This is the surprising reason bridesmaids REALLY wear matching dresses
The tradition dates all the way back to Ancient Roman times when bridesmaids not only wore the same dresses as each other but also as the bride
THE struggle is real.
Finding a glamorous gown that isn’t fashioned out of frumpy chiffon, doesn’t contain plumes of taffeta and suits each one of your closest pals can be a daunting task.
But have you ever wondered why all bridesmaids dress in the same outfits?
Well, according to Mental Floss, the reason why dates all the way back to Ancient Roman times when bridesmaids not only wore the same dresses as each other but also as the bride.
While it’s difficult to imagine this happening nowadays, the motivation behind the uniformed dress code was to ensure each woman looked identical at the altar – in a bid to keep the bride safe.
Having bridesmaids in the same frocks as the bride acted as camouflage and meant evil spirits would not know who to curse.
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The reason why bridesmaids all dress the same dates back to Ancient Roman times (Picture posed by models) - The practise also deterred jealous ex-lovers ruining the ceremony.
- It was believed that any happy occasion was a target for malevolent forces or spurned partners so to ensure the day ran smoothly, the bridesmaids acted as decoys.
- The ultimate squad, if you will.
It wasn’t until Queen Victoria got hitched that brides started to dress more elaborately than their bridesmaids , opting for a white gown.
“Queen Victoria had 12 bridesmaids, wearing white off-the-shoulder fashionable 1840 dresses, with full-blown artificial roses decorating their hair behind their right ears,” Lou Taylor, Professor of Dress and Textile History at the University of Brighton told The Independent.
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Brides continue to dress their squad in the same get-ups today (Picture posed by models) - “It is my belief that by regulating the bridesmaids formally into exactly the same garments, there was no room for any of them to try and outdo each other, let alone the bride, through the use of grander fabric, grander jewellery.”
- And the stipulation that bridesmaids are dressed similarly has endured.
