Weddings are predicted to make a big return in 2022 as Covid-19 restrictions ease. This then leads to the question of how much bridalwear trends have changed since the pandemic hit.
Can we still expect poufy Western-style dresses and elaborate, lacy designs to be a favourite among blushing brides? As weddings are scaled down in size and the number of guests, is classic glamour no longer warranted?
Global reports are pointing to a shift in mindset.
Ecommerce site Etsy released a guide in February, noting that couples are focusing on individuality and embracing everything unconventional when it comes to their weddings.
This was based on an analysis conducted on its community of 96 million shoppers worldwide, with a focus on the searches that had the largest increase in the last three months compared to the same period a year earlier.
Malaysian fashion designers don’t completely agree though. It seems that the local scene here is still fairly balanced – or at least, there is no straightforward, clearcut stance on the matter.
Read more: Malaysian designer Alia Bastamam is set to conquer the fashion world
According to Alia Bastamam, it is how you view the divide.
“I wouldn’t say classic wedding dresses are out of style, instead I think most women now have a better understanding of their personal style as opposed to having to conform to the classics.”
She recently designed a wedding dress for model Shikin Gomez. The intimate ceremony took place in Langkawi just last month.
Pictured here on the cover, her gown dazzled despite having a streamlined silhouette and without the usual over-the-top embellishments one would expect from bridalwear.
She even walked barefoot down the “aisle”.
Heart of the matter
Gomez says that she sees her wedding dress as “modern, sleek and elegant”. It was her version of a business-in-the-front and party-in-the-back kind of look.
“I opted for sleeveless with a high neckline to accentuate my shoulders and create some definition. And a low, bare back to give a little bit of a sex appeal and also so that I won’t be too hot in a dress in Langkawi!” Gomez gushes.
She adds that working together with Alia in designing it is definitely one of the highlights of planning her wedding. Her mind was set from the get-go on what she required.
“I didn’t want anything on my dress to be too distracting from the whole simplicity of the wedding. Just a simple design, with a sleek, high hairbun with braids, plus natural-tone makeup, completed the whole outfit.”
Her idea of a less-than-classic wedding dress is something sheer, light and billowy. She has gotten many brides looking for that perfect island wedding look, as well.
“I envision a minimal idea with subtly dramatic and surprising details,” Alia explains, about how a pared-down design can still stand out.
“Streamlined silhouettes, modern necklines, a play with laces, a burst of fabric – I would say it’s all about a clever balance between too much and too little.”
Another designer, Celest Thoi, believes that comfort is now a key consideration for brides. A wedding dress should also put a woman at ease while she is wearing it.
“My ideal dress will be something that’s sleek and something that will accentuate the bride’s figure,” she adds.
If you think that modern bridalwear needs to be edgy and avant-garde, think again. Inventiveness for example, is also one way of breaking out from the conventional.
“I have just designed a dress for a bride where it’s playful and convertible,” Thoi recalls.
“It’s a sleek sheath dress with detachable straps and add-on sashes for different looks, so that it’ll look as if she’s wearing different dresses in photos. Yet, essentially she’s wearing that one dress.”
The bride, who is an interior designer and wants to be known as just Nee, got married in Kuala Lumpur.
“I would say the gown is modern yet classic, in a way that it is pretty timeless,” she quips. “I love the details and especially how the dress drapes on me with detachable elements to transform it for different venues.”
Nee had to downsize and separate her wedding into two celebrations.
“Initially I wanted a grander dress as it was supposed to be a bigger wedding, but due to the situation at hand, I had to relook it and make it happen following the recommended SOPs.”
Intimate weddings, less elaborate designs
Another bride, Lum Si Jat, also wore a Celest Thoi dress to tie the knot recently.
She says that she is a fan of designs that have a more vintage feel to them. For her, this means being clean yet delicately detailed – while not showing off too much skin.
“I needed to make sure that my gown is comfortable for my height of 150cm with my big thighs and wide hips, which is really challenging especially in white.”
You can say that brides these days certainly know what they want. There are various factors why their tastes change though.
For instance, social media has been said to be a reason women want something unique, or less classic. This is so that they can better stand out visually in photos posted online.
“I think it’s a bit of everything. I believe every bride is different and we will always design a dress best suited for the venue and theme that the bride may have in mind,” Thoi explains.
“The pandemic calls for a more intimate celebration, so grand, elaborate gowns have taken a back seat for now.”
Alia agrees, but thinks there is also an opposite reaction since Covid-19 came into the picture.
“Some brides have completely pared back their vision of their big day, while others have upped the ante completely to ‘lepas geram’ as we say in Malay.”
Read more: It seems that wedding dresses are breaking with tradition once and for all
She adds that it is perhaps more about how modern brides are better informed.
“Some have had so much time on social media that their Pinterest boards are overflowing with ideas, and some have stayed true to what they’ve always wanted.”
The prevalence of outdoor weddings could have also contributed to the shifting trends.
Rather than traditional ceremonies in churches or hotel ballrooms, open-air spaces are becoming more popular of late due to health concerns. With a smaller number of guests – often just close family members, couples are also travelling (where possible) to tie the knot.
“It is about creating gowns to suit these places as the look has to be cohesive to achieve the overall feel,” Thoi says, about how she has observed a change in popular wedding venues.
That said, the designers themselves are not too concerned with changing tastes or perceived trends. The experienced ones, at least, are able to make anything work – modern, classic or any otherwise.
“It’s not about being swayed by what’s going on around you. It’s about creating a flow and going with it,” Alia concludes.
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