This gold silk wedding dress embroidered with artificial pearl beads was worn by Maud Katharine Alicia Cecil for her marriage to Richard Greville Acton Steel on 17 November 1927 at the church of St. Margaret's Westminster in London.
Photographs of the bride show how she wore the dress. Her veil was held in place by a heavy wreath of orange blossom worn low on her brow and her long court train was carried by a page and bridesmaid. She also wore a camisole with scalloped lace edging to soften the square neckline of the dress and cover her décolletage.
Velvet was a popular choice for winter weddings in the 1920s and fabrics incorporating gold and silver threads were fashionable alternatives to white satin. By 1926 some brides were marrying in knee length sleeveless or short-sleeved dresses but others, like Maud Cecil, took a more traditional approach and chose an ankle length skirt.
Physical description
Gold silk panne velvet wedding dress. The inside neckline, sleeve ends and hem are faced with cream silk. The ankle length dress has a square neckline, long sleeves, fitted bodice and full skirt. The front and back of the bodice are both cut in one piece and are shaped to the body with pairs of self-piped darts rising from the waist. The waist line and sleeve heads are also finished with self-piping. The skirt is cut in three panels, set into the waist with gathers and a narrow band of shirring. The long tapering sleeves are cut with shaped ends which fasten with five faux pearl buttons and worked eyelets. The bodice opens at the left side and closes with thirteen metal hooks and worked eyelets. A pair of hanging loops are attached to the inside waist. The neckline and sleeve ends are decorated with a row of artificial pearl beads and a narrow band of trailing berries worked in the same beads. The centre front of the dress is also embroidered with artificial pearl beads in a scrolling foliate pattern which rises from the hem to form an inverted 'V'.
Place of Origin
Great Britain, UK (made)
Date
1927 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Machine sewn silk panne velvet decorated with bead embroidery
Dimensions
Circumference: 73.5 cm waist, Circumference: 100 cm bust at top of darts, Length: 139.5 cm nape to hem, Length: 38 cm nape to waist, Width: 44 cm centre back, Width: 33 cm shoulder to shoulder, Length: 51.5 cm sleeve top, Length: 64 cm sleeve bottom, Circumference: 21 cm wrist, Circumference: 304.5 cm hem, Circumference: 91 cm waist to hem
Object history note
This wedding dress was worn by Maud Katharine Alicia Cecil for her marriage to Richard Greville Acton Steel on 17 November 1927 at St. Margaret's Westminster, London. Maud Cecil ws the daughter of Evelyn Cecil, 1st Baron Rockley and the Hon. Alicia Margaret Tyssen-Amherst.
Descriptive line
Gold silk velvet wedding dress embroidered with artificial pearl beads; made by an unknown maker for the marriage of Maud Cecil in November 1927.
Exhibition History
Unveiled: 200 years of wedding glamour from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 17/12/2011-22/04/2012)
The White Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashions (Bendigo Art Gallery 01/08/2011-06/11/2011)
Labels and date
Gold velvet dress
Britain
1927
In the 1920s metallic lamés and lace, shell pink and pale gold fabrics were fashionable for bridal and evening wear, giving wedding dresses added glamour. Velvet was popular for winter weddings. This dress reflects the persistent taste for medieval styles. It was worn by Maud Cecil, an art graduate of the Slade School, when she married Richard Steel in November 1927.
Silk velvet, embroidered with artificial pearls, with replica chemisette
Given by Oriel and Alicia Robinson, direct descendants of Maud Cecil
V&A: T.126-2009 [2011]
Materials
Silk velvet; Artificial pearl bead
Techniques
Machine sewing; Embroidery
Categories
Clothing; Embroidery; Fashion; Marriage
Collection code
T&F
