What Men Really Think About These Wedding Dress Trends

Whether it's lace, satin, long, short, off-white, veil or no veil, it's unlikely that when a bride is walking down the aisle the groom would be overly concerned with the technicalities of what their bride is wearing. That being said, it is always interesting to know what men are really thinking.

Since men's opinions on high fashion always tend to be hilarious, I thought I would ask a group of guys what they thought of the top wedding dress trends for 2017 that were pulled straight from the runway. This month, the Who What Wear Australia team are focusing on a "Style the Aisle" initiative by pulling together all the information you need on planning your special day in one place. While you'll find a lot of great content, this story will surely give you a break from the stresses of all your thoughtful planning.

From the group of gents I spoke to, Mark has been married for 10 years, while Haoran has been married for 11, and both are in their late thirties. Matt and Alex on the other hand, are in their twenties and early thirties and are both in relationships. You'll discover some of them are on-board with the interesting trends that have appeared on the 2017 runways—others, not so much.

Keep scrolling to see what these guys had to say about each of these wedding dress trends.

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Carol Hannah
(Image credit: ImaxTree )

"Looks like a glorified nightie. Ankle-length is cool, because flashing ankles is still sexy but modest, right? The shawl looks like it has some fancy details. Is that a ribbon tied around her left hand? Just in case you forget marriage is about tying the knot, I guess. But the black shoes looks like you're hedging your bets about this wedding bizzo."—Haoran

"Sure looks nice, seems very comfortable—but almost a little too comfortable. How do you match a suit to that? It looks like a woman's nightie to sleep in with a fancy cardigan."—Matt

"This seems a little… too casual? Like the world's most fancy nightgown. The colour is smashing, don't get me wrong, but I'm just wondering what on earth the poor bridesmaids would have to wear next to this. Makes me wonder what it'd look like standing at the altar, too, rather than walking towards the camera like this shot; there's not much structure in the train."—Alex

"Sup. Hey. Nah... I don't really feel like going to our wedding tonight. Wanna stay home and watch Vikings on Netflix? Awesome. I'll order in some pizza."—Mark

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Giuseppe Papini
(Image credit: ImaxTree )

"I'm undecided about the two-tier skirt. It's kinda like she hasn't decided whether she wants a cute summer dress or a fancy winter dress. But I'd be into it if the bottom layer was attached with velcro and she could just rip it off mid-wedding dance, transitioning from a slow waltz to some modern beats. That would take all sorts of chutzpah."—Haoran

"This looks better, plain and simple. The front open exposed bit reminds me of the dress of the woman who marries Axel Rose in November Rain! Which says enough…"—Matt

"Save for the bit where the bottom looks like a couple of freshly washed pillows, this looks real classy."—Alex

"Argh, sorry I'm late. I accidentally got my dress caught in a bear trap. Thankfully I had a Swiss Army Knife in my pocket so I was able to just sorta RIP the dress off like [mimics sawing motion] THIS." —Mark

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Inbal Dror
(Image credit: ImaxTree )

"Tiara? I'm into it. The transparent sleeves and the shoulders are also cool. (I don't have enough langauge to describe what I see here.) What's that neckline called? Empress? Princess? Is it a bodice? Anyway, that, as well as the shape of the dress is sexy and classy, which I guess is your aim at a wedding. I think this is my favourite of the five dresses. The fluffy bits around the hands though... I could take it or leave it, but the rest of the dress seems okay to me."—Haoran

"Hate crowns—love the rest. The wrist tassels make me feel it's a wedding for the snow, like the Russian arm warmers."—Matt

"I'm digging the whole regal thing, minus the feathers. The feathers seem like they would be great up until the point where you go to the reception and then that one drunk uncle spills a bit of their drink and then it's misery for everyone."—Alex

"This is for the bride who says, 'Hey, yeah, so I'm always really warm everywhere EXCEPT for my wrists.' Well boy, do I have the dress for you!"—Mark

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Isabel Zapardiez
(Image credit: ImaxTree )

"I'm hoping that mesh top isn't see-through, because having your grandpa see your nipples when you walk down the aisle ain't kosher. I don't know if veils are out and crazy headpieces are in, but I'll take a traditional veil over this any day of the week (but preferably on a traditional Saturday)."—Haoran

"Everything that makes this dress unique—I hate. Headgear, no. Frills, no. Then I guess it could work well!"—Matt

"Find me someone who would actually be sane enough to wear this at their wedding. And, no, they can't be hammered when you ask them. It looks more like a Eurovision outfit than something you want to remember for the rest of your life."—Alex

"I want to get married, but I also want to protect my brain from the ever-present threat of electromagnetic fields. Whaddya got?"—Mark

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Jesús Peiró
(Image credit: ImaxTree )

"From the back, this dress looks like that right cutting edge of sexy and classy. But I'm a bit worried that lace around the neck turns into some epic Lace-enstein's Monster."—Haoran

"From what I can see from the back, this looks like the best. Open back is a good look!"—Matt

"Just look at that colour. It's like dirty dishwater. Not really the image you want for your wedding."—Alex

"Do you have any wedding dresses in the colour my dishwater goes after scrubbing my ten-year-old roasting tray? Thanks. Awesome."—Mark

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For more hilarious comments on fashion from real men, see what they think of boyfriend jeans and festival dressing here.

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Lara Burnell
Writer & Producer

Who's your style icon? 

Jenny Walton. She has a quirky, French, feminine style I adore. She mixes designer, vintage, high street really well and isn’t afraid of colour and print. My style board on Pinterest is full of street style images from her at fashion week events.

Who are your 5 favourite people to follow on Twitter/Instagram?

@unconditionalmagazine, @ilona_hamer, @thefatjewish, @glossier, @giorgiatordini

What's the fashion essential you can't live without?

My vintage red tartan jacket. It's timeless and bold. I love wearing it with a red matte lipstick. 

What's your desert island album?

Any '70s playlist will do!