Bridal Trousers - chic, flexible fashion for 2021 micro weddings

Prior to 2020, any small act of rebellion in bridal wear, any game changing detail, any sense of daring was met with a raised eyebrow and several column inches of rabid tabloid coverage. No single garment, in any of its guises, had been more divisive than the trouser.

Considering that it is nearly 100 years since Coco Chanel adopted the boyfriend trouser, wearing pants hardly seems like the rebellious act of emancipation and sexual liberation that it once was. Despite love being, emphatically, love, why did walking down the aisle in a jumpsuit, a palazzo pant or a tux – particularly if you are a straight woman - still seem a brave choice?

Now, with some big weddings on the back burner, the trouser, in all its glorious incarnations has found its place in a modern brides wardrobe and it will hard to be relegate this staple to a supporting role

The body positivity movement, this brave, new, youthful world view that celebrates all our glorious shapes and sizes, may have come too late for me to truly embrace. I follow the Body Positivity movement; its movers and its confident booty shakers, in awe.

Similarly, I am devoted to the cast of Pose, Jonathan Van Ness, Charlie Craggs, Munroe Bergdorf and Kyle de Volle. In this arena too, I feel too old to truly understand the alphabet of sexual choices, the nuances of gay and trans culture but I am gripped and delighted at the fashion spectacle. I am uplifted by the acceptance. I love that everyone has the chance to play with their gendered clothing, to dress how the day and as the mood takes them.

As a beyond middle age woman, who has inhabited several body shapes, haircuts and jumped on a fare number of style bandwagons, I love nothing more to confuse people with how I dress. Given, by nature, a very ‘binary’ shape I have always been inclined play down the ‘tits and ass’ look. Apart from the divorcee years…

With a back history of 100 years of women in slacks, flares, culottes and Daisy Dukes it seems without question utterly reasonable to wear a bridal trouser. There are many women I have met during my 30 years in bridal who, for no particular reason, don’t like or don’t suit a dress. Additionally, with an increasing amount of multi-site, multi-faith, multi-date celebrations, let alone the ‘hold the original date and do the reception later’ wedding, a modern bride’s wardrobe choice is getting ever extended.

Miss Bush bride Charlotte was definitely a ‘no-dress’ bride. From our very first meeting wearing trousers was non-negotiable. For someone marrying in a Royal palace in winter Charlotte had it all style, practicality and WOW factor, a thoroughly modern princess. Image above by Hayley B Weddings - see more here.

Wedding industry Influencer Laura Love's trousseau. Laura’s legal Chelsea Register Office choice was a sharp, white suit, heels of dreams and recherché pussy bow blouse (image by Bianco Photography) followed by a handful of Emilia Wickstead and some Zimmerman in Marrakech. Milly Makintosh wore a homage to Bianca Jagger for her paperwork followed by a Halfpenny for the main event. There are, simply, shopaholic, show-pony brides, that adore their fashion that will just want to sneak in another #ootd. God love them…

There was a time that a strapless wedding dress was radical, an asymmetric drape quite revolutionary and a sparkly belt or a vintage upcycled headpiece a hot new trend. They, like “boho,” split skirts and keyhole backs got absorbed into the pantheon of all-time great details.

The Tuxedo

The Tux is iconic, seen on Josephine Baker, reimagined as Le Smoking by Yves Saint Laurent and made into an icon by Helmut Newton, it simply is overtly sexual and lets the most vanilla of women play with their trans side. Taken into the wedding guest arena, Cara Delevingne, in her tails at Eugenie’s wedding, was a masterful version of hot girl meets the artful dodger. I defy anyone, who has any kind of sexual pulse not to want to date her. I also add Bianca Jagger’s wedding-wear to this category, despite it being a tux and skirt.

The Trouser

Possibly the most flexible option. Pop on with a blazer, statement flats shoes and camisole for a relaxed tiny registry office wedding. Add a structured coat with a train and a beaded lace blouse for a bigger ceremony. Take the blouse and add a volume skirt for a more traditional Dior look. Blend, repeat… The separates trend is getting smarter, more flexible and extending a wedding wardrobe over many events an into a black tie, evening wear or everyday option for the future. Sustainable glamour at its best.

The Catsuit

The trouser of choice for the showgirl and superhero. Screamingly feminine; latex, sheer, spandex and glossy. The take no prisoners, preening, posing option for pirouetting celebs with hard won bodies and hard-core fans. This is for J-Lo, Cher, a brace of Hadids and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. More suited to Uma Thurman’s character The Bride than an actual bride, the big glamour bridal labels have still tried hard to convince us someone would really wear one to their own wedding. A likely camel toe too far...