By Heather Cichowski
No one will forget the incredible dress
Duchess Kate wore when she married Prince William at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011. She was wearing a custom Alexander McQueen gown, which was designed by the house’s Creative Director, Sarah Burton. It was a standout moment in the history of the Royal Family, and Kate’s dress became an instant classic.
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge mark their 10th wedding anniversary in 2021, Kate’s bridal fashion remains the pinnacle for many brides to be.
“She personified what a modern day princess should look like on her
wedding day, the Kate effect was instant,” Andrea from
White Toronto said, adding the gown was “a somewhat edgier choice for a royal wedding” at the time.
“[The dress] was a bit low in the front, and
sheer to show off the needle point lace. Classic, but with youthfulness.”
The Duchess of Cambridge’s breathtakingly beautiful wedding gown featured a boned bodice with sweetheart neckline and
a fitted waist. The style boasted slightly padded hips and a full
skirt. The bodice, skirt and underskirt featured trim that was crafted out of English and French Chantilly lace. There were hand-cut flowers embellished onto the ivory silk tulle using a
Carrickmacross lace technique.
Kate’s dress remains as iconic today as it did in April 2011. Photo: © Chris Jackson/Getty Images
MORE: The special details you may have missed from these royal brides’ wedding day looks
Bridal expert
Jennifer Dang of Ferré Sposa Bridal Boutique
in Toronto said prior to Kate and William’s 2011 royal
wedding, popular bridal styles included cap sleeves, strapless
designs, drop waists and keyhole backs. She noted
layers of lace, chiffon and tulle were popular fabrics at the time, but
satin was not on trend. Sheer styles were also not in vogue.
The Duchess of Cambridge has influenced bridal trends over the last decade. Photo: © Getty Images
After Kate graced Westminster Abbey in her bespoke dress, these trends notably began to change, even though the Duchess of Cambridge’s gown was crafted with timelessness in mind.
“The royals define what a ‘classic’ wedding dress is; they are always a marker for this,” Jennifer explained. “Following their wedding, we had an increase in request for simpler lace detailing.”
Andrea agreed.
“Brides were definitely inspired by this, asking for more sleeves, V-necklines, fuller A-line skirts,” she added.
Duchess Kate’s wedding look also caused bridal designers to shift what they were doing.
“All
the bridal designers were also inspired by her choice at the time,
and to some degree we can still see influences today with more long
sleeves,” said Andrea to
HELLO! Canada.
“Bridal fashion in 2011 was just mainly still strapless, there
was a nod to short gowns with overskirts, the
slit was just starting to become a thing, the vintage 20s influence was
still being seen – still two years before
Great Gatsby, but we had a
strong push in the Art Deco direction.
“Then along came Kate with
long lace
sleeves and A-line ballgown. It did inspire
so many women to think more regal, more classic and more covered up,”
explained Andrea. “We definitely saw a push to long sleeves and full
skirts. We had many
brides asking for that ‘look’… it was requested on the daily!”
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony at Buckingham Palace following their wedding at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London. Photo: © Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
The “Kate Effect” in bridalwear remains prevalent today.
According to
HELLO! UK,
Pinterest revealed earlier this week that searches for “Kate Middleton
Wedding Dress” have increased by a whopping 70 per cent in the weeks
leading up to her and William’s milestone 10th anniversary and compared
to last year in the U.K. Similarly, between April 2020 and April 2021,
“long sleeved lace wedding dress” searches have doubled in popularity.
Pinterest has noted even with the
coronavirus
pandemic causing vast changes to weddings, there is still an interest
in royal wedding inspiration. For example, the website has seen a 55 per
cent year-on-year increase in “princess wedding dress” searches.
“Today, the
traditional bride will always go for a similar style – or play off – what Kate did,” continued Jennifer. “Now, every year, I see several
designers coming out with a design that is a playoff of Kate’s dress.
“It took a few years, as trends always take to hit the main market, for
satin to return as the on trend fabric – which it is today! Bridal
trends almost have a 10-year cycle and we’re overdue!
“Long
sleeves are definitely on trend today, they were appearing as a trend
over the last couple of years but today, we have more options than we
ever had – I definitely think this is a result of Kate’s influence 10 years
ago.”
Andrea said the brides of today are inspired by the red carpet and their social communities at large, but the Duchess of Cambridge is still in their minds.
“Now we can say that the ‘Kate Effect’ is having a quieter moment. Still
referenced for a classic approach to bridal dressing, or regal
approach,” she said.
“On a daily basis immediately after the royal wedding, we would get calls and emails from brides requesting her style,” revealed Jennifer. “We definitely still get those calls now.”
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