Victorian Clothing Etiquette
Preppy brides: this is your time! One of the most beloved preppy patterns has been making its’ way into weddings nationwide: argyle. There are many great ways to incorporate argyle into your wedding.
The first step is to decide on your color palette. Argyle can be done in more subdued color combinations, such as navy and gray, or you can go all out with a pink and green pattern. Then there is big argyle, used as a motif, mini argyle, to be printed as an all-over design, and of course, regular argyle, the one we know from sweaters and socks.
One of the nice things about argyle is that it is a design loved equally by men and women. Think about it: if you come home one day and announce to your fiance that the theme you have chosen for your wedding is “Victorian tea party” in shades of lilac, you may not get the best reaction. But argyle: that is something that a an can get behind.
Like any wedding motif, argyle can be used in small doses, or can be liberally applied throughout the wedding design. The favorite place to feature an argyle pattern is on the wedding cake. Even if the rest of your wedding is done in solid colors, you can’t go wrong with a cheerful diamond pattern of argyle on the cake. A nice complement to the design on the cake would be a monogrammed cake topper.
Another place that your argyle motif will work very well is on the wedding stationary. There are several ways that the design can be used on a wedding invitation. It can be done in a border across the top of the stationary, or a large single argyle pattern can be printed on the invitation with the words printed in a dark ink over the motif. If you prefer a traditional invitation, like black engraving on ecru cotton rag paper, spice it up with argyle envelope linings.
Argyle is best known as a textile design, especially on knits. You will find that there are many ways to bring argyle into the clothing worn by the wedding party. The groom and his groomsmen can wear bowties with an argyle design, and naturally, they should all have argyle socks. For an informal winter wedding, you could even think about dressing the men in classic argyle sweaters, worn under navy blazers.
For the ladies, there are plenty of great argyle options. It would be really fun to dress your bridesmaids in knee length strapless dresses with an argyle pattern (this is where the mini argyle would be a good option). With such a busy dress, you will want to keep their accessories clean and classic, like simple pearl bridesmaid jewelry. A set of timeless pearl jewelry would make an ideal bridesmaid gift from the bride.
When thinking about other ways to use argyle in your wedding, the linens would be another great idea. A solid color table cloth could be given a dash of style with argyle napkins. Argyle printed ribbons would also be very fun to dress up chair covers.
The classic preppy look of argyle makes it a great motif for a wedding. Whether used in small doses or large, the cheerful nature of the pattern will add a touch of whimsy to your reception. So have fun, and perk up your wedding décor with argyle!
Look to Bridget for advice on planning your wedding. Check out how we can help with your bridesmaids jewelry at SilverlandJewelry.com. Pearl bridesmaid jewelry makes a classic gift from the bride.
|
|
Early Victorian Men $19.94 The end of Men as Dandies & peacocks! Fashions did not change much since they were set by George IV and Beau Brummell except they were less extreme. This book is a good look at what they were between the 1820s up to 1850 and how to make them. After that they got more drab and less interesting. George Walker’s rare “The Tailor’s Masterpiece” of 1838 is paired with the full text of “Hints on Etiquet… |
|
|
Mourning Dress: A Costume and Social History $39.95 First published in 1983, Mourning Dress chronicles the development of European and American mourning dress and etiquette from the middle ages to the present day, highlighting similarities and differences in practices between the different social strata. The result is a book which is not only of major importance to students of the history of dress but also to anyone who enjoys social history. … |
