Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Right to Expression... Wedding Dress

Fashion is ALL about being SEEN.
It is a form of communication performed through self-expression.
A person dresses to be (or not to be) seen, noticed, appreciated, loved.
For instance, hats make a person seen in a big way, as does the color red.

So when Kate Middleton wears to her wedding
 a simple, unbeaded, ungemmed, ivory satin dress with lace sleeves,
with her hair down and uncoiffed, covered by a simple tiara and plain veil,
what does she express?

Kate Middleton arrives at Westminster Abbey to marry Prince William.
April 29, 2011, London

45 comments:

design elements said...

the pic of the year! I like what you wrote. agree...

Fydez said...

I liked her wedding gown, reminded me of Grace Kelly. I never realized what you said and I think they are true. Very interesting. XX

Agus said...

Great post!
So true!!

IngridJ said...

Kate's dress was the picture of elegance and appearance in simplicity. It shows and it tells who she is. She made an impact without effort. Some people have it and some don't,"appearance" that is. I do not agree that Diana needed the attention through fashion. These are just two different people with two different fashion tastes.

Anonymous said...

I do not agree that Kate limits her use of the right to fashion. She obviously likes fashion because she was a model. Other than that, her dress is beautiful.

the nyanzi report said...

We watch.

Anonymous said...

Her style seems to be understated elegance. Kate seems to prefer clean lines in her fashion choices and seems confident with who she is.
Chelsea

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton is the definition of natural beauty. Her dress was beautiful, simple, and unique like her.---Lauren Franco

Anonymous said...

She expresses confidence! She shows she doesn't need to cover up her natural beauty with a bunch of bells and whistles. She looked simple elegant and it proves how comfortable she is in her own skin....

Sarah M

Anonymous said...

Kate Middletons choice of dress and lack of excessive accessories showed her confedence and elegance.

Stefan H.

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton looked very nice on her wedding day. She showed sophistication and elegance in the simplicity of her dress.

Sheeda M.

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton looks very confident in this picture. The lace sleeves are elegant. I think the lack of accessories shows that she is simple yet still very elegant. Overall she seems very happy and she is definitely showing that.

N.Av

Anonymous said...

I do think that what she wore said something about her, that she is a simple, humble person. Also the fact that she did her own makeup supports this. She knew that that day all eyes would be on her, so she didn't feel the need to dress over the top calling more attention to her.

LC

Anonymous said...

The bride is already the focal point of attention. There is no need for extravagant dresses and veils. I think simplicity is more elegant, and the touch of lace as sleeves on her white gown makes it richer.

Alli Brecht.

Anonymous said...

Simplicity of the soul, her dress reveals the simplicity of her soul. She is a humble person and wanted to express the old traditions known as an act between a women and a man, and leave it at just that. No need for the glamour nor the fame, yes it's a historic moment but at the same time all she wanted was to share that moment with her and her prince.
CR

Anonymous said...

I think her dress was very conservative. Unfortunately, the wedding was a much publicized event. I think that in a way, the simplicity of her dress is her way of softening the hectic surroundings.
-Ma Mo

Anonymous said...

This is exactly what the public wanted to see in Kate's wedding dress. A more chic, modern, relate-able take on the lavish royal lifestyle. Yes, her dress was quite simple. But, Kate's dress (made by fashion designer Alexander McQueen) is believed to cost about $83,000.This alters my perception of what she is trying to express.You'd think simplicity would come at a cheaper price. -K.A.S

Anonymous said...

I agree with K.A.S, the cost certainly undermines any feelings of simplicity or understated elegance the dress may provoke. Moreover, can these projected ideas be credited to the wearer or to the designer of any particular garment? If one considers fashion to be art, is the wearer a blank canvas or an integral part of the presentation? Whose statement does the dress truly represent?

Dan M.

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was extremely elegant and modern; definitely what we were expecting of a woman with a good taste and who doesn’t need to show up her acquired right to be the future queen. After reading the story behind that spontaneous loving couple I won’t imagine anything extravagant for her to wear on her big day.
AL

Anonymous said...

By wearing the simple dress with minimal accessories and styling, I think that Kate is acknowledging her humble roots. Her family isn’t titled and by wearing a relatively plain dress, she is demonstrating that she hasn’t jumped into the royal family without looking back. I think she wants to sympathize with the common people and gain their favor by wearing something that makes her seem down to earth and relatable.
-A.B.

Anonymous said...

As A.B. mentioned, the term "down to earth" really drives home how she came off in front of millions of eager eyes, anxious to see what the bride would wear. Through her a simple, yet immaculate fashion expression, Kate demonstrates one very beautiful quality she poses: poise.

MCL

Anonymous said...

Kate's dress as it has already been said was very simple and elegant. It describes her being classy and pretty music showing that she is now entering and becoming part of the royal family. She probably did not want to cause so much attention even though it was such a important day! Although Kate's dress was simple elegant she wore the dress beautifully, maturely, and elegantly.

-K.Gar

Anonymous said...

Kate's dress shows elegance, simplicity, it also shows that you don't need to be extravagant to show that you have class; besides most people that are extravagant is because they want to show something they're not. With this dress decision she showed her beauty on the outside and the inside.

Carlos G.

Anonymous said...

I think the dress brings a sense of normalcy to the wedding. It almost expresses the calm needed in all the commotion of the event of the year. I think it was a great choice.
Ma Mo

Alexis Herrero said...

I think that Kate's dress was very simplistic and beautiful. Grace Kelly would've been proud, and i believe that Kate's self expression is someone who is simple, classy, smart, and sincere.

