Brides swap luxurious dresses for minimalist ones; trend is on the rise on the internet

May is considered the month of brides and the glamor of wedding dresses has taken on a new look that moves away from luxurious ornaments such as stones and glitter, puffy sleeves and even full, draped skirts. Now, the trend is to focus on simplicity, without leaving aside the elegance of the occasion.

In searches related to wedding dresses on Google Trends, the search for plain, minimalist, midi, simple and elegant wedding dresses is on the rise. The data is from the last five years.

Pinterest, a social network for inspiration and trends, also confirms this popularity. According to the platform’s 2024 wedding report, searches for short and simple wedding dresses grew by 480% and 205% in searches, respectively.

The report shows that searches for simple hairstyles and natural makeup for weddings have also increased. The data is global and compares searches between February 2023 and February 2024.

For stylist Carol Hungary, who has been in the wedding market for 17 years, this trend is the result of the pandemic. “Before, we were in a phase with a lot of lacy dresses, with a lot of shine and excess. Then, people started looking for the idea of ​​’less is more'”, says Hungary.

She explains that, despite being called a minimalist wedding dress, what happens is just “cleaning the clothes”.

Influencer Mari Saad, for example, got married wearing a dress in this clean and minimalist style, without lace details or stones, and the highlight was the sun-shaped earrings.

In this area of ​​celebrities, other brides also opted for this look, such as influencer Isabella Scherer, who chose a midi length model, with a low back and long sleeves. The MasterChef 2021 winner styled the look with a flower crown.

Another reference is actress Larissa Manoela’s wedding dress, made by designer Lucas Anderi, who participated in the panel of experts on the Fábrica de Casamentos program, on SBT with Discovery Home & Health. In 2022, Anderi debuted as a presenter on the reality show Esquadrão da Moda, also on Silvio Santos’ channel.

The businessman says he created two models for the actress, but they chose the one with puffed sleeves. “[Esse modelo] made it more sumptuous. We chose a defined waist, more reinforced hips, which is a trend. Bows were super popular, and also this precious finishing, tailoring, and very full-bodied smooth fabric”, says Anderi.

The businessman’s atelier follows one of the lines of clean wedding dresses. He says he receives a high demand from brides looking for this style and they are models who need to have an “event”.

“Something that happens on the dress, whether it’s an extravagant bow or a flower arrangement. Something has to be there. You know that sigh we expect from the bride? That you say: ‘Wow, how beautiful’. There has to be some event”, says Anderi.

Model and businesswoman Celina Locks, for example, wore a dress from the brand Giorgio Armani Privê at her wedding with former football player Ronaldo. The model was made in white silk organza and drew attention to the slit and an intertwined strap on a plain dress.

Hungary also confirms this something extra in the simple dress. For her, when the model is smooth, it tends to show all the details more clearly. Therefore, the posture must be impeccable, as well as the finishing of the neckline and zipper.

“A plain dress can seem ordinary, so we need to look for something that draws attention, whether it’s draping, a bow, a cut, anything that brings the impact that every bride wants at the time of her entrance”, says Hungary.

Actress Vanessa Hudgens opted for this model with a draped neckline and low back. In an interview with Vogue, she said that for her wedding look, she wanted a dress that was elegant, modern and sexy, with a shape inspired by 90s supermodels.

In 2018, Meghan Markle broke the pattern of royal brides who opted for dresses with lace, as was the case with Kate Middleton, or puffed sleeves, as with Princess Diana, and opted for a dress without excess.

The model designed by British Clare Waight Keller had a cinched waist, 3/4 sleeves and an off-the-shoulder neckline. “After Meghan got married, she approved the possibility of brides being able to opt for a plain dress, for a dress with less information”, says Hungary.