Royal Wedding Dress as Symbol

Until Friday morning, probably the biggest mystery surrounding the latest British royal wedding was who designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress.

But when the future Queen Elizabeth II (pictured) walked down the aisle in London's Westminster Abbey in 1947, her wedding dress was more than a fashion statement: It represented the hopes of a nation, according to royal wedding gown curator Joanna Marschner.

With food and clothing still being rationed in postwar Britain, royal dressmaker Norman Hartnell sought to convey a message of national renewal, instead of focusing on opulent materials. He did this in part by embroidering the gown with garlands of spring flowers.

"It is a dress with a message for that particular moment in time," said Marschner, of Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that acts as caretaker for five British royal buildings.

"I think you can say that about all the royal wedding dresses—they have become amazing documents that can say a lot about the year when they were worn."

Royal Wedding Dresses

The Second Wedding as it will probably come to be known took place on July 30, when the Queen’s granddaughter wed long-term beau Mike Tindall in what was a surprisingly innovative affair by royal standards, complete with drunken merriment thanks to a vodka fountain; fish and chips and a best man with a black eye (Yes, we’re just as intrigued). But let’s cut to the chase – were not concerned with the finer details of the biggest day of this royal’s life as much as we’re feasting our eyes on what she wore. Yes, (deep breath) another dress to dissect and ingest, only to throw up and re-examine in a different light.

We were taken aback by Kate’s dress choice as she stayed true to her homeland but chose a designer so eccentric, the fashion population couldn’t help but choke with happiness. She broke free from the quintessential shackles of ‘well-behaved’ royal wedding wear, and chose to let her fashion personality coyly peep through her silk tulle McQueen veil. But for me, equestrienne Zara’s novel approach to selecting her wedding dress truly defines the term ‘granny chic.’ She only went and chose Stewart Parvin, her grandmother’s regular (and favourite) outfitter and the very man who kitted out Queenie on the day.

OK, to the dress: a fussy silk tulle cathedral veil which appeared to oddly sprout from the top of Zara’s head rather than fall gently onto her face wasn’t the most appealing first view as she stepped out from the car, but things improved slightly as we focused lower down. The dress itself; a silk faille and duchess satin creation with a corseted waistline appeared flattering, but averagely exciting. It didn’t give me the sudden I-will-replicate-very-dress-for my-wedding-day moment as I got with Kate’s.

For a person considered something of a royal rebel this wedding dress was a safe choice. Maybe Zara was sending out a silent message, that by keeping it low key she wanted to avoid direct comparisons with wedding dress limelight outlaw, Kate. Or maybe being 13th in the line of succession to the throne means you’re in no rush to charm the public into ‘accepting’ you as the future queen with your choice of needlework or dress cut.

But critics will refer and compare Zara’s sartorial shrewdness to that of Kate’s, and will measure, inch for inch, the godliness that Sarah Burton’s touch brought to Kate’s big day with that of humble Edinburgh College of Art educated Parvin’s. Even though Kate’s dress was phenomenal in comparison, for me it’s a case of creating a fresh legacy that will have us recalling Zara Phillips as the woman who made grannies fashionable again.

Bethany Hamilton Images

Bethany Meilani Hamilton (born February 8, 1990), daughter of Thomas and Cherilyn Hamilton, is an American professional surfer. She is known for surviving a shark attack in which she lost her left arm, and for overcoming the serious and debilitating injury to ultimately return to professional surfing. She wrote about her experience in the 2004 biography Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. In April 2011, the feature film Soul Surfer was released, based on the book and additional interviews.

Shark Attack and Recovery

On October 31, 2003, Hamilton went for a morning surf along Tunnels Beach, Kauai with friend Alana Blanchard along with Blanchard's father and brother. Around 7:30 a.m., with numerous turtles in the area, she was lying sideways on her surfboard with her left arm dangling in the water, when a 14 ft (4.3 m) tiger shark attacked her,[1] ripping her left arm off just below the shoulder. If the shark had bitten two inches further in, the attack would have been fatal. She lost over 60% of her blood. Her friends helped paddle her back to shore, and fashioned a tourniquet out of a surfboard leash around what was left of her arm before rushing her to Wilcox Memorial Hospital. Her father was supposed to have knee surgery that morning but she took his place in the operating room. She then spent seven more days in recovery at the hospital.

