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Wedding Dress

ca. 1840 (made)
Artist/Maker
Hird & Son (retailers)
Unknown (makers)
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

Ivory satin wedding dress, the bodice covered in tulle, the skirt of machine-made net with embroidered lace design. Band of wide satin padded rouleaux about skirt at knee height. The bodice V-shaped, with low neckline and short sleeves; lacing up the back.
Flat soled square toed satin shoes.
Veil of tulle with shadow appliqué work in layers of sheer muslin in corners and bobbin lace trimming.


Object details

Categories
Marriage
Clothing
Fashion
Footwear
Object type
Wedding dress
Parts
This object consists of 5 parts.

  • Wedding Dress
  • Wedding Veil
  • Wedding Shoe
  • Wedding Shoe
  • Accessory
Materials and techniques
silk satin, tulle and embroidered net lace
Silk Satin
Tulle
Muslin
Bobbin Lace
Net
Bobbin Lace Making
Dressmaking
Applique
Shoe Making
Brief description
Wedding dress, veil, and shoes, ca. 1840, English
Physical description
Ivory satin wedding dress, the bodice covered in tulle, the skirt of machine-made net with embroidered lace design. Band of wide satin padded rouleaux about skirt at knee height. The bodice V-shaped, with low neckline and short sleeves; lacing up the back.
Flat soled square toed satin shoes.
Veil of tulle with shadow appliqué work in layers of sheer muslin in corners and bobbin lace trimming.
Dimensions
  • T.238 1917 bodice front length: 28.6cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 1917 bodice back length: 21.6cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 1917 waist circumference: 60.9cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 1917 skirt back length: 116.8cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 a 1917 veil length: 134.6cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 a 1917 veil width: 120.7cm (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 b& c 1917 shoes length: 24.8cm (each) (Note: measurement converted from department register)
  • T.238 b& c 1917 width: 5.7cm (each) (Note: measurement converted from department register)
Marks and inscriptions
Hird & Son, 8 Lower Grosvenor Place, Pimlico (Shoe label)
Credit line
Given by the Misses Beale
Object history
At time of acquisition this dress was said to have been worn in 1830. The cut of the dress bodice suggests a circa 1840 date.
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.238, A to C-1917

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Record createdJune 22, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O251097/wedding-dress-unknown/
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