Wedding dress

Physical description

Ballgown, cream silk crepe embroidered with silver strip, large short puffed sleeves and pelerine. Co-ordinating garters of white silk, embroidered with silver, and white silk slippers embroidered in cream.

Acquired with a deep bertha collar of silk blond lace which has now been removed as it was a later addition.

Place of Origin

Paris, France (attributed, made)
England, Great Britain (worn)

Date

1828 (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

silk crêpe over satin, embroidered with silver, silk lace, embroidered silk shoes

Dimensions

[Wedding dress] Circumference: 59.5 cm waist, Circumference: 82.5 cm bust, Circumference: 59.5 cm diaphragm (high waist), Width: 29.66 cm back of bodice, Length: 30 cm bodice to bottom of waist, Length: 107.3 cm skirt length, Width: 4.4 cm waistband, Circumference: 231 cm hem, Length: 35.5 cm outside sleeve length, Circumference: 21.3 cm cuff

Object history note

Associated with the marriage of the Honourable Frances Barrington to William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartford in 1828, family history states this was made in Paris

Descriptive line

Ballgown, worn as a wedding dress, silver embroidery with garters & shoes to match

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

Garters
Britain or Italy
1828

Silk satin, embroidered with metal wire (now tarnished)
Worn by the Hon. Frances Barrington for her wedding in Florence, Italy, 25 October 1828
Given by the Hon. Mrs Brooke
V&A: T.9A, B-1929 [2011]

Materials

Satin; Lace; Silver thread; Silk crepe; Silver strip

Techniques

Embroidery

Categories

Clothing; Embroidery; Footwear; Fashion; Marriage; Evening wear; Underwear; Formal wear

Collection code

T&F