Wedded Perfection: Two Centuries of Wedding Gowns explores the compelling allure of the white, single-use wedding dress for modern women and its iconic stature in Western cultures. Full-length colour plates and exquisite details of nearly 60 wedding gowns and dresses from the late 18th century to the present day, drawn from Cincinnati Art Museum's internationally renowned permanent collection, are supplemented with loans from major designers. These include work of some of the most notable designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Jeanne Lanvin, Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne, Vera Wang, Bob Mackie, Yohji Yamamoto and Zac Posen. Cynthia Amneus examines the role of women within society, the institution of marriage and the evolving aesthetics of wedding gowns. She explores how ideas and social mores have influenced bridal wear. Two further essays discuss the establishment of the bridal industry after World War II and the democratization of the white wedding gown for working class brides. An interpretive entry is provided for each gown detailing construction techniques and fashionable characteristics. This is accompanied by a full length colour image of the gown, details of embellishments and fabrics, original bridal photos, comparative illustrations, and information about the designers. The book also includes a select bibliography and an index. AUTHOR: Cynthia Amneus is curator of costume and textiles at the Cincinnati Art Museum. She has taught at Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati and is the author of A Separate Sphere: Dressmakers in Cincinnati's Golden Age, 1877 1922 (2003), which won the 2004 Victorian Society of America Publication Award. Sara Long Butler is professor of Costume Studies, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Katherine Jellison is associate professor, Department of History, Ohio University ILLUSTRATIONS 136 colour & 21 b/w illustrations