William Hogarth (British, 1697-1764), The Wedding of Stephen Beckingham and Mary Cox, 1729. Oil on canvas; 128.3 x 102.9 cm. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1936. 36.111. Marquand Fund. Source: The Met

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he women are wearing floor-length robes à l’anglaise that cinch at the natural waist. The full effect of this silhouette can be seen in the garment in figure 1. Considering the relative status of both families, the dresses are most likely silk; similarly to the dress in figure 5, the emphasis is on the quality of the fabrics. Their accessories include stomachers, lace fichus, fans, and lace headpieces.

The men are wearing jackets, breeches, and hose. The jackets are knee-length and, as was typical for the period, possess a flare at the natural waist; the jackets may have been made of silk or wool. This silhouette and material of choice can be seen in great detail in figure 2. The men’s accessories include powdered wigs, cravats, ornamental canes and square-toed shoes.

What is interesting to note is that, despite their wealth, neither are royalty or otherwise high in social status. The wedding party’s fashionability is explored in Valerie Steele’s Paris Fashion: A Cultural History (1998),  in which Steele explains that fashion was no longer solely trickling down from the French royal court but was instead made more accessible to those of wealth (14). This is how a wealthy but non-aristocratic British family was able to attain their fashion-forward wedding garments.

Weddings at the time were not public events. As such, this painting was displayed in the home of the bride and groom as a conversation piece.

The ideal figure for women of the early 18th century featured a thin waist, sloping shoulder and hips emphasized by use of panniers. The ideal figure for men was one of simplicity, with an emphasis on tailoring.

The men and women within the portrait, perhaps due to their relatively high status, are wearing dress more often seen during the 1730s, denoting an interest in being fashion forward. In general, womenswear in western Europe was starting to become innovative and was often seen as modern as fashion began to spread faster throughout the continent, as explored in McNeil’s Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: West Europe (35).

The style of tailoring and simplicity favored in menswear trends of the time are also seen in figure 4, which is from ca. 1737. The emphasis is on the fit and richness of fabric over any extraneous ornamentation.

A dress similar to the ones worn by the female guests of the wedding can be seen in figure 5, which is from ca. 1737, nearly a full decade later. As with the other examples explored, the emphasis is on fit and fabric over any ornamentation.

Both the men and women of the wedding portrait are dressed very typically for the period, often nearly identical to other portraits in terms of styling. The diagram below shows a close up of the wedding guests, highlighting key items that were typical for the era.