The Reluctant Bride (Wedded Bliss Book 1)

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Despite the magnificent play of color and texture, the most striking aspect of this painting is the bride’s direct gaze at the viewer. Her focus is clear and despite the fact that she is comforted by the two women, she reacts to neither gesture. One is holding her hand; while the other with the shawl, who seemingly just arrived, is kissing her on the forehead. She does not respond to the sentimentality of the gestures and her gaze is defiant. A demonstration of resistance to her dilemma – that of an arranged marriage, a common occurrence during the 19th century. The Reluctant Bride – review - cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times. The slim waist and full-skirted silhouette worn by the women in the painting was in vogue during the 1860s (Fig. 3). The full skirt is achieved through the use of a crinoline. According to Jane Ashelford in her book The Art of Dress: Clothes and Society 1500-1914: Without a doubt, the legacy of the simple white wedding dress continues today (Fig. 13). The use of the color white, ivory or cream in wedding dresses has stood the test of time, in fact, it is now considered quite adventurous when a bride gets married in another color.

As for the fur trim decorating the bride’s dress, it has a similar look to an 1885 dolman (Fig. 4) which Lucy Johnston describes in her book, Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail: Abby Taylor walked out on her irresistible husband three years ago. Now she has no choice but to return to Italy to ask him for a favor. To pay for her grandmother’s heart operation she needs his money, but it comes with strings attached. Dress was never more clearly one of the most visible signs of “correctness” and “suitability” so valued by nineteenth-century society, than in the bridal gown.” (iv)While a bridal gown’s silhouettes vary today and dependent on the bride’s aesthetic, small waists and full skirts are still fashionable. Though the look is achieved with tulle petticoats rather than crinolines.

The color is also notable as brides of social standing tended to wear white, ivory or cream. According to Johnston in her description of an 1865 bridal gown in her book, Nineteenth-Century Fashion in Detail: Overall, The Reluctant Wife was a fantastic story that was centered around things I don’t read about every day while still featuring characters that made me so happy. Honestly, they made my tummy all tingly and happy feeling. That is never a bad thing, my friends. ;)” While it was fashionable to have the a bridal gown of white and ivory, as Johnston notes, colored wedding ensembles were also acceptable (Fig. 6). In contrast to the white gown of the bride, the other women in the painting are dressed in colored satins, which were considered fashionable according to “Chitchat upon New York and Philadelphia Fashions for December” in Godey’s Lady’s Books and Magazine (1866):The story is certainly never boring; there is always something getting in the way of their final happiness, though the epilogue is a lovely tribute to the final issue. All in all, this is a well-done contemporary category romance that works on every level.” Ashelford, Jane, and Andreas Einsiedel. The Art of Dress: Clothes and Society, 1500-1914. London: National Trust, 1996. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/759883168.