May 7, 2015

"You could read Vera Wang's transparent wedding dress — which functions as wearable art much more than sellable merchandise..."

"... as an extreme answer to those often rather cruel tensions: What better way to criticize the constraints of the wedding industrial complex than by creating a dress that is, effectively, invisible?" writes Megan Garber in The Atlantic.
You could also read it, of course, as an overt rejection of the sexual mores at play in the traditional wedding dress. Wedding dresses have always been, on some level, about sex: the white as a sign (and a reassurance) of the bride's virginity; the expanse of fabric as a tacit promise that, while sex will be had, it will be had in the proper way. Women are getting married at older ages than they used to. Which means, among so much else, that they're less inclined to opt for princess-driven designs — and also that they're less inclined to designs that emphasize the virginal. “For my generation," the soon-to-be bride Natasha Da Silva told The New York Times in 2008, "looking like a virgin when you marry is completely unappealing, boring even. Who cares about that part anymore?”
How about creating a wedding that is, effectively, invisible? That's what we did.

37 comments:

Scott said...

It's a dress that invites microaggression. Maybe it should include a trigger warning.

Anonymous said...

You just wait, because the hour is soon coming where the marriages will be totally transparent because yes there may be weddings, but no "marriages."

tim in vermont said...

I would hope that the older brides avoid the invisible wedding dress. Don't wear white, nobody cares, but please.

tim in vermont said...

There is no war on marriage though. None whatsoever.

traditionalguy said...

A Trophy Wife dress is designed to show off the trophy at the awards ceremony.

Scott said...

There is a war on common sense, though.

Laslo Spatula said...

After looking at the photo it is obvious that I have a different understanding of the word 'transparent'.

I am Laslo.

Phil 314 said...

From a fashion perspective gay marriages are so boring, either no women or no women with style.

Unknown said...

Incredibly tacky. Reminds me of Taylor Swift at the underwear show.

Ann Althouse said...

It's like no one has ever seen lace before.

Lace is a way to uncover and still be covered. It had been thought to be old-fashioned and fusty.

But let's pretend it's new and that it "says" something "now."

Scott said...

Is it fashionable for brides to look like they are on drugs? Apparently so.

I wonder what a Rudi Gernreich wedding dress would look like.

MadisonMan said...

Are grandparents and great-aunts invited to this wedding? I want to sit at the table with them and get their take on the wedding dress.

tim in vermont said...

OK, I went and looked at the link. These dresses give more of a sense of the bride as an offering or prize than the "virginal" ones ever did.

gerry said...

What better way to criticize the constraints of the wedding industrial complex

The.wedding.industrial.complex.

People get paid to think up this shit.

gerry said...

...and the photo! The dress is really ugly and shot against a background of decay. And the "bride" looks bitchy.

Bitchy decadence. What a perfect day.

clint said...

"How about creating a wedding that is, effectively, invisible? That's what we did."

But how do you extract a starter-kit-for-the-shared-home from your friends and family (aka wedding presents) without holding the party?

BarrySanders20 said...

The near-naked bride.

Can the groom wear shorts with the tux?

Laslo Spatula said...

It could be interesting to see the bridesmaids' dresses.

I have seen a few hot bridesmaids in my time.

I am Laslo.

Freeman Hunt said...

This is for weddings that mom and dad aren't paying for.

Seeing Red said...

Yay! Now everyone can see the goods the man is buying!

Fen said...

Feminists go after wedding dresses.

Women and gays hurt most.

Fen yawns.

Matt said...

If only there were some sort of garment that women could wear under their clothes so the dress isn't transparent. You know, something they could "slip" under their wedding dress.

I hope that joke works. My knowledge of women's clothing is very limited.

William said...

I didn't read the article, but I scrolled down to the second wedding dress. It looked like a hybrid of a wedding dress and a negligee.....There was something disturbing about it. A negligee is seductive and celebrates sex. A wedding dress with all that tulle and all those layers is a statement about the obstacles to be overcome in the attainment of respectable sex. There are no upskirt photos of wedding dresses.......I don't approve of this, but I would like to see Vera Wang's take on cheerleader outfits.

Big Mike said...

Well, I don't know about the rest of you guys but my bride didn't need to be semi-nude to show how beautiful she was. I was, and still am, the luckiest guy on the planet.

JCC said...

So, a bride can't just wear something pretty, or stylish, or even different. it has to be...intellectual?

"What better way to criticize the constraints of the wedding industrial complex...overt rejection of the sexual mores at play in the traditional wedding dress..."

Oh, geez, what a load of tripe. Megan, Megan...get over yourself. It's an effing dress, not a manifesto.

FleetUSA said...

Nothing new under the sun. We went to an elegant outdoor wedding in the mid '90s. The bride walked down the aisle and her derriere was clearly visible (through minimal lace) to all...

damikesc said...

Let's ho up the wedding business.

Feminists make no sense to me. They don't women objectified --- then applaud fashion that objectifies women.

Unknown said...

Nothing new under the sun, nothing new under the dress

Laslo Spatula said...

If the Designer wears her own transparent dress will we see her full Wang?

I am Laslo.

Sam L. said...

Other than a Kardashian, what woman would wear one.

damikesc said...

Is Vera's husband fat?

Does she love her plus sized Wang?

Brian said...

"Who cares about that part anymore?”

Husbands.

MacMacConnell said...

So what does the groom wear, lace jockstrap and pasties?

Mark said...

You should watch the video at the VeraWang.com "United States" site. Talk about wedding porn.

Julie C said...

Geez and I thought the ubiquitous strapless gown was bad.

Of course, what the designer displays at the runway show may not be what ends up on the bride. Most of these dresses would no doubt be lined by most brides (one would hope).

Most bridal salons have a special department for brides who don't want to display a lot of skin for religious reasons. I'm not talking burkas - just, you know, dresses with sleeves.

damikesc said...

So what does the groom wear, lace jockstrap and pasties?

I told my wife I was a trendsetter!

Loren said...

I didn't think the Vera Wang dress pictured was particularly attractive.