Despite the trauma of the incident, Hamilton was determined to return to surfing. Less than one month after the incident, she returned to her board and went surfing again. Initially, she adopted a custom-made board that was longer and slightly thicker, which made it easier to paddle. She has observed that she has to kick a lot more to make up for the loss of her left arm. After teaching herself to surf with one arm, she has again begun surfing competitively. She is now back to using competitive performance short-boards again.

In July 2004, Hamilton won the Best Comeback Athlete ESPY Award.[2] She was also presented with a special "courage award" at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards.

In 2005, Hamilton took 1st place in the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) National Championships, a goal she had been trying to achieve since before the shark attack. In 2008, she began competing full-time on the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS). In her first competition against many of the world's best women surfers, she finished 2nd.

Zara Phillips Wedding Dresses

She’s one of the more unconventional Royals, but Zara Phillips looked very much the traditional bride at her royal wedding to rugby ace Mike Tindall yesterday.

Zara’s full gown was made from ivory duchess silk and layers of lace gave a full-skirt effect. It’s thought Zara’s wedding dress was created by Stewart Parvin. The bride also wore a cathedral length veil and Greek Key tiara loaned to Zara by her mother Princess Anne. The tiara was a gift to Princess Anne from the Queen in 1972.

Zara and Mike’s wedding ceremony at Canongate Kirk lasted for 45 minutes, and featured a choir of 15 boys and girls from Zara’s former boarding school. The couple left the church in a Bentley and took a 400-yard journey to Holyroodhouse for the reception. Guest were said to enjoy a Scottish-themed feat including a lobster and crayfish cocktail, Scottish venison with dauphinois potatoes and a chocolate fondant. And like Kate Middleton who had costume change at her wedding, Zara reportedly in to a gown by Dublin couturier Paul Costelloe.

Guest at the wedding included member of the royal family a smattering of famous faces. The Duchess Of Cambridge recycled a dress she first wore to the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles in 2006. The Queen and Princess Anne looked pretty in pink, while Beatrice and Eugenie opted for more subtle looks compared to the frocks at William and Kate’s wedding.

Hot Zara Phillips Wedding

Zara Phillips donned a gown designed by one of her grandmother's favourite couturiers for her wedding to Mike Tindall today. Speculation had been intense over who would design the 30-year-old's dress, though many predicted Zara's choice of Stewart Parvin. The UK designer creates outfits for the Queen and in 2007 was awarded the Royal Warrant of Appointment.

The Queen's granddaughter is known for her daring outfits, but dressed to impress in the gown, chosen from the White Room in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, near her and Mr Tindall's home. The dress is an ivory silk faille and silk duchess satin gown. Faille is a soft light ribbed fabric of silk, rayon, or taffeta.

A chevron pleated bodice ending in dramatic inverted pleats on a dropped waist was designed to create a bell-shaped silhouette and the gown has a concealed structured corset. Silk tulle straps form a V at the back and the bust is in silk duchess satin, with simple bias-cut raw edged ribbons of top-stitched silk faille and duchess satin decorating the neckline and empire seam.

The full skirt has concealed pockets, a band of silk duchess satin at the hem, and a subtle train - in contrast to many previous royal brides. Delicate fabric-covered buttons decorate the centre back of the gown, from its neckline to the hem.

The equestrienne wore a fine silk tulle cathedral length bouffant-style veil, and a Greek Key tiara lent to her by her mother the Princess Royal.

The move is an echo of the Duchess of Cambridge's "something borrowed" - a 1636 Cartier tiara loaned to her by the Queen. Zara wore Jimmy Choo shoes, and carried a bouquet by London-based florist Paul Thomas. With hair styled by Evangelos Tsiapkinis at Mayfair salon Michael John and make-up by Bobbi Brown, Zara's wedding day look is a far cry from her usual understated style. Her wedding may be a world away from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's glittering April wedding where Kate wore a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen creation which featured a lace applique bodice and skirt, a veil and tiara.

But the look has shown the world a very different Zara to the one who posed outside her home with her fiance sporting a casual look of jeans, jackets and boots. A statement from Stewart Parvin said he was "proud" to have designed Zara's dress. The designer presents two fashion collections a year, as well as one bridal collection.

The statement said: "Stewart's signature style is chic, modern, understated and impeccable which is evident in the quality of fit and the cut of his bridal gowns, and mainline collections alike.

"His extensive private client list is a reflection of his dedication, discretion and extraordinary talent."