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Wedding suit

Wedding suit

  • Place of origin:

    Liverpool, England (sold)
    Great Britain, UK (made)

  • Date:

    1948 (made)
    4 January 1949 (worn)

  • Artist/Maker:

    unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Woven wool and mohair, trimmed with silk braid

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Mrs W. Foster

  • Museum number:

    T.14-1960

  • Gallery location:

    In store

  • Image in copyright

In February 1947 Christian Dior launched the New Look. It featured pinched waists, full skirts and a soft shoulder line. The New Look was an attempt to reinstate femininity in dress after a period of wartime austerity and shortage. This New Look suit of 1948 has a fashionable curvaceous silhouette. The hip-length tailored jacket is tightly fitted and the skirt falls in a full, soft line. The bright strawberry red and black braid trimming gives the outfit a military flavour.

The original owner bought the outfit for £22 at the Bon Marché store in Liverpool and wore it at her wedding.

Physical description

The generous shawl collar on this bright red New Look suit of 1948 is unusually shaped at the front in a wide, concave curve. The bright strawberry red wool and mohair cloth with tiny woven black flecks and heavy braid trimming combine to evoke a military feel.

Place of Origin

Liverpool, England (sold)
Great Britain, UK (made)

Date

1948 (made)
4 January 1949 (worn)

Artist/maker

unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Woven wool and mohair, trimmed with silk braid

Dimensions

Circumference: 24 in waist, Length: 29 in skirt, Circumference: 36 in bust

Object history note

Worn by Rachel Ginsburg for her marriage to Walter Foster, at Brondesbury Synagogue on 4 January 1949. Both bride and groom were students at the London School of Economics. The bride-to-be went shopping with her aunt for her outfit. They purchased the suit for £22 at the Bon Marche in Liverpool with clothing coupons donated by fellow-students. It was one of the first 'new look' costumes Rachel had seen. Her aunt gave her a small piece of net to wear on her head during the service. She had no attendants. Following the wedding the couple had a few days honeymoon staying at an old inn in Burford before returning to college. (Telephone conversation with Mrs. Foster, April 2010.)

Note from Mrs. Foster and Miss. Blumstein. It appeared in the '60 Years of Fashion' film, December 1959.

Production Note

Attribution note: Probably a British couture model

Materials

Wool; Mohair

Techniques

Braiding

Categories

Fashion; Marriage

Production Type

Ready to wear

Collection code

T&D

Qr_O15668
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