A striking cobalt blue wedding dress reflects the fact that non-white gowns were common for brides in America during the mid-19th century. Although Queen Victoria’s white wedding dress of 1840 influenced fashion, white did not become the dominant choice for middle-class British and American brides until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Blue was often selected for its long-standing associations with purity and fidelity, and it was also practical, as such a gown could be worn again as an elegant dress after the wedding.