gown had an empire line bodice decorated with Cornelli embroidery ribbon work. This raised embellishment was a precursor to whole fabric flower decoration being affixed to wedding and evening dresses, by design houses like that of Jean Varon.
Pat paid £24 for the lined dress and she made the veil. She attached the veiling to a fashionable tiara style pearl headdress she bought.
I think Pat, my favourite elder sister looks beautiful in her wedding dress. Even now the wedding dress still looks attractive 40+ years on. This is always a good test of a wedding gown, when it still looks like it could be worn a generation or so later. This is usually only possible when there is classic quality and nothing too extreme about a wedding gown.
1960s Empire Line Wedding Gowns
The empire line style wedding gown is typical of the silhouette line. It marked important changes in dresses in fashion history terms. This empire line style of dress was a departure for Pat, who with her hour glass figure, normally preferred typical early sixties, late fifties curvy silhouettes that emphasised her small waist.
However by 1965, Marments of Cardiff, the shop where Pat bought the dress, were mostly stocking the newer lines of empire line wedding gowns. Suddenly other styles that emphasised the waist looked a bit dated.
Empire line bodices on dresses were one of the typical newer sixties fashion silhouettes. The high waisted Directoire look had been gaining ground since around 1960. See details of train style types below.
These 1960s wedding dress photos must not be published/used elsewhere - © Copyright www.fashion-era.com 2006.
1965 Bridal Dressmaking Sewing Patterns for Wedding Dresses
The Vogue Dress pattern, bottom left, is of the empire evening gown and coat from 1960 and you can see how the angel bell sleeves on Pat's dress follow a similar line. The last two wedding patterns on the right are from 1964 and 1966.
The skirts have some fullness, but the line has changed and for anyone but a traditionalist, the new silhouette of the day was empire and figure skimming, rather than hour glass emphasising. Looser trapeze dresses would soon become the norm in day wear too for many styles of the 1960s and 1970s.
By today's standards, the necklines on the 1960s wedding dresses shown here are all comparatively modest. The sleeves were also considered essential, because the arms, but especially shoulders, needed to be covered and not displayed bare inside a church.
1965 Bridal Group Photo
The bridesmaid's dresses were made of a pastel blue slubbed fabric with blue guipure lace bodices. Their flower sprays followed the same design lines as Pat's bridal spray.
The groom and ushers wore traditional morning dresses. The guest on the far left is wearing the latest lower 'Mod' shoes.
Veils, Hats and Hair 1965
By 1965, hair was still worn high just like it had been in Carol's wedding of 1963.
The bridesmaid's hair decoration was an Alice band covered in matching blue slubbed fabric and decorated with guipure lace motifs.
The veils of 1965 were bouffant short mostly. They were always designed and affixed to the hair in a manner to add height.
They gave an even greater bouffant effect to an already bouffant hairstyle.
Veils were often set atop pill box hats. Hats instead of veils also began to gain ground and some bridal gowns had hoods. The various society weddings of earlier years also set a trend for tiara styles, although in mass market terms the bridal tiaras were mostly made of pearls, crystal or diamante rather than diamonds.
On Pat's wedding morning the bride and bridesmaids travelled to a hairdresser in Cardiff to have their hair set. The veil was attached to Pat's hairdo by the hairdresser. The bouffant hairdos were also arranged around the Alice bands set into the bridesmaid's hair.
The hair style was made rigid with hairspray to keep the hairstyles high.
Nowadays a hairdresser is more likely to be booked to attend the whole bridal party at a country house venue or at home.
In the wedding picture it's noticeable that many female guests wear hats that also have a bouffant silhouette. On the small photo to the far right Phyllis wears a magnificent hat. Gwen stands next to her wearing an interesting striped bomb hat.
Mother of the Bride 1965
The wedding photo left shows the detail of the mink trimmed suit that the mother of the bride Lorraine wore.
Lorraine was very smartly dressed for the occasion.
