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The Best simple yet stunning wedding dresses for the understated bride
Sometimes, the most successful looks aren’t the ones that scream for attention. Here, see the sleekest, most simplified gowns to consider for your day.
Most brides fall into one of two camps: there are the magpies and the fashion-forward dressers who use the opportunity to amplify their personal style, delighting in the embellishments, silhouettes and dazzling accessories. Then, there’s the understated bride, who favours clean lines and discreet finishers that make a quiet, truly timeless statement.
If you fall into the latter camp, a simple wedding dress is likely at the top of your shopping list: and luckily, options abound this year. As couples continue to break from grand traditions, choosing all manner of chilled-out, unconstrained and all-together non-confirmative celebrations, demand for pared-back dresses is booming.
Rosie Williams, co-founder of The Own Studio, is one wedding-dress designer reporting an uptick in requests for simple wedding-dress styles. "Lots of brides are leaning into more structured column silhouettes, which is modern and chic, versus the more traditional A-line shape," she says.
At The Own Studio, the most popular fabrics this year are silks – both liquid-like satin and glossy mikado – with brides turning away from embroidery and embellishment. However, it's important to note that, in the bridal arena, the word 'simple' does not mean underwhelming: there's a remarkable amount of skill involved in making a pared-back silhouette look extraordinary. "What appears simple to some can be very complex and exact when it comes to construction - namely as there is nowhere to hide," adds Williams.
Does the shift towards a more minimalist look reflects the kind of weddings modern brides are planning? Williams believes so. "Weddings are much more individual and personal than they ever have been before. Lots of brides are getting married at an older age than they were a decade ago, and so are more confident when it comes to planning the wedding that they want, rather than what their family are potentially expecting," she says. "The rise of social media has had a huge part to play in this too, as weddings are being shared and pored over in a way that they weren't even five years ago. People don't want the same wedding as someone else; they want it to look and feel completely unique to them." For some, this will mean a more modest ceremony look: for others, it may be a sparkling reception outfit change, a wedding suit, or even a bold red lip.
Another factor driving the demand for classic cuts and quiet detailing is sustainability. "Like us, a lot of our brides are passionate about circular fashion, so being able to re-wear their outfit after the wedding day is really important to them," says Williams. "They lean into fabrics that can be dyed after the wedding or styles that can be repurposed to become enduring pieces in their wardrobe."
So this year, if you're searching for a deceivingly simple dress that looks spectacular, you're in luck. Alongside The Own Studio, independent designers Galvan and Danielle Frankel are offering restrained takes on their signature styles, while ready-to-wear mainstays are crafting precision-cut gowns in crisp white, suitable for wearing both to your wedding and future events. Even the high street is capitalising on the demand, with the likes of Reiss Atelier and Ghost offering modest midis and gowns for intimate affairs.
And if you don’t quite fall completely into that quiet-luxury camp? Well, a simple column silhouette also makes a perfect blank canvas for a major pair of bridal shoes…
The chicest simple wedding dresses of 2024
A more restrained example of bridal designer Danielle Frankel's dramatic design vision, the Stella dress is forensically tailored to look pared-back yet phenomenally flattering. It's cut on the bias to ensure a seamless drape, with an open back that curves to accentuate your figure. Match the pearl-tipped straps with your earrings for the chicest result.
There's not much Jess Kaye and Rosie Williams of The Own Studio can't turn their hands to, be it dressing an A-lister for a sparkling event or helping brides design their own dream gown. This season, the design duo have crafted some of the most refined wedding silhouettes, including this second-skin column dress, which is crafted from mikado silk for a substantial handle and beautiful sheen. Wear it alone as a minimalist statement, or add the matching gloves or train for extra drama.
It's the crisp, clean lines of Galvan's wedding gowns that makes them the first port of call for so many modern brides. A stellar example, this Fiorentina gown is cut from satin to a column silhouette, cleverly split at the sides to ensure ease of movement and finished with a flowing train.
The affordable wedding dress category has exploded since the pandemic, and there are now plenty of beautifully crafted options to be found on the high street.
The first place to head? Reiss' elevated Atelier line, which offers concise yet contemporary cuts. This floor-sweeping gown features a plunging back for a shot of modern drama.
Few things feel as effortlessly cool as a Nineties-style slip dress (if you need proof, simply look up Cindy Crawford's beach bridal look). Olivia Von Halle has given the timeless silhouette a bridal spin with tiny iridescent pearls threaded along the straps. Wear it with gently textured hair for the ultimate low-key result.
Torn between timeless simplicity and major drama? Alessandra rich's plunge-neck slip dress, dripping in glittering crystals, offers both in equal measure. Amp up the impact with a sparkling bridal bag or pair of shoulder-skimming statement earrings.
Ghost has been the high-street go-to for bridal simplicity for years now. For city ceremonies, quiet celebrations and rehearsal dinners, this long-sleeved slip dress fits the bill. A pair of pearl earrings and pointed pumps are the only finishers you need.
A curved neckline and boned corsetry make Alex Perry's midi dress an impactful choice. Balance the calf-skimming hemline with a pair of slender stiletto heels, adding a bold red lipstick after the speeches.
Designed to hit just above the floor, Staud's stretch-poplin dress feels special without being too formal. The asymmetric neckline and ruched waist add modern impact: keep the details in focus by wearing it with a sleek updo.
A strapless silhouette makes the perfect counterpart to your most dazzling jewellery. Pair Safiyaa's figure-sculpting crepe gown with diamond, pearls, or flashes of yellow gold.
No-one crafts pared-back elegance quite like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. The Guinevere dress is cut from double-faced, pure silk satin to a silhouette that falls on the bias into a lightly floor-sweeping train.
Halfpenny London's latest collection reflects how so many brides want to look now: timeless and perfectly unfussy. A beautiful choice for city nuptials and cocktail affairs, this fit-and-flare dress comes loaded with Audrey Hepburn-esque elegance.
A seamless balance of relaxed ease and modern drama, Jacquemus' La Robe Novia dress falls simply from slender straps into a flowing body and trailing hem. Keep the laid-back feeling going with a low-slung chignon and barely there sandals.
The unrivalled sustainability credentials aren't the only reason to turn to Reformation for your big day. The Jeany dress is made from pure silk-charmeuse with a glossy sheen, and cut to a seemingly modest silhouette – until you catch a glimpse of the beautiful cutaway back.
