Designer Will Take History Down the Bridal Path

Just as everyday clothing serves as a sign of the times, bridal gowns--perhaps the most symbolic and important outfit a woman might don during her life--chronicle our sartorial preferences.

The popularity of wedding gown fabrics, hemlines, details and silhouettes not only reflect the social and economic state of a particular era, but a woman’s place within that period, from the prim Edwardian age to the much more revealing and liberated flapper years.

Designer Janell Berte will discuss how matrimonial fashions have evolved over the past 200 years Tuesday at her custom bridal salon in South Coast Plaza Village, Santa Ana.

Berte, who has been creating outfits for wedding parties for 13 years, researched, designed and assembled 12 gowns that will illustrate her presentation. Most use materials authentic to the time. In cases where the original fabric was no longer available or difficult to find, a modern facsimile was substituted. For example, a Josephine gown that required wool muslin was re-created using a look-alike silk chiffon.

The reproductions, all of which are three feet high, required from six to 24 hours to sew due to such details as crystal beading and knife pleats.

The purpose of the exhibit, says Berte, is to educate brides-to-be about the history of wedding gowns. This knowledge sometimes inspires brides in creating their gowns.

The program, beginning at 6 p.m., is sponsored by the Orange County Chapter of the Fashion Group International. Tickets are $20; $10 for students. For more information, call (714) 730-3551.