Lorraine's cream boucle wool suit consisted of a boxy cut semi fitted jacket, a straight slim skirt and mink trimming at cuffs and neckline. This mother of the bride suit jacket would be hot on trend now in autumn 2006 some 40 years later.
Fur was a feature trim on the clothes of many guests.
Unlike today when women often walk around with jackets or coats open in a casual manner, in 1965 women mostly buttoned up their jackets in wear. Clothes were worn to present as neat and groomed an impression as practically possible.
Lorraine's hat was made from large fabric rose petals. Her outfit was teamed with brown leather accessories which picked up the brown banding in the mink trim.
At much the same era it was also popular to decorate an untrimmed suit with mink twirl brooches as an alternative to estate jewellery.
Mid 1960s Wedding Photo - 1965 Large Wedding Group
Pat's Going Away Dress and Jacket 1965
After the wedding Pat and Arthur went on their honeymoon to London. Pat wore a pale melon coloured matching dress and jacket in a slubbed fabric.
It was usual in the 1960s to still team a going away outfit with a hat. This hat was an alternative look to the bouffant hats shown in the main wedding photo.
Again just like her wedding dress, Pat chose an up-to-date semi fitted outfit, which fashion history now shows to be the forerunner of looser easier shift dresses and boxier jacket styles.
In memory terms, such ensembles later became more associated with the 1960s than the fashions we have seen here.
These 1960s wedding photos must not be published/used elsewhere - © Copyright www.fashion-era.com 2006.
Mid 1960s Wedding of Rose 1966 - Bridal Spray Bouquets
Pat's wedding bouquet above follows the newer neater styles of wedding spray bouquet fashions popular in the 1960s, a reaction to the huge maidenhair fern dominated bouquets of earlier years.
These smaller wedding bridal spray bouquets had been making an appearance at society weddings some time, and now the fashion caught on nationwide.
Pat's bouquet was made by Rose, another young bride shown left.
Rose also married in the mid sixties in 1966, before emigrating to Australia.
In the 60s, emigration to Australia was a dream for many Brits who hoped to make new lives with new families in a sunny environment.
At the time a £10 passage fee and having skills to take to Australia was the main requirement for British citizens to emigrate. Before cheap air travel, it was often decades before families were reunited with old friends.
Her 1966 empire line wedding dress left is noticeably similar in style to Pat's wedding gown of 1965.
The sleeves have that traditional bridal touch of pointing down the hand.
You can see the dress more clearly in the enlargement and will have an opportunity to see the fresh flower headdress Rose made.
Note how similar in line her wedding gown is to the Simplicity 1960s dress pattern 6352 beside it. This dress pattern illustrates a court train which fell from the shoulders.
You can buy old dressmaking and vintage patterns at Michelle Lee's website http://www.oldpatterns.com/ . Michelle has old patterns spanning the best part of the 20th century.
Wedding Dress Train Styles
In Pat's wedding photo above, the train flows from the centre-back empire waistline as a loose train. This is a different type of wedding dress train from the cut-in-one with the skirt style, as shown in earlier pages such as the wedding dress Carol (who was also one of Pat's bridesmaids).
There are several train types and sometimes only minimal difference between them! Terms also used include fishtail train and sweeping trumpet skirt.
Sweep Train
The shortest type of train is a sweep train and it extends just slightly longer than the wedding dress hem by about 8 inches to a foot at the back of the dress.
Court Train
Traditionally a court train is 6 yards in length, but no more. Originally a court train fell from the shoulders. Nowadays a court train is usually shorter and can fall from any part of the back. You can see a traditional court train above.
Chapel Train
A chapel train sweeps from the waist extending about 3 or 4 feet. Carol's 1963 wedding dress has a chapel train. Bridal websites create variations within this term such as semi-chapel for a slightly smaller chapel train (also called a sweep train as described above), sweeping chapel for a broader spread train and semi-cathedral train when the chapel train is a touch longer, but not as long as a full cathedral train.
