Wedding Dresses - Different Cultures, Different Wedding Dresses

Wedding dresses are considered to be one of the centerpiece items in a wedding ceremony. This is because a wedding dress on top of all makes a bride standout among the crowd due to its elegant and breathtaking design. Asides from this, wedding dresses also have a deeper meaning with regards to marriage as these have been symbolizing the bride ever since.

The beauty of wedding dresses resides in how it is able to represent the bride in a unique manner during the wedding ceremony. It also adds up to the stunning factor that occurs when the bride is first seen walking down the isle. This is the reason why a wedding dress is highly prioritized in a wedding arrangement checklist.

Generally speaking, the modern world has been used to the white wedding dress which comes from the Western cultures of European countries. However, there are a lot of other cultures that have different variations of wedding dresses in areas like color, design and pattern. These traditional versions of a wedding dress are also as beautiful as the accustomed white bridal dress and at times more interesting since these are not really seen that often.

In the old Western cultures, marriages during and subsequent the medieval era meant more than just a union between a man and a woman. This was due to the fact that they could also be considered as a union between companies, families, businesses or even countries. A lot of weddings during this time were more of a matter of politics especially for the nobles and higher echelon of the society. This has greatly affected the way wedding dresses were made and worn depending on your social status. Usually, Brides coming from the wealthy families wore bridal gowns of exclusive fabrics and rich colors.

Through the years, brides from wealthy families dressed in a manner that reflected their social status, having the highest form of fashion available combined with the most expensive materials that money could buy. On the other hand, the poorest brides wore the best church clothes that they could find on their wedding day.

Nowadays, there are a lot of choices for wedding gowns since there are different price ranges. There has also been a variety of lengths and colors available since the Western traditions have loosened up. Women can now also have the option to either buy ready made gowns, have a dressmaker create one or wear a family heirloom. Also, the bridal salons today already present samples of the wedding gowns when you visit their store. Because of this you can already select a design that suits your tastes right then and there and just have it customized to fit your size.

For the Asian countries having Eastern culture such as Vietnam, China and India, the traditional bridal dresses are very much affected by the cultural beliefs of the people. The Ao dai which is the traditional bridal dress for Vietnamese women is a perfect example. It is usually in red color which signifies prosperity and good luck for the Vietnamese. The other mentioned countries also share the same line of thinking with regards to the color of their traditional bridal dresses.

However, more women today choose not to follow suit with the customs and traditions of their country or culture since people have a more liberated mindset as compared to before. Instead, they go for customized wedding gowns which will give them a unique appearance as well as represent their own personalities.

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What Are Oxford Dress Shoes And What Makes Them Different From Others?

The oxford shoe is a traditional leather shoe that originated in Scotland and Ireland. This style of footwear is made from very heavy leather with lacing that is enclosed. The original oxford shoes were constructed of leather that was not tanned and were not very ornate at all. Today, oxford shoes are designed in a diverse array of styles and materials including leather, suede, and even synthetics. These shoes are classified as dress shoes for women and men alike and lean more towards the casual end of the spectrum rather than dressy. By definition oxfords are below the ankle and in general will have a cap over the toes which is simply a small piece of leather sewn over the toe.

In men's oxfords there are basically 5 types which are kilties, wingtip, saddle, open laced and closed laced. The open laced shoes are made with the sides sewn on the top front and when laced appear as if they were in segments. In opposition to this style are the closed lace or Balmorals which feature laces sewn under the front of the shoe with the laces over the tongue resulting in footwear that appears to be constructed in one piece.

The kiltie style is very popular and they tend to be more ornate in their design with a fringed leather tongue covering the eyelets and laces and sometimes features tassels on top of this. The saddle oxfords are unique in their appearance in that they have a saddle shaped piece of leather sewn onto them that is of a contrasting color to the rest of the shoe. By far the most desired of all oxford shoes is the wingtip. These feature fancy leather embroidery on the toe that appears to resemble wings. I have owned several pairs of these dress shoes and have always been complimented on my fashion sense when I have worn them in a business environment.

My recommendation for you is that if you are interested in oxfords, never settle for anything other than leather shoes as they are the most durable and long lasting. I would go with a pair of black shoes as well as a pair in Burgundy since these will give you the most use for the majority of colors of pants. Just be sure to have matching belts as well, nothing looks more ridiculous than a man wearing a pair of black shoes with a brown belt. Whatever style of oxford you choose you will be very happy with the look as well as the comfort of them. If you work in a job where you are on your feet and work on pavement such as a car salesman you may want to opt for a pair with Vibram soles to give you mare comfort as well as durability.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about men's shoes as well as men's dress shoes at http://www.mensdesignerdressshoes.com