A Content Analysis of Fashion Trends in Wedding Dresses - Using Wedding Dress Magazine, ′My Wedding′and ′She′s Bride′Issued in 1997 -

The objectives of this study were to identify fashion trend in the late 1990's by using content analysis of the design elements of wedding dresses in wedding magazine photographs. The data were selected among the wedding dress photographs in 1997 issues of two wedding's magazines, 'My wedding'and 'She's Bride'. The identified 455 photographs were classified into 15 major-categories of silhouettes, necklines, sleeves, materials, and trimmings, etc. 15 major-categories were consisted of 232 sub-categories. In the late 1990's, fashion trends of wedding dresses have mixed mainly dome silhouettes(56.0%), bell silhouettes, and tubular silhouettes. One-piece forms(90.8%) were familar more than two-piece forms. Necklines were used mainly such as square neckline(14.0%), high necklines(13.0) blended with other off-shoulder necklines, heart-shape necklines, and sweet-heart necklines, etc. Also camisole and strapless were added in neckline. Long-tight sleeves dominated at the late 1990's because that were used most (21.1%) among 22 sleeves sub-categories. And short sleeve, ruffled below-elbow length sleeves, and french sleeves were also used with the other sleeves. Long length in skirts(98.4%) were common but mini length were used rarely. Satin, lace, and solid cloth were the main materials in wedding dresses, however, spandex and velvet were also used. Various trimmings such as flowers(corsages), ribbons blended with embroidery, small flowers, buttons, frills, strings, and fur trimming are used. Especially, flowers used most(11.8%) among 61 trimmings sub-categories. But simplicity was shown in trimmings because there were dresses not having any decorations(14.3%). The wedding dress of the late 1990's has become more varied in design due to the reflection of changes in society and fashion of everyday garments while the traditional design of the wedding dress has been preserved.