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton showed that less is more she kept her wedding dress simple and feminine with her lace sleeves and tiara. The dress was elegant, and classic. In the future she will become a fashion icon with her natural beauty like the beautiful Grace Kelly.
Angel M

Anonymous said...

She is the perfect example of this very well known phrase, ”less is more”. Even though she didn’t go dressed flamboyant to the wedding she still looked beautiful with a simple gown. It seems as though she’s very modest and humble.


-M.Quintanilla

Anonymous said...

She is the exact representation of, spiritually or morally, what I would want my wife to be like in the future or present day. Though I don't have any relevance to her, and I don't know much about her, I do know that just from a glance one could very easily see the gates of a persons soul manifested before you through their presence and its evident in her when she smiles, her husband knew the fish he caught, and he's blessed to found her even at that age.
F.Hidalgo

Anonymous said...

The dress that Kate M. chose for her wedding expressed the kind of elegance and sophistications she has. The dress was simple yet amazing, it goes to show that you don’t have to be extravagant to pull off a classy look. The style of the future Queen has the grace and chic to be royalty.
(LCL)

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton makes a point to society stating that simple is beautiful.
-ABL

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton represents a down to earth personality; she is the opposite of flamboyance. Expressing personality through fashion is your choice and whether you want your personality to be heard. J.P.

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton is definitely expressing her intuitive sense upon the world of glamor and royalty. The ivory satin dress simplifies an original royal wedding, while the lace under sleeve complimenting her beauty. The tiara represents royalty and the uncoiffed loose hair magnifies her beauty. In my opinion altogether in that picture she is saying she will be a royal princess but also a beautiful goddess at the same time, while her pure heart desires royal being, it does not want to appeal her old life to her new life.
- J.J.V.

Anonymous said...

I liked what you wrote and I agree with you. Referring to the question about what does she express, I agree with what "IngridJ" said. I think Kate Middleton express simplicity and she demonstrated that in the simplicity we could find elegance and fashion at the same time.

J.C (Jean Capra)

Anonymous said...

This is another right that people should have, the right to express their personalities trough the way they dress. I personally think that Kate looked just perfectly gorgeous on her wedding. She expressed her true personality, which by the way I don’t know it, but I can tell that is simple but elegant and beautiful. And she also sent a pretty clear message by dressing that simple and looking that beautiful, which for me was: The most beautiful things of life are usually found in the simples ones.

H.D.A

D.Zabala said...

When it comes to fashion many people go over the top to look beautiful. Kate in the other hand proves that elegance and beauty can still be reached through simplicity. She portrays herself to be a humble and confident woman.

Anonymous said...

Kate Middleton expresses, by her choice of the Royal wedding dress, to be a woman of simplicity yet elegance and sophistication. The style of the dress is conservative and traditional, a sure representation of her character. She portrays self-assurance, sincerity and inner beauty not simply by the dress but also by her choice of makeup and hairdo. Her fashion statement is certain to spark a new trend in the bridal industry.

Ana DM

Anonymous said...

You can tell a lot about a person, even before knowing them, just by looking at the way they dress . Each person has a style that identifies them from others, a style that is used as a voice to express who they are and how they want to be seen by the people around them. As a result, Katie being now an important public figure, it is possible that the wedding dress she used, was selected by a group of people that were thinking in many factors and not only her taste, as we all think.
D.C.R

N.Cruz said...

Kate has married into royalty where she is expected to act and dress a certain way. Although Kate’s dress may have come with a hefty price tag, I do feel that the simplicity of her dress expresses her “down to earth” personality.

emilport74 said...

The way a person dresses emphasizes his/her personality, whether it is simple or glamorous. In this case, Kate Middleton, by choosing the design for her wedding dress, she wanted to show her humbleness and of course it was a success with the common British people.

Emilio P.

Anonymous said...

Kate expresses herself, just like everyone else does when they wear what they wear. She expresses beauty within simplicity.
SJB

Anonymous said...

I believe that everyone has the right to fashion. A person has the right to wear clothes that makes a statement of his soul and intelligence. Some people wear clothes to look good, to look bad or to look powerful, like the feel of a police officer’s uniform which makes a statement of power to arrest. Princes Kate Middleton chose a beautiful and simple wedding dress. Her gown reflected her modern and simple style as well as her fine taste. I think that every person should exercise his or her right to make a statement using the clothes they select to wear on a daily basis. Clothes are very important because they are necessary to keep us warm and cover our bodies from showing our private parts. Clothes are also very important to the military, navy, and local law enforcement. Each law enforcement agency identifies itself by the stripes, colors and design of its uniform. You can identify them by their uniform. A City of Miami Police Officer can be identified by his uniform and a Commander of the Navy can be identified by his sailor’s uniform. L.J.B.R.

Anonymous said...

I honestly have to disagree. I don’t think fashion is all about being seen. For the most part, yes, but it depends mostly on the persons point of view of what they’re wearing. Apparel may not always be used as a way to be “seen, noticed, appreciated, loved” C.M.A.

Anonymous said...

Yes, everyone should have the right to fashion. The way a person dresses is a form of self expression. It is also a way of telling what a person is all about. In the case of Kate Middleton, on her wedding day, this dress is a perfect example of the phrase 'less is more'. This dress shows that she is simple yet still very elegant. I think she looked beautiful.

N.Av

Anonymous said...

I definitely agree with "less is more". It shows that you don't have to flashy on your wedding day with gems and such. So simple yet very elegant. G.A.

~COL said...

Kate shows that she is no stranger to appreciating simplicity and exemplifies humility. I get the idea that she is happy being with her "husband" and the wedding is just a formality for her. She's young, beautiful, and so was her dress. Had she worn a dress that was bedazzled I'm not sure I would like her as much. This dress will be just as memorable.
~COL