In case you didn't already get the memo, the days of pure white wedding dresses are long gone. Nowadays, your modern bridal gowns shine in all different shades! Here's what to look for when it comes to choosing the right wedding dress color and matching your skin shade with the appropriate gown.

One of the many things we've noticed working in the bridal gown biz is that when a bride-to-be asks us for a "white wedding dress", they are more likely to find their perfect gown in an off-white type of hue, like ivory.

So…what's the story here? Is a true blue white wedding dress no longer the norm?

Yes it is, and at present, gowns in all different shades and hues allow the modern day bride to shine bright!

Designers typically create wedding dresses in different shades of white and ivory, to darker hues like blush, champagne, and nude. And barriers are constantly being broken with trends like the black wedding gown and all colors of the rainbow. Just for a little context here, of the 600+ gowns that we carry at our South Jersey bridal shop, only about a handful of them would be considered a pure white wedding dress.

Which really begs the question, what's the difference between ivory and white wedding dresses?

If you're not really sure whether a wedding dress is pure white or a shade of ivory, don't worry 'cause this blog post breaks it all down for you. We've included a list of all the different shades of white and ivory wedding dresses and what skin tones they match with, so you can make the best decision when shopping for your bridal gown.

How do I tell if my dress is white or ivory?

Let's start with comparing the look of white vs ivory wedding dresses. Basically, the main difference is that pure white wedding dresses come off a little brighter and with a cool undertone – think cool blue. This makes a pure white wedding dresses more ideal on darker skin tones, which we will go into more detail later.

And in comparison, ivory wedding dresses are better for a wider range of skin tones, because of the warm hues added to the white fabric to create those off-white or eggshell tones. This is one of the reasons why ivory wedding dresses have become so popular!

We all know that white and black aren't colors, they're shades. "White" just basically means the lack of color. Adding a warm hue to something white, like yellow, makes the color ivory. You can also blend white with hues like peach or cream to make ivory. So no, ivory gowns definitely do not create the same effect as pure white wedding dresses. But sometimes, ivory is put under the umbrella of different shades of white for simplicity purposes.

Because the dress fabric is blended with a shade of yellow, many brides worry that an ivory wedding dress will give off yellow undertones and may consider avoiding an ivory-colored wedding dress altogether. If you do have some yellow undertones or have skin on the cool-toned spectrum, know that a more yellow-toned ivory dress might bring out some of those undertones even more, so just be aware of that.

Like with many things when it comes to wedding dresses however, these rules are never 100% applicable to every bride. The most important thing is actually trying on the dress and seeing what it looks like on you, because you never know until you're wearing the gown!

White vs ivory and choosing your perfect wedding dress

In order from lightest to darkest, here's a look at a bunch of different shades of white and ivory and beyond for the most popular designer wedding dresses. We call out the more ideal shades for every skin tone to help give you a clearer picture when you're choosing your perfect gown.

Shades of white

When shopping for your wedding dress, you might hear your stylist use a bunch of different names of colors and hues during the process, and all you really see in front of you is a rack of beautiful white-colored wedding gowns. Hopefully, this list will help make sense of this little conundrum.

1. Pure white: Sometimes referred to as "stark white", pure white is simply known as the brightest of the whites. It is whiter than even natural white. And to get dress fabric this particular shade of white the material has to be bleached, hence the blue undertones. Skin tone: Best for brides with darker skin tones.

2. Natural white: The second on this list is what's often known as "natural white." This shade of white is as crisp of a white that you can get without bleaching the fabric. Skin tone: Olive and dark skin.

3. Diamond white: Another popular variation of white, diamond white is a lighter off-white shade and typically looks softer than a wedding dress in pure white fabric. Skin tone: Medium to olive skin tones, and dark skinned brides.

Ivory color wedding dresses

1. Eggshell white: Now we're heading to the ivory side of the color shade spectrum. The lightest and the most "pure" ivory, eggshell is a great match for all types of brides. Skin tone: Eggshell works well with fair to pink undertones, as well as warmer skin tones.

2. Cream ivory: Your basic ivory but with a warmer hue. Skin tone: All shades of ivory are so complementary and universal, and cream ivory can look amazing on cool and pink undertones to medium or darker skinned brides.

3. Pearl ivory: Pearl ivory looks like a creamy off-white color. Think pearl satin. Like satin dress material, pearl ivory wedding dresses have a touch of shimmer.
Skin tone: All! A pearl ivory gown can work for any season and any skin tone.

White vs ivory vs champagne

On top of all shades of white and ivory gowns, we also carry a lot of nude, champagne, and blush wedding dresses at our bridal boutique.

1. Blush: Lightly-colored bridal gowns in blush and pale pink have been a favorite of many celebs over the years and the trend has stuck. Shades of blush can be so beautifully subtle, that they might actually look like a natural white or pearl gown upon first glance. Skin tone: All types of skin tones, from fair to warm to medium and dark.

2. Champagne: Darker gown shades like champagne are great to bring out any details in the dress, like in an embroidered overlay for instance. A slightly darker fabric just makes the material and design pop in a way that it wouldn't in a white-on-white situation. Skin tone: Champagne wedding dresses bring out the best in warm and cool skin tones alike.

3. Nude: Sometimes confused for champagne, nude colored gowns are just slightly darker and really set the vibe for your late summer or fall outdoor wedding. Want to unleash your best boho-bride style? Nude might just be for gown color. Skin tone: Being a neutral color, nude gowns match all skin tones.

Photo credit: Kateryna Galiamova

Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal

Ready to meet your dream wedding dress? Our collection of preowned designer gowns come in a variety of shades, shapes, sizes, and styles.

We're up to over 600 in our New Jersey bridal shop, many of them never worn but available to our brides at very affordable prices. Sustainable and affordable, we love this win-win. Book an appointment for early 2025 and get ready for some magic to happen.

Sustainably yours,

Hand-Me-Gowns Bridal
xoxo