What Is Borrowed, What is Blue?
I’m no expert on Algerian weddings – I’ve only attended two. But from my slight vantage point I can offer some fun facts about wedding finery.
The bride is the spectacle, the star of the show, and the focus of all attention. Depending upon the means of the family, the bride may appear in as many as seven different dresses, including her “robe blanche” which is always a traditional Western white wedding gown and usually worn at the end of the evening. The bride is also loaded down with gold and diamond jewelry - forget understated, forget restraint. This is an occasion for her to go all out and display her personal collection, family heirlooms and gifts from the groom.
Most of the dresses selected combine regional, traditional Algerian styles with Western-style formal evening gowns. I've found a few authentic photos that show some different styles.
Here are two pictures of the classic style from Constantine in eastern Algeria. This is a very difficult dress to wear - the embroidered fabric can be quite heavy and the style seems to automatically add 10 pounds to even the most slender women.
Here’s are two samples of Karakou, a style which originated in Algiers. It combines a heavily embroidered velvet jacket with fitted satin harem pants usually slit up the sides with sort of a balloon effect around the ankles. It sounds uncomfortable but it’s more like a skirt that hampers any sort of walking other than daintily. This has always been a favorite style of mine - I think it looks sleek and elegant.
Many women select at least one of their dresses to honor their family heritage – it could be a classic kaftan made from layers of silk and satin such as either of these two dresses
or a traditional Kabyle wedding dress like this. I have the same outfit, although mine is made of a coarser silk. It’s incredibly comfortable to wear and dance in.
The one thing it's difficult to show in photos is how opulent these costumes are. Some of the ensembles are simply breathtaking but just don't photograph that well.
The women get all the fun, however, as no one has the slightest bit of interest in what the groom is wearing. He could show up in a tee shirt and jeans to probably barely a ripple - well, that's some exaggeration. The groom is generally well turned out in a classic dark suit, shirt and tie, but believe me when I say no one looks at him.
Which seems to be the case in weddings all over the world.
The bride is the spectacle, the star of the show, and the focus of all attention. Depending upon the means of the family, the bride may appear in as many as seven different dresses, including her “robe blanche” which is always a traditional Western white wedding gown and usually worn at the end of the evening. The bride is also loaded down with gold and diamond jewelry - forget understated, forget restraint. This is an occasion for her to go all out and display her personal collection, family heirlooms and gifts from the groom.
Most of the dresses selected combine regional, traditional Algerian styles with Western-style formal evening gowns. I've found a few authentic photos that show some different styles.
Here are two pictures of the classic style from Constantine in eastern Algeria. This is a very difficult dress to wear - the embroidered fabric can be quite heavy and the style seems to automatically add 10 pounds to even the most slender women.
Here’s are two samples of Karakou, a style which originated in Algiers. It combines a heavily embroidered velvet jacket with fitted satin harem pants usually slit up the sides with sort of a balloon effect around the ankles. It sounds uncomfortable but it’s more like a skirt that hampers any sort of walking other than daintily. This has always been a favorite style of mine - I think it looks sleek and elegant.
Many women select at least one of their dresses to honor their family heritage – it could be a classic kaftan made from layers of silk and satin such as either of these two dresses
or a traditional Kabyle wedding dress like this. I have the same outfit, although mine is made of a coarser silk. It’s incredibly comfortable to wear and dance in.
The one thing it's difficult to show in photos is how opulent these costumes are. Some of the ensembles are simply breathtaking but just don't photograph that well.
The women get all the fun, however, as no one has the slightest bit of interest in what the groom is wearing. He could show up in a tee shirt and jeans to probably barely a ripple - well, that's some exaggeration. The groom is generally well turned out in a classic dark suit, shirt and tie, but believe me when I say no one looks at him.
Which seems to be the case in weddings all over the world.
posted by Miliana at 7:43 PM
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