Reader Request: What to Wear to a 1930s Wedding
What a fun invitation to receive! I must admit, I’m a little jealous, as I’ve never been invited to a themed wedding. Sigh. Fortunately for 1930s-inspired wedding attendees, this decade offers up a variety of fun styles that are pretty easily replicated with what you see in fashion magazines today.
The playful, somewhat cutesy styles of the 1960s have combined forces with the lean, bohemian styles of the 1970s, parading themselves through racks at Forever 21 and in the store windows of department stores. Conveniently for you, these styles were actually influenced by a lot of what was en vogue in the 1930s. Let’s look at a variety of 1930s inspiration straight from our time machine, shall we?
For a more casual affair, it would be appropriate to wear a maxi length dress in a fun pattern, like vertical stripes, polka dots, or bright florals. If the wedding is outdoors or at a beach, it would be really fun to flaunt a dramatic wide brim hat to keep in style and in the shade.
C A S U A L T R E N D S F R O M T H E E A R L Y 1 9 3 0 s I N C L U D E :
- subtle nautical themes
- bow-tied or knotted fabric
- slim silhouettes from shoulder to toes
- breezy, but somewhat tailored skirts or wide-leg trousers
- rayon or thin cotton help achieve the desired drape
The garden-party look is much more typical for Spring-Fall weddings, and might be the easiest 1930s style to replicate. Long, floral dresses are on sale everywhere right now, so the getting is good! If you’re handy with a sewing machine and have some DIY skills, you might be able to slightly alter a dress to implement some of the 1930s characteristics below.
P A R T Y D R E S S T R E N D S F R O M T H E M I D 1930 s I N C L U D E :
- fitted skirts that begin to flare below the knee
- bigger bows and ruffles
- different levels of layers in the skirt
- skirt lengths hit mid shin or just at the ankle
- shoulders and busts are adorned with loose, drapey fabric or ruffled shoulders
If the wedding you are attending is a bit fancier than anything you have in your closet, then you might want to invest in a long, bias cut dress that somewhat fits the criteria below or matches the styles above. If in doubt, simpler is always better. You can always accessorize!
F O R M A L D R E S S T R E N D S F R O M T H E 1930s I N C L U D E :
- bias-cut skirts hug the waist and hips, then drape loosely below the knee
- tiered ruffles or diagonal-tiered layers in the skirt
- fabrics such as velvet, silk, fine rayon, or sheer cotton would be acceptable
- sleeker, more elegent styles with finer attention to detail than casual dresses
Oh gosh! I want to go to a 1930s theme wedding! Too much fun …
PS congrats on being Modcloth’s blogger of the moment. Very well deserved!
Kelly @?
Elegantly Academic
i love the illustrations. great job!
Did you draw these yourself? Gorgeous! I just went to a Jazz Age-themed event in New York and wore a more ’30s-style dress rather than ’20s (that era is very unflattering on me). Love this post.
Great post with excellent details and inspiration. I love the drawings too (did you draw them?)
The design for this post in killer! I love it!
Great advice and illustrations. This so so helpful!
Perhaps I should theme my future wedding?
xx.
Great post!
Ooop! I forgot to link to the original source at the end of the post! You will find links to the original vintage magazine pages (where these illustrations come from) at the bottom of the post now. Thanks for the compliments, friends, but alas, I did not illustrate these myself. I wish! :) I just extracted the background and lightened them a bit.
really great post! the 1930s are my absolute favorite. xo
Lovely post!
Love the illustrations, such great 30’s inspiration. xx Fran
What a fun wedding! I love how you answered the question. Very inspiring.
xo, rv
http://aneclecticheap.blogspot.com/
so good! love the outfit illustrations too!
this post is perfect!!!!
woww it’s nice.. :)
http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
Irene Wibowo
Just so honored you used my little tweet to make and entire BEAUTIFUL blogpost. I ended up finding a really interesting handmade dress in a thrift shop. It’s not exactly 30 per say, but it’s old, pretty, and handmade so everyone I’ve consulted with says it’s perfect. I’ll send pictures once the big day arrives!
ah. this is an amazing entry. I loved it and really want all those dresses too.