BRIDAL FASHION DISPLAY FORMS A TIMELINE OF THE CENTURY.

Byline: Binh Ha Hong Staff Writer

During a year and a half of scouring thrift stores, vintage shops and yard sales, Culver City resident Rocky Pollitz acquired 35 wedding gowns spanning the century. Fifteen of the matrimonial finds are on display at the Flower and Garden Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Fair.

The highs and lows of each decade are reflected - from the frothy bouquets to the caftan-type wedding gowns.

``Of course, there are typical brides,'' said Susan Overton, Pollitz's daughter and floral exhibit coordinator. ``We could have shown you the typical bride, but that would have been boring.''

For instance, in the early 1900s, the age of excess was reflected in the bouquets. They were huge, full of foliage and flowers that appeared gathered from the garden and haphazardly tied together. The wire used to hold these bouquets was so bulky that it had to be covered up with huge amounts of ribbon, Overton said. Contrast that with the Depression era when little money was available. A simple bouquet of calla lilies was used because they were cheap, she said.

Fabric and flowers were hard to come by during World War II. Whoever said necessity is the mother of invention may not have been thinking of fashion, but it certainly applies in this case. Brides made due with inexpensive carnation bouquets, interspersed with netting and ribbons. And the dress? Well, parachute material has a silken sheen to it, and no one was any the wiser.

Caftans and garden dresses dominated the wedding fashions during the hippie era of the 1960s. Unpretentious daisies were paired with a gold embroidered tunic gown.

Fast forward to the 1980s when Princess Diana married and wedding gowns became overdone again. Big skirts, trains, tiaras and beading were popular. The 1990s represents a return to simplicity. Influenced by Martha Stewart, wedding gowns lacked frou-frous, and bouquets featured tightly clustered roses and little else.

The dress for the year 2000 and beyond is a shiny gray net and accordion fan confection. Overton said she wanted something that was ``bizarre, off the wall and over the edge.''

Well, she certainly did that. With its bouquet of desert flowers and palms, visions of ``Star Trek'' come to mind.

Visitors might also be amazed at the size of some of the dresses. At the turn of the century, most brides were still in their teens and hadn't reached maturity yet. Wedding dresses these days are bigger because brides are older, Overton said.

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Photo

PHOTO In the 1950s, muff bouquets like this one were popular for weddings. Says floral exhibit coordinator Susan Overton, ``When fashions change, flower designs change also.''

Stan Lim/Staff Photographer