Cathedral Wedding Dress Train
A cathedral wedding dress train has a much longer sweep than a chapel train. The train spread extends about 9 feet from the bride's waist.
Royal Train
Finally, the longest wedding train is a royal train. As the name suggests, this wedding train is seen mainly at royal weddings. At 10ft plus, this train is even longer than the Cathedral wedding dress train. Cathedral and royal trains are often detachable.
To wear this style well, you need a great cathedral aisle for the dress to display to best effect. It is also an excuse to have plenty of attendants to carry the train as you will certainly need help. The royal wedding train is really best for a princess and a television broadcast!
Old photos can be useful when tracing family members and narrowing down search dates. These photo pages may help you put an era to your undated images.
You can read more about 1960's fashions in the 60s mini section.
Page Added 4 October 2006
1969 Wedding - Mini Wedding Dress Photo
In 1967 Susan married Ray Sellars on her 21st birthday.
She wore an expensive matching dress and jacket with a textured diamond pattern.
The boxy jacket has stylish and fashionable 1960s wide-set collar.
Susan's wedding dress was A-line and mini length. Amazingly, mini-dresses got even shorter the following year.
By this time many brides, who had a traditional wedding gown, were also wearing large floppy hats instead of veils, as Susan did.
After a few years of marriage the couple moved to South Africa where many British professionals were employed as engineers and teachers in the 1970s.
Dress Patterns 1969
Dress patterns of the late 1960s era followed an A-line style, or were frequently empire-line, baby doll garments like these shown above right.
The wedding dress patterns of 1969 also followed empire styles, just as these sketches below show. Other styles were A-line flared dresses with very loosely cut princess line panels.
Dating Old Wedding Photos
If you are trying to date an old wedding photograph it is useful to compare your photo with a dated image. The best places to look for such dated photos are magazines featuring celebrity weddings, or websites such as fashion-era!
Begin with a wide time-span for instance, pre 1990, or post 1945. With research you can soon narrow the date to a decade. The secret is to pay attention to detail, and examine each element of the picture in turn. Naturally start with the wedding dress itself, its hem length, sleeves and neckline. Then consider the hairstyles, the hats and each fashion element right down to the shoes.
You may get information from accessories such as jewellery, the bride's bouquet, decor, or even the men if they are wearing uniforms. For each element that you identify, compare your image with photos of a known date.
Dating Group Picture Tip: identify the most fashionable woman aged 16-25, she is likely to have the most up-to-date fashion, and thus give you the most accurate date.
1969 Facts and Events
Two Celebrity Weddings of the Year - 1969
- Audrey Heburn married Andrea Dotti (He was a Psychologist).
- Julie Andrews married Blake Edwards (He was a director of light entertainment).
Other Memorable Events of 1969
- On 20th July 1969 Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the moon and was followed by 'Buzz' Aldrin.
- The Woodstock festival happens near Bethel in New York state.
- Concorde the supersonic aeroplane made its first flight.
- The Representation of the People Act in UK.
This extended the right to vote to all men and women over 18. In practice it meant a reduction in the voting age from the former 21yrs to the lower age of 18yrs. Not only could people vote at 18, but also they could marry without adult permission. - The 50 pence coin was introduced in UK.
- Real progress in the computer world. Ritchie & Thompson's UNICS operating system developed into UNIX.
- ARPANET the precursor to the internet. ARPANET was created in 1969 by the United States Defence Advanced Research Agency. It was the first wide area packet switching network and allowed universities and other research projects to transmit information. ARPA = Advanced Research Projects Agency Network.
These wedding photos must not be published or used elsewhere - © Copyright www.fashion-era.com 2000-2023.
Old photos can be useful when tracing family members and narrowing down search dates. These photo pages may help you put an era to your undated images. If you have old wedding photos please send them to me and if suitable I will add them to this pictorial section of social history.
