6 Elegant Wedding Dress Trends From Audrey Hepburn, Jane Birkin, and More
In the last year, we've marveled at Meghan Markle's Givenchy wedding dress, watched Priyanka Chopra get married in a slew of beautiful gowns, and admired Sophie Turner's refreshing take on the wedding jumpsuit. As much as we love recent celebrity weddings, we also couldn't turn down the chance to revisit what old Hollywood icons wore on their big days and break down the trends that could definitely work in 2019.
Jacqueline Kennedy, for instance, wore an off-the-shoulder Ann Lowe dress with cap sleeves to marry future president John F. Kennedy in 1953—and 10 out of 10 fashion girls would probably be willing to wear the same silhouette today. A year later, Audrey Hepburn chose a high-neck Balmain dress to wed Mel Ferrer. (You might remember that she later married Andrea Dotti wearing a pink minidress in 1969.)
Another highlight was Dorothy Dandridge, who went down in history as the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. She married Jack Denison in 1959 wearing a beautiful collared number. Aside from traditional gowns, we also love the unconventional looks Jane Birkin, Yoko Ono, and Bianca Jagger wore at their ceremonies. Scroll down to see what six Hollywood icons' wedding dresses and shop the trends.
Jacqueline Kennedy: Off-the-Shoulder Cap Sleeves
Jacqueline Bouvier was 23 years old when she married John F. Kennedy, who was then a senator in Massachusetts. She wore an Ann Lowe dress with a delicate off-the-shoulder silhouette that's still chic today.
Audrey Hepburn: High Neck
Audrey Hepburn wore an elegant high-neck Balmain dress to marry her first husband, Mel Ferrer. If you're into this look, there are plenty of 2019 versions to choose from.
Jane Birkin: Three-Quarter-Sleeve Mini
Jane Birkin wore an understated minidress for her secret first wedding at the Chelsea Registry Office London. In case there was any doubt, Birkin's style continues to be enviable even in 2019.
Bianca Jagger: Skirt Suit
Bianca Jagger married Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger in 1971 wearing a stylish skirt suit instead of a gown. How cool is she?
Dorothy Dandridge: Collared Dress
Hollywood icon Dorothy Dandridge married restaurateur Jack Denison in 1959 wearing a beautiful collared dress. Take notes, low-key brides: Shirtdresses can double as wedding dresses if you're into the idea.
Yoko Ono: Minidress
Ever the independent thinker, Yoko Ono ditched a wedding dress in favor of a short miniskirt and sneakers while showing off the marriage certificate she shared with Beatles star John Lennon.
Next, the chic new British brand you can only order over DM.
Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern over 13 years ago—back when the site only published a single story per day. (Who What Wear has since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC, which is how she ended up moving to Los Angeles from her hometown of San Diego. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2016, where she currently holds the title of Associate Director of Fashion News (as well as the unofficial title of resident royal expert—in case you haven't noticed her numerous Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stories). She spends her days trying to incorporate her idols, Anna Wintour and Roger Federer, into as many stories as possible. Outside of work, she loves tennis, classic rock, traveling, and smothering her dog with affection.
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