Vintage Inspired Wedding Dresses on a Budget: 1940s

I have to confess that the 1940s proved to be a difficult decade to find vintage-inspired bridal looks from.  I was almost ready to admit defeat, when I came across a couple of truly fabulous options, and sighed in relief that there are actually some dresses within a reasonable budget!  Once again, all of these finds are under £300 - well, under £200 this time as they seem to have come in cheaper than the 1930s. (see my post here for 1930s bridal inspiration).

A glimpse of the gorgeousness to come...

The 1940s were a time when generally people continued to get married in their Sunday best - either a suit or a simple dress - unless they were affluent enough to afford the Hollywood silk gown that we all picture.  Gowns had changed a bit from the mid 1930s; though they may still be in silk-satin, but they weren't quite so slinky in silhouette, the necklines had perhaps changed to a sweetheart, and there may be some shoulder-pads added.  I've tried to show 'gowns' as well as dresses here, but haven't found any suit options.

Addendum: My mother, after reading this blog post, would like to add that even if you could afford it, a proper wedding gown was very, very hard to track down in the 1940s!  In our own family, a lady managed to get hold of one (black market?!) and a few months after she wore it she passed it on to another family member to wear too.  You can read more about real weddings in Britain on the Imperial War Museum website here, who are currently doing an exhibition of 'Fashion on the Ration'.

First of all, Vivien of Holloway does a 1940's style sarong dress (£110) with matching bolero (£30), in white or ivory satin.  This could be a fantastic look for a destination wedding.

The Seamstress of Bloomsbury which reproduces original vintage designs has the Lisa dress in white (£79) which might be an option for '40s enthusiasts who appreciate the chic and simple.  I'd wear a fabulous original 1940s hat with this one (try The '40s Room) and the obligatory seamed stockings from What Katie Did.

This was where I was ready to give up, and admit that there's not much out there for the '40s loving bride.  Then I found Hubba Hubba, a British company creating fabulous vintage reproduction, and my heart sang.  They offer the stunning Josephine dress (£180) in ivory.  How gorgeous is that dress?!  (Note: they also do it in a proper 'bridal' version with train and button-back detail, but at £595 I can't feature it in my 'budget' choices!)

Also from Hubba Hubba is the Loretta gown (£180), which while pictured in teal, also comes in ivory.

Either of those dresses would make wonderful bridal gowns, but wait, there's more!  If long dresses aren't your style then the Veronica cocktail dress (£150) again comes in ivory.

I'm most impressed with Hubba Hubba - do pay their website a visit, and let me know if you have actually bought anything from there?  They've also got a Facebook page here.

Overall I found that the internet is very confused about what 1940's wedding dresses look like!  My searches brought up lots of 1950's style dresses and many shops seemed to use the decades interchangeably, which was frustrating!  If you're after an original 1940's gown then you'll have to do your homework in terms of researching styles so you're sure it's from the 1940s rather than later, but there are lots and lots available on Etsy and Ebay, and they tend to be around £200-£300 - which is still a bargain in the world of wedding dresses, believe me.

Have you seen any more wedding dresses or suits in a 1940s style?  Please let me know and I'll add to this list!

 Linking up with: Friday's Fab Favourites, The Style Files,