Modern wedding dresses vs classic wedding dresses

As soon as you start looking for your dress, you’ll wonder whether you should opt for a modern wedding dress or a classic design. Which is best?

On the one hand, the classic styles have endured over many decades. They are classics for a reason as they have lasting appeal and age well. But are they perhaps a little too safe? You might even be tempted to think they are a little bit predictable and dull.

On the other hand, there is the attraction of a contemporary design, something fresh and modern, unique even. Dresses that ride the wave of the latest fashion. Yet wedding dress fashion is littered with designs that haven’t stood the test of time well. One example that’s often given is the puff sleeve on typical wedding dresses from the 1980s. Who would wear a dress with puff sleeves today? … Well… we’ll get to that.

It’s not the dress that’s unique

Much of the desire to have a contemporary wedding dress is to do with the idea that a modern gown is more likely to have a hint of uniqueness to it. The latest design hasn’t been around for so long that many brides have worn it before. But the truth is that the design isn't what makes a wedding dress unique. It’s you, the bride.

There isn’t another person in the whole world like you. You are a one-off. You really are unique. Even identical twins have quirks and idiosyncracies that set them apart from each other.

The fact that there is only one you in the entire world means you’re the key factor when choosing your wedding dress. Remember, the bride makes the dress, not the other way round. You bring your personality and your individuality, and you impress those on your bridal gown, regardless of whether it is a classic wedding dress design or a modern one. You are the special ingredient.

The return of puff sleeves

Puff sleeves have made a reappearance

Puff sleeves were the default sleeve on wedding dresses in the 1980s. Princess Diana wore a dress with enormous puff sleeves when she married Prince Charles (now King Charles). She became such a fashion icon that puff sleeves were all brides wanted for quite a few years after that. And they choose puff sleeves regardless of whether or not it suited them.

The thing about puff sleeves is that it isn’t a design that suits one body type over another. Any body type can look good in puff sleeves. And any body type can look wrong in them too. Because, perhaps surprisingly, it’s not your body type that decides whether or not puff sleeves suit you. It’s your personality. Puff sleeves suit a confident, outgoing bride. 

That’s a little ironic, because at the time of her wedding, Princess Diana was still quite shy. It wasn’t until some years later that she became the confident, outgoing personality so many people warmed to. But you can’t beat an actual princess in a wedding dress for impact on bridal fashion trends. So everyone wore puff sleeves regardless of whether or not they could carry them off.

Forty years later, puff sleeves are back in fashion and we’re seeing brides with a bubbly personality really shine in this design.

Classic wedding design is classic for a reason

Ball gown designs are an example of a classic wedding dress design that has remained popular for many decades

That’s not to say that puff sleeves are a classic design element. A truly classic wedding dress design will never go away. In one form or another, it will endure, season after season, year after year.

A prime example is the ballgown wedding dress design. This is a design that goes back hundreds of years. It’s as popular today as it ever was. That’s because its design has proved itself over and over again, and has an enduring aesthetic appeal that can’t be improved upon.

In fact, the ballgown design is so good that it forms the foundation of many newer dress designs, all built around the solid yet elegant foundation of a bell-shaped skirt. Wedding dress designers know that using such a strong base element will allow the other parts of their dress design to shine.

Other classic wedding dress elements include a V-neckline, as well as fabrics like taffeta, satin and lace.

A classic wedding dress design also allows you to add your own flourish. It lets you wear that quirky accessory far more easily than a contemporary design does. Often you’ll find that a contemporary design and a personal touch will compete with each other for attention and end up clashing, whereas a classic wedding dress design has nothing to prove. It is elegance and confidence combined. It’ll form the basis for any personal flourish you want to add and let it shine.

Unsurprisingly, many brides who come to us looking for a contemporary dress fall in love with a classic wedding dress because of their proven appeal.

Contemporary is cool

All that said, classic wedding dresses aren't what every bride wants. After all, like we said before, it’s the bride who makes the dress, not the other way round. And if modern and contemporary is what you are drawn to, then that’s what you should go for. Especially as there are renowned wedding dress designers who put their heart and soul into creating inspired new designs year after year.

We’re one of the few boutiques that sell Jesus Peiro dresses in Ireland, and the only one located in Munster. We’re very proud of that. Not only because the dresses are magnificent, but also because Jesus Peiro’s lead dress designer, Merché Segarra, has a clear vision and identity. Every year, she produces something fresh and new, yet recognisably Jesus Peiro.

That’s also why we enjoy working with Audra Levinskaite at AL Bridal Couture and Rebecca Whelan at The Next Chapter. These Ireland-based designers are bursting with fresh, exciting ideas that reflect their personalities.

New influences from Europe

Eva Lendel effortlessly blends classic and modern dress styles

Some of the most eye-catching designs we stock are from design studio Eva Lendel, based in Lviv in Ukraine. Before the war, Ukrainian designers were relatively unknown in Western Europe. Russia was their main market. But they have had to look elsewhere and they’ve found a very favourable response from brides in Ireland.

The Ukrainian design eye is very different from what we’re used to. It’s a fusion of the exotic and the classical, resulting in some breathtaking designs. Not everyone can carry them off, but the flamboyance of these dresses is certainly finding a market here in Ireland.

What every wedding dress design MUST have

Regardless of whether you’re drawn to classic wedding dress designs or modern ones, there is one thing that all good wedding gowns have in common. Maker’s pride.

A wedding dress is a work of art. And like all good art, it should be made to last. It should ooze quality. Not just in how it is put together, but in how the design studio treats you, the bride.

A top wedding dress designer is someone who is still excited about creating a dress worthy of a day as special as your wedding day. The designers we work closely with all have that passion. They all respect the importance of your occasion and they won’t let you down. Quality of design, quality of materials and quality of service are paramount to a reputable design studio.

Over the years, we’ve seen once dominant design studios fall away because they lost touch with their passion. Their designs became lazy and repetitive. Often it’s when the business passes from the founder or the founder’s family into the hands of a larger corporation. Somehow the spark of the business isn’t transferred with the name of the business.

Fortunately, it’s easy to tell when a dress is made with the love of a studio that cares deeply. All that’s missing is the final ingredient: your unique personality. You are what makes a wedding dress the right wedding dress for you, regardless of whether it’s a classic design or an avant-garde fashion statement.